Careers in Social Science
The Social Sciences Department provides a broadly based orientation to the study of society. Students prepare for a wide range of careers including elementary and secondary teaching; federal, state and local government; social service agencies; criminal justice including law, probation, parole and law enforcement; and business and industry.
For more information on careers and employers, visit Career Services in the Student Services Building 124. Our College of Liberal Arts Advisor is available with valuable information regarding job search strategies, on campus interviewing, jobs fairs, and current job listings.
Below is a short list of the types of jobs available to Social Sciences graduates. For a longer list, please visit Career Services, or check the web pages of professional organizations such as the Association of American Geographers and the American Sociological Association.
Types of Jobs
Education and Research:
- High School Teacher
- Community College Instructor
- Professor
- Overseas Teacher (private and public schools, Department of Defense schools)
- Teaching English Abroad
- Curriculum Development for Culture & Geography
- International or Independent Research Groups
- Social Scientist for NSF or NIST
Government (local, state, federal):
- Department of Commerce in the Census Bureau and Economic Development Administration
- Department of Defense in Defense Intelligence Agency and National Imagery and Mapping Agency
- Department of Energy in Office of Environmental Policy and Guidance
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Agriculture in Forest Service and National Resources Conservation Sciences
- Department of the Interior in the USGS and the National Park Service
- Department of State Foreign Affairs Officer
- United States Agency for International Development
- Central Intelligence Agency
- U.S. Peace Corps
- Probation Officer
- Cultural Resources Management
- International Regional Specialist for CIA, FBI, NSA, or Department of Defense
- Public Health Organizations such as CDC
- Public Utilities Specialist
- Urban and Regional planner
- Park Ranger
- Archeological technician
- Law Enforcement Officer
Non-Governmental and other Aid-Type Organizations:
- Red Cross & Other Humanitarian Work
- World Bank
- United Nations
- Pan American Health Organization
- Amnesty International
- The Nature Conservancy
- Community Services Providers
- Human Behavioral Analyst
- Primate Conservation and Behavioral Ecology
- Demographer
- Health Services Planner
- Camp Directors and Outdoor Educators
- Clinical Social Worker
- Youth Care Worker
- Environmental planner
- Crisis Intervention Specialist
- Social Work Coordinator
Private Sector:
- Area Specialist for Critical World Regions (such as Europe, the Pacific Rim, the Middle East )
- International Business and Investment Analyst
- Management for International Corporations
- Market Research
- Contract Archeologist (local, national, or international)
- Ethnographic Research
- Human Resources Coordinator
- Aerial Photo Interpreter and Remote Sensing Analyst
- Photogrammetrist
- Cartographer
- Map curator/librarian
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programmer/database management
- Climatologist
- Weather Forecaster
- Environmental Manager/Impact Analysis/Quality Specialists/Hazardous-Waste Planner
- Coastal Zone Manager
- Land-Use Analyst
- Soil Conservationist/Agricultural Extension Agent
- Paralegal