What Can I Do with a Degree in Sociology?
Posted: March 14, 2023 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 3 minutes
The most common thing for people to study in the real world is other people. Human nature is a fascinating subject. What makes people tick? What connects people as humans? Getting a sociology degree at Southern Utah University is the first step to answering some of these age-old questions.
What is Sociology?
Sociology is the study of people. Relationships and interactions, social aspects and institutions. Social change, criminal justice, religion, politics, all help to create society. Sociology is the study of what makes humans so interconnected with each other.
Jobs with a Sociology Degree
Police Officer
A police officer’s job is often not as flashy as it is in the movies, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Police officers, detectives, and criminal investigators respond to emergency and non-emergency calls and offer their services when necessary. They help control traffic and patrol different areas.
Social Worker
Social workers cover a vast range of subjects in their respective fields. From helping a couple adopt a child, helping someone cope when diagnosed with a severe illness, and helping treat or prevent substance abuse. Social workers are there for pivotal moments in people’s lives and, most commonly, challenging times at that.
There are several types of social workers; administration and management, advocacy and community organizing, aging, child welfare, developmental disabilities, health care, international social work, justice and corrections, mental health/ clinical, occupational and employee assistance, policy and planning, politics, public welfare, research, and school social work. Social workers help people in vulnerable situations overcome their challenges every day.
Counselor
Similar to social workers and therapists, a counselor’s job is to help a person overcome something difficult that happened in their life, most commonly things that inflict emotional trauma or a negative emotional reaction that leaves a lasting effect on the person affected by the event. Counselors also help clients decide on and fulfill their goals, help them learn to improve and maintain positive self-esteem, promote a beneficial behavior change if necessary, and optimize mental health.
Real Estate Agent
These are the people most commonly associated with advising on buying and selling homes. But their job expands to more than just homes, and they can help people buy all kinds of different real estate; vacant land, commercial properties, and residential properties. Real estate agents help buyers and sellers of real estate with the entire process, primarily the paperwork. They help sellers decide on an appropriate price and buyers with picking a selection of real estate that is right for them.
Paralegal
The unsung heroes of the criminal justice and law maintenance world, paralegals assist lawyers with everything they need help with as they prepare for hearings, trials, corporate meetings, etc. They use technology to help sort and collect data for a case and manage the information. They can also help interview clients, plan cases, monitor developments in cases, draft and analyze legal documents, compile information together to make a strong case, and recommend attorneys.
Case Manager
Similar to social workers, there are many different types of case managers. Hospital and home health/ registered nurse, health insurance, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, child, academic, juvenile, housing, mental health, correctional, rehabilitation, legal, geriatric. They serve as patient/ client advocates who provide support and guide care choices for said individuals, families, and caregivers so that the individual can go about their health or wellness in a safe, secure, and ethical way.
SUU’s Department of History, Sociology and Anthropology is a blend of the old and the new. The department helps equip students with analytical and communication skills which enable them to investigate past and present human cultures and societies. Students learn skills that allow them to communicate their findings logically, scientifically, and effectively.
Help humanity create a kinder tomorrow, by getting a degree in sociology from SUU today. Discover hidden aspects of humanity and learn more about human nature. It is all possible at SUU.
Tags: Student College of Humanities and Social Sciences
