Careers and Professional Development

Given the breadth, adaptability, and utility of sociology, career opportunities for sociology majors are wide and varied. To learn more about possible job prospects, contact the graduate students and faculty members in the department; many have held other jobs while working on their degree. The College of Social Science and the American Sociological Association also have resource pages for job-hunting sociologists, found below.

Alumni Pursuits

Graduates with a sociology major pursue careers in a range of industries, excelling in jobs that demand deep knowledge of research, community relations and intercultural communication.

Alumni work at: 

  • Amazon
  • American Red Cross
  • MSU Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
  • U.S. AmeriCorps VISTA
  • Community mental health agencies
  • Turning Point Youth Center
  • Sony
  • Immigrant support agencies

Alumni work as: 

  • Mortgage bankers
  • Residential relief technicians
  • Technical recruiters
  • Youth service worker
  • College instructors or professors
  • Counselors
  • Researchers and writers
  • Translators or interpreters

Professional Organizations

Check out the variety of sociological associations listed here. Many offer student memberships at reduced rates. For example, you can join the American Sociological Association as a student member. This membership allows you to receive one of the professional journals published by the ASA (such as the American Sociological Review), plus the monthly newsletter Footnotes, which contains information about activities and people in the sociological discipline.

Undergraduate