TASA - The Australian Sociology Association

Promoting sociology in Australia
Facilitating sociology teaching and research
Enhancing the professional development of TASA members

Careers in Sociology

What can you do with a degree in sociology?

If you’re interested in working with people and communities, then sociology is for you. Sociology focuses on the study of human behaviour and social interaction to understand how societies are organised, develop and change. Graduates in sociology develop skills and knowledge applicable to a wide variety of jobs. These skills and knowledge include:

• an understanding of social and cultural issues
• high-quality written and oral communication skills
• research skills and a capacity for detailed observation
• the ability to work independently and in groups.

Graduates also develop more specialised skills and knowledge that are needed for the following types of employment:

• Work involving social groups and social processes: such as minority and ethnic groups, crime and substance abuse, youth issues, family matters, industrial relations, poverty, globalisation…
• Social research: devising surveys, collecting data, and conducting interviews and fieldwork; including the analysis, interpretation and presentation of the information collected
• Social policy and planning: community development, cultural resource management, social justice issues, social aspects of health care, migration…

Where do graduates in sociology work?

Many areas of the public and private sectors employ graduates with social science skills. For example:

• Federal, State and Local Governments: social services, teaching, industrial relations, criminal justice work, policy development and implementation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, urban planning, general administration, migrant and multicultural affairs…
• Community and Non-profit Organisations: administration, overseas aid & development agencies, social research, policy development, lobbying…
• Business: consumer/social research, public relations, publishing, personnel work, training.
• Further Study and Academic Work: Honours, Masters and PhD study, university and TAFE teaching, research assistant work.

Applied Sociology is a growing area of employment for sociologists.

Some of the jobs recent sociology graduates have taken…

• Youth officer | Multicultural affairs liaison | Welfare officer | Journalist
• Community project officer | Development officer | Age & disability officer
• Administrative officer | Electorate officer | Personnel administrator | Research assistant
• Market analyst | Sales office manager | Service adviser | Client service manager