Melissa Nelson '10, a nurse midwife at OB-GYN Associates in Providence, R.I., speaks to students during an alumni panel.
Our graduates pursue careers in business, health professions, marketing, education, law, social work, public service (government and non-governmental organizations), advocacy, and academia.
Sociology Careers
Majoring in sociology provides a strong preparation for positions throughout the business, health, social service, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the critical thinking and research skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides.
What Our Sociology Graduates Say
Victoria Aramini '14
Planning Manager, The TJX Companies
"Studying sociology at Holy Cross has provided me with a wide range of skills that I use every single day in my role as a planning manager at The TJX Companies. The critical thinking skills gained in the classroom have helped me link together multiple facets of information while on the job, in turn helping me find new ways to strategically drive business at TJX. Additionally, studying sociology at Holy Cross provided me with a strong understanding of cura personalis, or understanding of the whole person. As someone in a managerial position, I utilize the concept of cura personalis on a daily basis as I work to set my associates up for success."
Julia Bandini '12
Associate Behavioral/Social Scientist, RAND Corporation
"I am an associate behavioral/social scientist at the RAND Corporation, which is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help individuals and communities throughout the world. My sociology major at Holy Cross provided me with a solid foundation in critical thinking and research that I use in my everyday life as a researcher. My work focuses on improving end-of-life care for patients and their families, which stems directly from my experiences and education at Holy Cross."
James Dale '19
Client Manager, Unum Insurance
"My sociology degree has helped me tremendously in the workplace by providing me with the tools to critically analyze situations, and advocate for my clients. My sociology degree has also transformed me into a more socially conscious individual, and therefore I am able to ask my colleagues and clients thought-provoking questions to prompt conversations. I am most grateful for the intellectual perspective that my sociology has provided me with to succeed in the corporate world."
Kathryn Miller '05
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Spark the Change Colorado
"As a sociology major, I was inspired by my classes on campus, where the deep inequity of the world was made clear to me. My first paid position was with a non-profit agency where I managed school-based services for children whose parents were incarcerated. I later obtained my master's degree in social work and entered a Ph.D. program. Throughout my career, I've worked mainly in community-based programs focusing on women and children in domestic violence, immigration, and school-based settings. I'm currently a licensed clinical social worker running a pro-bono mental health program, full time. I'm also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, a non-profit consultant, and a clinical supervisor. This is to say that my career has been diverse in terms of the roles I've had, and sociology prepared me for (and propelled me into) all of it!"
Zhen Qi '16
Business Development Strategist, Air Business Tools
"During college, I imagined myself working for an international NGO fighting poverty, which I thought was a natural career for a sociology and international development major. Today, I am working for a Japanese tech company, where I design new IT tools that empower small and medium-sized businesses. Sociology taught me how to listen carefully, think critically and work scientifically. My education at Holy Cross gave me the confidence to venture into new fields constantly but never forget to prioritize the meaning and social impact in what I do."
Some Immediate Post-Graduation Plans of the Class of 2018
- Research analyst at Massey Quick Simon, a financial services company
- Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest - Year of service
- Ph.D. program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in sociology (with a focus on aging and caregiving)
- Project specialist at MassMutual
- Master of educational specialist degree program at Tufts University in school psychology
- Teaching fellow at Nativity School of Worcester
- College Advising Corp at Boston University
- Conducting summer research at Holy Cross for nine weeks, and then attending University of California, San Diego to earn an MFA in Poetry as their San Diego Fellow
- Medical scribe; applying to physician assistant graduate program
Graduate School Information
- GradSchools.com: Masters in Sociology Programs
- American Sociological Association: Guide to Graduate Departments of Sociology
Career Information
- University of California, Davis: Careers for Sociology Majors
- American Sociological Association: Booklet: 21st Century Careers with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology
- American Sociological Association: What are They Doing With A Bachelor’s Degree In Sociology? Data Brief On Current Jobs
Some Career Paths
Explore some areas, employers and strategies you can use when looking for a job with a major in sociology.
Education
Areas:
Teaching
Administration
Alumni Relations
Placement Offices
Research
Employers:
Public & Private Schools
Colleges & Universities
Strategies:
Obtain certification/licensing to teach grades K-12.
Earn dual certification to increase job opportunities
Volunteer as a tutor.
Assist a professor with research
Earn a master's degree to teach in two-year colleges
Obtain Ph.D. to teach and for advanced research positions in colleges & universities.
Secure strong personal recommendations, especially from professors
Learn skills in communication networking & electronic mail.
Take courses in sociology of education, social psychology, developmental psychology, research, and statistics
Develop excellent communication skills
Business
Areas:
Demography/Planning
Human Resources
Management
Sales
Advertising
Marketing
Consumer Research
Insurance
Real Estate
Personnel/Training
Administration
Recruiting
Public Relations
Employers:
Research Departments/Firms
Personnel/Industrial Relations Departments
Marketing/Management Firms
Organizational Planning Departments/Firms
International Business
Manufacturing Firms
Advertising Firms
Consumer Research/Public Relations Firms
Insurance/Real Estate Companies
Publishing Firms
Consulting Firms
Retail Stores
Banks
Staffing Agencies
Service Industry
Non-profit Organizations
Health Care Organizations
Strategies:
Focus on an occupational area: personnel, industrial relations, management, marketing, or public relations.
Take courses in labor relations, industrial psychology, sociology of work, personnel management, public speaking, writing, social psychology, and human/social interaction.
Take business classes such as accounting
Gain related experience through part-time jobs, summer work, and internships
Join related professional organizations
Seek leadership roles in student organizations
Learn skills in communication networking, electronic mail, computers, spreadsheets, databases, and word processing
Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
Stress work experience, social skills, public speaking, writing skills, statistics & research training when interviewing.
Social Science Research
Areas:
Market Research Analysis
Evaluation Research
Research
Data Analysis
Demography
Information Sourcing
Employers:
Federal Government
National Headquarters of Non-Profit Organizations
Firms conducting social, market, or statistical research
Public Relations Firms
Professional Periodicals
Newspapers, Magazines, & News Agencies
Social Service Agencies
Hospitals
Business & Industry
Labor Unions
Professional Sociologists
Universities
Religious Organizations
Public Opinion Research Polls
Community Organizations
Private Industry
Advertising and Marketing Firms
Consulting Organizations
Information Broker
Strategies:
Learn federal government job application process.
Develop strong quantitative, statistical, writing, informational gathering, and assimilating skills.
Take courses in research methods and statistics.
Learn skills in communication networking, electronic mail, statistics software, and database, spreadsheet, and desktop publishing programs
Acquire related experience.
Obtain graduate degree for advancement and specialized areas.
Earn certification in applied social research by The American Sociological Association.
Community Relations
Employers:
Federal, State, & Local Government
National headquarters & local branches of non-profit organizations
Private Social Service Organizations
Religiously Affiliated Service Organizations
Child Care Agencies
Strategies:
Learn federal, state & local government job application process.
Obtain experience in counseling, advocacy or administration.
Acquire knowledge of community problems & government resources.
Gain volunteer experience.
Take courses in public speaking, inequality, social classes, race relations, gender, social psychology, social/human interaction.
Learn skills in communication networking & electronic mail.
Government
Areas:
Social Science Analysis
Social Statistics
Demography
Administration
Management
Program Development
Policy Analysis
Personnel
Research
Investigation
Corrections
Rehabilitation
Law Enforcement
Judiciary
Human Services
City Planning
Employers:
Public Assistance Agencies
Federal, State, Local, & County Government
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education
Department of the Interior
Health and Human Services
Drug Enforcement Administration
Environmental Protection Agency
Housing and Urban Development
Veterans Administration
National Institute of Health
National Institute of Aging
Strategies:
Learn federal, state & local government job application process.
Learn skills in computers, communication networking, & electronic mail.
Take additional courses in statistics and social research
Obtain experience in research &a evaluation.
Acquire skills in survey & evaluation research, and specialties in such fields as medical/health sociology, aging, criminal justice, demography, and family.
Gain experience via co-op programs and volunteer work.
Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
Environment and Society
Employers:
Waste Management Firms
Health Agencies
Local Planning Agencies
Environmental Advocacy Groups
National Advocacy Groups
Environmental Periodicals
Federal Government
Regional, State, & Local Agencies
Consulting Firms
Environmental Periodicals
Private Industry
Strategies:
Take courses in general and urban ecology, statistics, environmental science and public speaking.
Learn skills in communication networking, electronic mail, and analytical writing.
Join environment-related student organizations
Gain experience via part-time or internships and volunteer work.
Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
Demography
Employers:
Companies & Organizations doing demographic forecasting and population studies.
Companies compiling market research data.
Consulting firms
Business & Industry
International, Federal & State Agencies
Government & Regional Planning Departments
Colleges & Universities
Foundations
Advertising & Marketing Firms
Private Research Firms
Strategies:
Take courses in social research methods, statistics, computer applications, population, social movements, calculus, & foreign language.
Develop good communication skills.
Gain essential practical experience via part-time, internships, & volunteer work.
Learn skills in communication networking & electronic mail.
Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
Criminal Justice
Areas:
Corrections
Rehabilitation
Law Enforcement
Judiciary
Employers:
Correction Institutions
Court Systems
Federal, State, & Local Government,
Law Enforcement Agencies
Strategies:
Emphasize research methods, statistics and computer skills.
Gain essential practical experience via part-time, internships, & volunteer work.
Volunteer to work with troubled youth
Develop a desire to work with and help all types of people
Learn skills in communication networking & electronic mail.
Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
Obtain experience in a branch of the military.
This information came from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the University of Southern Indiana
Anthropology Careers
Anthropology is a highly applicable social science that is gaining wider purchase within the worlds of business, health, law, policy, journalism and international relations.
For example, businesses are now keen to hire anthropologists to better understand the behaviors of their clients around the globe and broaden their consumer base. In the medical and legal careers, anthropological skills are very useful to translate between cultural systems and provide more fair and equitable services. Any job that requires international exchanges (and most jobs today do) benefits from an approach that is attuned to cultural difference and global inequality. Anthropology also prepares students for graduate study in a wide variety of fields, such as public health, museum studies, environmental studies, archeology and social work, among many others.
What Our Anthropology Graduates Say
Dillon Carmichael '18
Marketing Assistant, Marcus & Millichap
"After graduation, I continued my work with a project I started in college called Redefining Black Masculinity (RBM). I was later approached by a friend about assisting the nonprofit she worked for, New England Blacks in Philanthropy (NEBiP) with their marketing, and did just that until landing a role at my current job in January 2020. I think sociology and anthropology have been necessary components to the levels of success I have had in each. To be able to operate with an understanding of social systems and structures while also possessing a sense of human behaviors and cultural meanings strongly influence the type of work I do with RBM and serves as the foundation behind how one deconstructs preconceived norms and values that serve as a hindrance to marginalized (in this case, black) communities. From a marketing perspective, that same knowledge proves useful in communicating with potential audiences."
Vannak Khin '15
Community Outreach Specialist, JVS Boston
"I am a community outreach specialist at JVS, a nonprofit in downtown Boston that focuses on helping people enter the workforce. I engage with immigrants to help them enroll into our education and training programs. My anthropology major informs the way I coordinate marketing strategies that help immigrants and refugees strive for better life opportunities. In my current position, I look at the complex social circumstances of potential students, identify resources that best fit their needs, and figure out how we can responsibly scale our engagement strategies."
Tanusha Yarlagadda '18
Law School Student, Notre Dame Law
"I utilize my anthropology major every day especially during policy discussions in my classes. I find that my ability to analyze social issues is an advantage when justifying or rejecting a court's decision in cases. For example, I use my knowledge of issues related to gender that I learned through the major to analyze particular laws and their effects, especially on women, on a regular basis. Anthropology teaches you to be open-minded and see problems from all perspectives, a skill that is invaluable in a field creating and using laws that affect a diverse population."
Some Immediate Post-Graduation Plans of the Class of 2018
- Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest year of service as a community support specialist for the Women and Children's Alliance in Boise, Idaho, which provides support and resources for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Notre Dame Law School
- Villanova Law School
- Assistant director of the Corporate Work Study Program at Cristo Rey New York High School
Value of an Anthropology Degree
The following news articles describe the value of an anthropology degree in the professional world.
- The New York Times: "Intel's sharp-eyed social scientist”
- The Atlantic: "Anthropology Inc."
General Information About Majoring in Anthropology
- American Anthropological Association: Internship Opportunities
- American Anthropological Association: Careers in Anthropology
- GradSchools.com: Anthropology Graduation Programs
- American Anthropological Association: Job Board