A sociology degree prepares you for careers in business and industry, government, community and social services, the justice system, education, and research. Sociology majors in business work in sales, marketing, customer relations and human resources. Social service jobs for sociology majors provide opportunities including working with youth at risk, senior citizens, and people struggling with substance abuse. There are numerous job opportunities for sociology majors in corrections and law enforcement, as well as mental health service occupations.
The real advantage of a sociology degree is that it provides you with both essential basic skills and broad general understanding. In a world in which today's students will change careers (not just jobs) three to four times in their working lives, gaining very specific narrowly focused skills and expertise may not be the wisest investment. By contrast, UHCL's sociology program teaches students how to analyze and research complex problems, how to write competently, speak intelligently, and read critically. These skills are necessary to get ahead in all jobs.
But we do not stop with these general skills. Students receive training in research design, data analysis and statistics. These skills prepare you for support positions in research, in government and business policy analysis, program evaluation, market analysis, and public opinion polling, to name only a few areas. Other courses can be helpful for careers in specific areas: 1. Social Psychology provides background in group dynamics and informal organizations 2. Organizational Sociology provides tools for understanding problems in business and government organizations that will allow you to help these institutions improve quality and productivity, successfully downsize and manage reorganization. 3. Minorities and Ethnicity courses provide an understanding of our heterogeneous society that can be useful for careers in human resources and social services. 4. Urban Sociology provides useful background for work in urban planning agencies and the social service sector. 5. Criminology and related courses offers valuable training for work in agencies that deal with criminal justice, probation, parole, juvenile delinquency, gangs, and policing.
For course requirements for the B.A. and M.A. Concentrations in Sociology, please click on the "Requirements" button on the right side of this window.
|