The University of Maryland BA and BS Sociology graduates have been successful in many different fields post-graduation, including law, business, education, consulting, medicine -- not to mention social work, politics, and public administration. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge directly concerning each of these fields. Using information from the annual University of Maryland Graduation Survey, we have compiled details about SOCY majors, such as their post-graduation adventures.
Use this information as a place to start exploring your career interests. Review additional resources below and on the Feller Center's website.
Explore Career Paths
Start Planning
Related Titles & Work Areas
Job Titles:
- Academic Advisor
- Academic Program Specialist
- Advisor
- Assistant Coordinator
- Assistant Teacher
- English Teaching Assistant
- Field Instructor
- Lead Teacher
- LGBTQ+ Fellow
- Preschool Teacher
- Senior Program Assistant
- Teacher
- Teacher Resident
Organizations:
- Capital Hill Cooperative Nursery School
- El Camino College
- French Government
- Hunt Valley Country Day
- National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
- Prince George's County Public Schools
- Rosslyn Children's Center
- Swarthmore College
- Teacher for America
- The Academy at SOAR
- The Goddard School
- The Shefa School
- University of Maryland University College
- University of Maryland, College Park
- Urban Teacher Center
- Bright Beginnings, Inc.
Entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include: communication, organizational, and creativity skills.
- Apply for experiences working with youth while in school to demonstrate and test your interest.
- Public school teachers at the K–12 level must be certified by the state in which they teach.
- Learn more about school social work.
- Alumni share lessons learned and career advice: School Psychologist, Teaching, School Counseling, and Student Affairs
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Education and Education Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
Job Titles:
- Background Investigator
- Conflict Analyst Assistant
- Legal Administrative Assistant
- Legal Assistant
- Paralegal
- Patent Clerk
- Police Officer
Organizations:
- CACI International
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore
- District of Columbia Government
- Hogan Lovells
- McCabe, Weisberg and Conway
- New York Department of Transportation
- Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein, and Fox
- The Law office of D.M. Harris LL
- U.S. Department of Justice
Entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include: communication, interpersonal, organizational, research, analytical, speaking, problem solving and writing skills.
- Apply for internships! Gaining experience in the field will test your interest and demonstrate interest to law school programs.
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Law for industry information and entry tips.
Job Titles:
- Account Executive
- Analyst for Organizational Development
- Assistant Property Manager
- Associate Client Success Manager
- Campaign Assistant
- Client Support Representative
- Consultant
- Consultant- Entry Level
- Contracts Administrator
- Cyber Risk Consultant
- Development Assistant
- Development Coordinator
- Executive Assistant
- Financial Leadership Program
- Fundraising Associate
- General Manager
- HR Administrative Assistant
- HR Associate
- Human Resources Specialist
- Junior Consultant
- LAC Peer Editor
- Management Associate
- Marketing Team Associate
- Recruiting Assistant
- Recruiting Coordinator
- Sales Development Representative
- Securities Analyst II
- Senior Sales
- Social Media and PR Coordinator
- Social Media Supervisor
- Supply Chain Associate
- Support Services Specialist
- Territory Representative
Organizations:
- Abt
- Aerotek
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Ankura Consulting Group
- Bozzuto Group
- CoStar
- Deloitte
- Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
- Financial Leadership Program
- Girl Scouts Nation's Capital
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
- Market Bridge
- Mayson-Dixon Strategic Consulting
- Miriam's Kitchen
- Monumental Sports and Entertainment
- MullenLowe U.S.
- National Center on Education and the Economy
- Okta, Inc.
- PepsiCo, Inc.
- Power Connections
- Public Welfare Foundation
- Sierra Club
- The Sak Group
- Transit Employees Federal Credit Union
- Tremor Video DSP
- Trivergent Health Alliance MSO
- United Technologies Corporation
- University of Maryland Hillel
- University of Maryland, College Park
- Wells Fargo
- World Bank Group
- Yelp
Business entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include analytical, communication, creativity, decision making, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- For detailed tips, visit FirstHand's Career Guide to Business Administration Jobs, Marketing Jobs, Market Research Jobs, and Branding, Image, and Marketing Consulting Jobs.
Consulting entry tips:
- Be willing to learn and take the initiative to learn.
- When you first start, you are mostly a generalist, so be open to learning from colleagues and joining any training opportunities.
- Diversify your experiences – there is not just one clear cut path to consulting.
- Apply for internships. Employers recruit full-time employees from their internship programs.
- Prepare for case interviews. When interviewing, tell a compelling story, communication skills, logical thinking, and a genuine interest in the topic you are working on. For detailed tips, visit FirstHand’s Interview Practice Guide: Case Interviews.
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Consulting and Consulting Jobs.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Budget Analyst
- Case Manager
- Certified Medical Technician
- Child Psychiatric Specialist
- Children's Bereavement Services
- Community Integration Specialist
- Essential Needs Program
- Fellow
- Government Transformation and Agency Partnerships
- International Missionary
- Management and Program Analyst
- Mental Health Associate
- Police Officer
- Program and Training Coordinator
- Rehab Therapist
- Residential Instructional Associate
- Scheduling Assistant
- Staff Assistant
Organizations:
- A Wider Circle
- AmeriCorps
- Children's National Medical Center
- Community Support Services
- Creative Family Connections
- District of Columbia Government
- General Service Administration
- Johns Hopkins University
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence
- Partnership for Public Service
- Service Source
- SOS Children's Villages USA
- The Arc
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Senate
- University of Maryland Medical Center
Entry tips:
- Important qualities/skills generally include: creativity, communication, and attention to detail skills, as well as being flexible and patience.
- Gain experience through internships/volunteering working with the population of interest. Learn more about the field of Human Services.
Federal entry tips:
- USAJobs
- Application tips
- Review FirstHand's Career Guide to Government Jobs and Politics, Public Policy, and Activism Jobs for industry information and entry tips.
Job Titles:
- Crime Data and Intelligence Analyst
- Data Specialist
- General Associate
- Jr Data Analyst
- Lab Manager
- Marketing Researcher
- Program Assistant: International Dissertation Research Fellowship
- Research Analyst
- Research Assistant
- Research Associate
- Research Interviewer
- Syndicated Research Analyst
Organizations:
- American Institutes for Research
- CoStar Group
- Court Watch Montgomery
- Eureka Facts, LLC
- Hagerstown Police Department
- Hearst Magazines
- ICF International, Inc.
- IMPAQ International
- Leed Management Consulting
- Population Reference Bureau
- Social & Scientific Systems for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- Social Science Research Council
- START
- U.S. Department of Education
- UMD Group Processes Lab
- Vocus
Entry tips:
- Start building relationships and gaining experience as a student with faculty on campus.
- Best search strategy: Networking. Examine who is conducting the type of research you are interested in pursuing and reach out to them. Share that you are a student/recent grad and that you think you can help them in their pursuits because of your (insert skills).
- A popular post bac research program with UMD students is the NIH Postbac Program.
Review current internship & job openings in Careers4Terps. Click the image above to review openings in the field of education and nonprofit.
Start Exploring Career Titles/Work Areas
Use the sample job and internship titles (mentioned above) to start exploring career paths. The links below provide a short overview of the positions.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, a career title dictionary
- O*NET Online, the nation's primary source of occupational information
- FOCUS2, explore career paths using self-assessment questionnaires
- Terrapins Connect, talk with professionals working in the field through UMD’s alumni network
- Federal positions by major, research career titles with the federal government related to your major
- Vault Guides, browse 100’s of industry guides to gain inside tips
Resources: Career Planning
Explore career path options with these resources:
- Careers in Sociology, by ASA
- What Are They Doing with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, comprehensive overview of career paths related to bachelor’s degrees sociology majors
- Best Jobs for Graduates With a Sociology Degree
- Association of Black Sociologists
- Details on becoming a social worker
- Demography Careers
- Public Policy resources
- What is needed for law school?
Read more about what Demographers at the Census Bureau do on a day-to-day basis.
Skills Developed: SOCY Major
Skills lead to jobs. Which skills do you possess?
- Assess your skills, abilities, interests, and values and explore how they relate to career options.
- Skills inventory - get started identifying your unique assets.
Sample list of skills developed in class by Sociology majors.
- Critically thinking
- Assessing/examining information
- Use of sociological concepts and a social science mode of argument
- Ability to use research tools to conduct and assess research literature
- Understanding of the role of theory in the construction of sociological inquiry
- Ability to apply statistical concepts
- Knowledge of social science model of evidence and argument
- Social science statistical techniques
- Data analysis
- Organizing and presenting information
- Lead research project
Add to your skills with LinkedIn Learning's skill based videos.
Gain Experience
Internships are a great way to try out an interest, regardless if they are directly related to your major. Employers tend to favor job seekers who have had an internship in the field they are hiring for.
Sample internship sites and titles:
- American Planning Association, Public Relations Intern
- ANH Refractories Company, HR Intern
- Cold Spring Elementary School, Child Development Intern
- Columbia Heights/Shaw Collaborative, Quality Assurance Intern
- Common Ground Multicultural Dialogue Program, Peer Dialogue Leader
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Policy Assistant- Pathway Intern
- Korea Institute for Future Studies, Program Intern
- Majestic Relations Inc., Intern
- Montgomery County Correctional Facility, Intern
- Montgomery County State’s Attorney, Gang Prosecution Intern
- National LGBTQ Task Force, Research Fellow
- Orbital TMS, Human Resources Intern
- Rural Migrant Ministry, Intern
- U.S. Dept. of Justice: DEA Newark Division, Intern
- U.S. Investigative Services, Student Intern/Record Searcher
- USIS, Intern/Record Searcher
- Washington National Cathedral, Project Manager
- Women’s Right Information Center, Intern
Sample list of opportunities:
- Gain Experience, BSOS Opportunities - Browse links on out of the classroom experiences.
- Careers4Terps - Check out job and internship openings for off-campus positions for UMD students.
- SOCY E-News Blog - Lists current research position openings.
- UMD National Scholarships Office - Review a listing of opportunities for UMD students.
- Federal government internships - Links to openings and application tips.
- Start your search with these tips
The UMD Department of Sociology offers:
- UMD Undergraduate Legal Aid Office
- Maryland Public Defender’s Office
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- DC Courts
- United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia
- Internships with the Senate
Sites UMD students have interned at recently:
- AIPAC
- Brady Commission
- Capital Area Immigrant Rights Coalition
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Department of Justice
- Human Rights Watch
- Kids in Need of Defense
- Consider approaching lobbying Firms
- Maryland General Assembly (usually comes with a stipend)
- Pacific Legal Foundation
- US Congress
Tip: Reach out to small law firms. They are more willing to hire undergraduates as interns, although these internships often go to undergraduates with an existing connection to the firm, so networking is crucial.
Political internships are no longer just for political science majors; the experience would benefit students within all majors. It is an excellent networking opportunity as well as hard evidence on a resume that the student can work in a fast paced environment. Students also build communication, written, and interpersonal skills.
Guide to Political Jobs and Internships
Sample Internship Opportunities:
- White House Internships: Approximately 100 interns are chosen each spring, summer, and fall to participate in this program. The assignments given to an intern on any given day could include: conducting research, managing incoming inquiries, attending meetings, writing memos, and staffing events.
- Senate Personal office: Representative’s offices usually have 8-10 employees. Interns work on a variety of projects, usually feels more intimate or cramped. Reach out by state.
- Senate Committees: Most of the legislative action occurs in committees. Review the committees and express interest to the respective Senators.
- Leadership office: Republicans and Democrats of the House and Senate elect leaders to set agendas, organize parties, etc. that receives a separate staff. Very competitive to obtain an internship, because there is only a hand full of offices like this and the leaders are high profile.
You can also sign up for biweekly email alerts of available internships in the House of Representatives.
The list below offers a brief overview of some of the more popular graduate degree programs and institutions our SOCY undergraduates have attended.
Sociology
- North Carolina State University, Ph.D.
- The Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D.
- The Ohio State University, M.A/ Ph.D.
- University of Maryland, College Park, Masters
- University of Maryland, College Park, Ph.D.
- University of Maryland, Baltimore Clinical Social Work, Masters
Law
- Harvard, J.D.
- University of Delaware, J.D.
- University of Baltimore, J.D.
- The University of Denver, J.D.
Medical
- Nursing, Masters: Johns Hopkins University
- Therapeutic Herbalism, Masters: Maryland University of Integrative Health
Graduate programs listed by area, degree, & institution:
- Business and Management, MBA: University of Maryland
- Clinical Psychology, Masters: Walden University
- Counseling, Masters: Johns Hopkins University
- Counseling, Masters: Niagara University
- Criminology and Criminal Justice, Masters: University of Maryland
- Education, Masters: Johns Hopkins University
- Education, Masters: University of Maryland
- History, Masters: University of Maryland
- Pastoral Studies, Masters: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Public Policy, M.P.P: University of Maryland
- Public Policy, Masters: University of Maryland
- Public Policy, Masters: University of Southern California
- Rabbinical Ordination, Masters: Jewish Theological Seminary of America
- School Counseling, Masters: Trinity Washington University
- School Counseling, Masters: John’s Hopkins University
- Social Work, Masters: Widener University
Graduate School Resources:
Learn about the Licensing process:
- LCSW vs. MSW (Master of Social Work)
- Maryland Social Work Licensing Requirements
- Licensure information by state
Application tips:
- UMD Pre-Health Advising, offers guidance related graduate school
- Questions to consider before applying
- Application timeline, stay on track with your graduate school application
- Tips for completing the application
- Financing ideas for graduate school
SHRADDHA GOPAKUMAR '19 (SOCY). Kennedy Krieger Institute - Center for Diversity/Specialized Transition Program, Clinical Intern
My couse work was helpful: "First, having a strong background in sociology made it easy to have perspective on health equity during our discussions, and to understand the various patients we worked with in regard to their economic situations, health insurance, immigration status, etc. Second, having a strong background in biology and previous experience working in clinical settings made it easy to learn about the patients and treatment methods at my internship."
Build Connections
After researching career paths, consider talking with people working in your field of interest to gain inside information. The links below provide sample events where you may be able to meet professionals in your field of interest. Use these opportunities to learn more about your field of interest, establish new networking contacts, and informational interviews.
- Career Events for BSOS students
- University Career Center Event Calendar
- Terrapins Connect, is an online platform that allows students’ virtual access to UMD alumni who have volunteered to share industry specific information and as well as conduct resume reviews, among other things.
- Use LinkedIn to Locate Alumni & Recruiters
- Intern for a Day, matches students with professionals working in a field of interest to shadow for the day or offer informational interviews. Offered in the fall and spring.
Consider reviewing state and national sociology related associations to access career path information and even attend association sponsored events to network with professionals in your field of interest.
- American Sociological Association, working at the national and international levels, the Association aims to articulate policy and implement programs likely to have the broadest impact.
- InterAction, is an alliance organization in Washington, D.C. of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and works to end poverty and help the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, produces many resources for a wide variety of audiences.
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world.
- American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) is a multi-partisan organization of political and public affairs professionals dedicated to improving democracy.
- National League of Cities, the NLC is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. Working in partnership with the 49 state municipal leagues, NLC serves as a resource to and an advocate for the more than 19,000 cities, villages and towns it represents.
- Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, offers resources on sociology degree programs and career information.
- Society for International Development, is a global network of individuals and institutions concerned with development, which is participative, pluralistic and sustainable.
- Society of Human Resource Management, comprehensive resource for all topics on human resources.
- Sociologists for Women in Society, is a nonprofit professional feminist organization dedicated to: Encouraging the development of sociological feminist theory and scholarship; Transforming the academy through feminist leadership, career development, and institutional diversity; Promoting social justice through local, national, and international activism; Supporting the publication and dissemination of cutting edge feminist social science.
