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But What Can You Do With a Sociology Major?

I can just hear someone say: “That’s fine for you, since you became a sociologist. I don’t want to go to graduate school, though. I just want to get my bachelor’s degree and get out of college and get on with life. So, how can a bachelor’s in sociology help me?”

This is a fair question. Just what can you do with a bachelor’s degree in sociology?

A few years ago, in my sociology department we began to develop a concentration in applied sociology. At that time, since this would be a bachelor’s degree, I explored this very question. I was surprised at the answer: Almost anything!

It turns out that most employers don’t care what you major in. (Exceptions are some highly specialized fields such as nursing, computers, and engineering.) Most em- ployers just want to make certain that you have completed college, and for most of them one degree is the same as an- other. College provides the base on which the employer builds.

Because you have your bachelor’s degree—no matter what it is in—employers assume that you are a responsi- ble person. This credential implies that you have proven yourself: You were able to stick with a four-year course, you showed up for classes, listened to lectures, took notes, passed tests, and carried out whatever assignments you were given. On top of this base of presumed responsibil- ity, employers add the specifics necessary for you to per- form their particular work, whether that be in sales or service, in insurance, banking, retailing, marketing, prod- uct development, or whatever.

If you major in sociology, you don’t have to look for a job as a sociologist. If you ever decide to go on for an ad- vanced degree, that’s fine. But such plans are not necessary. The bachelor’s in sociology can be your passport to most types of work in society.

Final Note I want to conclude by stressing the reason to major in so- ciology that goes far beyond how you are going to make a living. It is the sociological perspective itself, the way of thinking and understanding that sociology provides. Wherever your path in life may lead, the sociological per- spective will accompany you.

You are going to live in a fast-paced, rapidly changing society that, with all its conflicting crosscurrents, is going to be in turmoil. The sociological perspective will cast a different light on life’s events, allowing you to perceive them in more insightful ways. As you watch television, attend a concert, converse with a friend, listen to a boss or co-worker—you will be more aware of the social con- texts that underlie such behavior. The sociological per- spective that you develop as you major in sociology will equip you to view what happens in life differently from someone who does not have your sociological back- ground. Even events in the news will look different to you.

The final question that I want to leave you with, then, is, “If you enjoy sociology, why not major in it?”

With my best wishes for your success in life,

Epilogue 337