The Sociology Major

Resources, Strengths, Career Paths, Skills

Transferable Skills:Students of Sociology end their education with superior analytical skills, a rare and highly valued commodity in today's job market. Sociology Majors also possess:

• Critical thinking abilities
• Writing & rhetoric Skill
• A understanding of human behavior
• Didactic skill
• The ability to empathize

Career Paths: The Major in Sociology provides students with an optimal platform for entering a variety of fields. Students with a strong background in Sociology are viewed favorably by varying fields such as medicine, law and business. Here are some fields a Sociology major may pursue:

• Healthcare
• Social Work
• Education
• Criminal Justice
• Business
• Public Relations / Communications

Resources & Professional Associations of Interest: Check out the following websites and consider joining at least one of the professional associations in your field of interest to boost your career and give you a competitive edge on the job market. These are just a few so don't hesitate to do some research on your own!

• National Association of Social Workers
• Society for Personality and Social Psychology
• Chronicle of Higher Education , Inside Higher Education - great sites for academics
• American Counseling Association - resources for students and counselors
• International Sociological Association

Employers:The following companies and institutions have hired/accepted Stony Brook students of Sociology

• Hunter College
• Microsoft
• Nassau County BOE
• New York Life Insurance Co.
• Options for Community Living
• New York Urban League
• LIM College
• Stony Brook University

Sample Job Titles:The following are some sample job titles that would be appropriate for a student who has majored in Sociology. This is in no way a complete list. If you're surprised at some of these titles, you shouldn't forget that a student who majors in Sociology gains skills that can be used in almost any industry!

Famous Sociology Majors

Robin Williams - Actor/Comedian
Martin Luther King - Civil Rights Activist
Paul Shaffer - Bandleader (The Late Show)