What can I do with a major in Sociology?
The information below describes typical occupations and employers associated with this major. Understand that some of the options listed below may require additional training. Moreover, you are not limited to these options alone when choosing a possible career path.
Description of Anthropology/Sociology
The Department of Anthropology/Sociology unites two major social science disciplines. Although the disciplines differ in origin, boundaries, and methodology, they share a common mission: to interpret and explain the structural forces that constitute and influence human action and to facilitate an ongoing encounter with the other, in order to provide the basis for undertaking a critique of our own culture, society, history, and self. Skills of both a methodological and theoretical nature are developed in order to undertake these tasks. The objectives of the department are to prepare students for professional careers in anthropology and sociology and to enrich general education by exposing students to the perspective gained by learning to conceptualize and understand human cultural and social diversity and to account for change and persistence across both time and space.
Career opportunities include social service, teaching, research in governmental or private organizations, foreign service, and programs in the international arena. In conjunction with a faculty advisor, a departmental major will design a curriculum in the department based on the student’s specific goals and career options. The possibilities include intensive preparation for graduate work in either anthropology or sociology and the possibility of designing an interdisciplinary major. (Rhodes’ Department of Anthropology/Sociology Website)
Possible Job Titles of Anthropology/Sociology Graduates
(*Jobs secured as reported by Rhodes Career Services post-graduate survey)
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Account Executive |
Landscaper Librarian Litigation Investigator Loan Officer Logistics Officer Marketing Assistant* Mathematical Statistician Medical Specialist* Naval Intelligence Officer Operations Manager* Orientation Counselor* Paralegal* Park Ranger* Personal Banker* Photographer Prevention Educator Probation Officer Production Intern* Program Assistant* Public Relations Specialist Publication Manager* Rehabilitation Trainer* Research Assistant* Residential Counselor Sales Representative Section Supervisor Senior Secretary Social/Case Worker Teacher* Training & Development Assistant* Travel Manager Underwriter Volunteer Coordinator* Web Designer |
Possible Employers Who Might Hire Anthropology/Sociology Graduates
(*Jobs secured as reported by Rhodes Career Services post-graduate survey)
| Airlines American Red Cross Banks and Financial Institutions* BellSouth Birch′s Telecom Botanical Gardens Canada Life Child Trends* Christie’s* CIBA Vision Colleges and Universities* Community Entry Services* Contemporary Media* Converse & Associates* Country Day School* Creative Community Services* Dept. of Social Services Dreamworks, Inc.* Earth Search Enterprise Rent-a-Car Epic Engineering Equal Employment Opportunity FedEx* GeoEnvironmental Tec Group Habitat for Humanity Intl IBM ITOS |
JET Program* King Spalding Law Firm Laurel Woods Mental Health LeBonheur Children’s Hospital* Maximus Probations Muvico* Nantahala Outdoor Center National Park Service* Nonprofit Organizations* Peace Corps* Progressive Insurance San Francisco Conservation Corp.* School Systems* Sexual Assault Center SPRINT Standard Register State Farm Insurance STAX Music Academy* Subsurface Detection SunTrust Bank Teach for America* The John Ryan Company Top Turf United States Army* U.S. Census Bureau Youth Villages* |
Skill Sets and Interests Associated with Anthropology/Sociology Majors
- Proficiency in interpersonal communication
- Ability to conduct and clearly explain sociological/scientific research
- Ability to interact with people of different backgrounds in various situations
- Knowledge of community resources
- Ability to maintain composure in stressful situations
- Appreciation for other cultures
- Proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and speaking
- Proficiency with computers
- Ability to evaluate personal problems and make appropriate decisions
- Ability to accurately interpret and evaluate events, information, and ideas related to the past
- Desire to positively impact humanity
Top Career Services Resources for Anthropology/Sociology Majors
- Great Jobs for Anthropology Majors by Blythe Camenson
- Great Jobs for Sociology Majors by Stephen Lambert
- Careers in Community Development by Paul Brophy and Alice Shabecoff
- Careers for Good Samaritans and other Humanitarian Types by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler
- 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For by Leslie Hamilton and Robert Tragert
Rhodes Campus Contacts Associated with Anthropology/Sociology Majors
Career Services
901-843-3800
rhodes.edu/careerservices
Department of Anthropology/Sociology
901-843-3930
rhodes.edu/anthrosoc
Additional Resources/Contacts for Anthropology/Sociology Majors
American Sociological Association
Society for Applied Sociology
Society for the Study of Social Problems
American Anthropological Association
Commission on Applied and Clinical Sociology
American Association of Museums
Society for American Archaeology
Archaeological Institute of America