休斯敦大學(xué)

Sociology is the study of human life within group contexts, varying from small, intimate groups to large, complex organizations and societies. Since group interaction is a part of every individual's life, sociology is considered part of a student's liberal education. Courses in the Department of Sociology emphasize an understanding of a broad range of subjects: the family, gender roles, work and occupations, deviance, minority groups, population studies, and so forth. In addition to these courses, students majoring in sociology receive a rigorous grounding in statistics and social research methodology, including experimental designs, sample survey designs, qualitative procedures stressing participant observation, and the application of methods to the study of concrete social problems. Students can also complete an internship in sociology, providing the opportunity to apply sociological perspectives and skills to assist a local organization. Students majoring in sociology are prepared for careers as social researchers or as social practitioners in areas involving industry, government service, and the social services, as well as graduate studies in Sociology.

Careers in Sociology

What can I do with a degree in sociology?

Sociology, generally speaking, is the study of human society. This involves the systematic analysis of the behavior and social lives of people, groups, and societies, which spans a diverse range of substantive topics. From this description, though, it may not be readily apparent what you can actually do in the workforce with an undergraduate degree in sociology. Indeed, if you use the search term “sociology” in a job bank, you may not come up with many matches. However, sociology as a discipline can provide you with both a way of thinking about the world and a set of skills which can enable you to systematically analyze the world around you, both of which are highly sought after in the workplace.

Sociology can help expand your thinking about how to understand the society in which we live and can teach you to think more effectively about how to engage with modern social problems. One of the main skills gained with an education in sociology is critical thinking, especially about the way society functions and humans interact. This is a highly prized skill in the social services, largely in the non-profit and public sectors, as well as in human resources, largely in the for-profit sector. Many jobs nationwide and in the Houston area specifically are seeking educated job candidates who possess these skills.

Additionally, sociology, as a social science, includes an important statistics and methods training component, which teaches you to systematically gather, process, and report data. In sociology, this is specific to data on human behavior and trends, which is in many ways more difficult data to obtain, measure, and analyze. In the era of big data, these skills are more in demand than ever across all sectors of the economy. You can take these skills into the workforce for careers in social science research, non-profit and government program evaluation, or for-profit marketing.