A BA in Sociology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in sociology in order to become a professor, researcher or applied sociologist. The undergraduate degree also provides a strong liberal arts preparation for entry level positions through-out the business, social service, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides. Sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration - fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups. Students choose sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly pertains to each of these fields. Given the breadth, adaptability and utility of sociology, employment opportunities abound for BA graduates. You can secure entry level positions in many of the areas previously mentioned in defining the scope of sociology. The following list of possibilities is only illustrative - many other paths may be open to you.

Employment sectors include:

• Social Services - in rehabilitation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, recreation, or administration
• Community Work - in fund-raising for social service organizations, nonprofits, child-care or community development agencies, or environmental groups
• Corrections - in probation, parole, or other criminal justice work
• Business - in advertising, marketing and consumer research, insurance, real estate, personnel work, training, human relations, or sales
• College Settings - in admissions, alumni relations, or placement offices
• Health Services - in family planning, substance abuse, rehabilitation counseling, health planning, hospital admissions, and insurance companies
• Publishing, Journalism, and Public Relations - in writing, research, and editing
• Government Services - in federal, state, and local government jobs in such areas as transportation, housing, agriculture, and labor
• Teaching - in elementary and secondary schools, with proper teacher certification.

What strategies can I use?

• Volunteer your services at any of the nonprofit agencies in your city. Write to the National Society for Experiential Education for the National Directory of Internships (latest edition). NSIEE, 3509 Haworth Drive, Suite 207, Raleigh, NC 27609-7229.
• Volunteer your time and skills to an employer on a part-time basis in order to establish contact and perhaps lay the groundwork for future employment.
• Spend summers working/volunteering at city camps, the YMCAs or summer youth camps. Make sure you work well with a diverse population.
• Learn a second language so you are more marketable.
• Take advantage of student leadership opportunities on campus for peer mentors, dorm assistants, lab assistants, etc.
• Look for work study and student worker jobs that fit with your career goals. These positions can be very helpful in locating permanent jobs and can serve as references in the future.
• Add a minor to enhance the power of your sociology major.
• Take as many courses in social research methods, statistics and computer skills that your undergraduate program offers. These are skills classes and make the BA more marketable in today's technical and data oriented work.
• If teaching is attractive to you, obtain certification for grades K-12 at the same time you are pursuing a BA in Sociology. Post-secondary institutions require a master's degree (community colleges) or a Ph.D (four-year universities) for teaching positions.