Sharing knowledge, developing understanding, exploring social theories and norms and helping others comprehend it are just some of the skills encompassed in the work done by people interested in this community. Whether in classrooms, museums, field sites, performance spaces, laboratories, think tanks, the comfort of home or online, these types of jobs go beyond geographical and physical boundaries.
Welcome to the Education / Culture / Research Community
Sharing knowledge, developing understanding, exploring social theories and norms and helping others comprehend them are just some of the skills encompassed in the work done by people interested in this community. Whether in classrooms, museums, field sites, hospitals, laboratories, think tanks, the comfort of home or online, these types of jobs go beyond geographical and physical boundaries.
Students who are interested in the social science aspects of healthcare will find opportunities here. Those interested in societies, cultures, and what makes them function, both historically and currently, and who want to share an understanding of the world with others may find a good fit in museum or historical preservation work. Whether working in a history museum or creating public spaces that respect or showcase historical features, this is a creative space for history buffs and artists alike. Possible job titles include curator, exhibit developer, designer, conservator, educator, researcher, archaeologist, fundraiser, grant writer, and many others.
Relevant Coursework
To explore this field, you can take courses that will provide you with knowledge and skills in:
Research
Technical design
Critical, analytical and creative thinking
Problem solving
Effective communication skills
Teamwork and leadership
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Disciplinary knowledge for various curriculum areas
In the Relevant Courses section below are a few examples of relevant SBS courses, but we urge you to talk to your major/departmental advisor and explore available courses in SPIRE. Remember not to constrain yourself to classes within your major. Check SPIRE for full course descriptions and availability. These are abbreviated descriptions, and details may change at the discretion of the instructor. Courses may not be offered every semester.
Also in this section are some relevant non-academic Linkedin Learning courses that you can take for free, compliments of UMass.
Are you uncertain of what you want to do for a career? Maybe you have a lot of ideas or maybe you are unsure of where to even start. You are not alone! In this interactive workshop, we will use …
By Odessa Burkett
Odessa BurkettAssistant Director of Career and Professional Development
Homework House of Holyoke is actively seeking new volunteers for our afterschool program! Homework House provides a safe environment for students to learn, grow and make meaningful connections with our volunteers. Each year, over 200 community members volunteer their time to make …
Editor’s note: At Idealist, we’re experts in the social-impact sector. But what we’re not experts on is student loan forgiveness. The objective of the following piece is to offer a general overview of the program and the waiver, and to …
Idealist Careers | Helping you land, love, and grow in your social-impact career. And visit Idealist.org explore thousands of great jobs and social-impact organizations near you.
Forage helps you bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work. Find your career fit and showcase your skills by completing these virtual job simulations with top global companies. Get started today!
Your major does not necessarily have to be in direct line with your career! Sociology majors can work in the business sector. Economics majors can work in government. Poli Sci majors can work on Wall Street. Many SBS departments offer courses relevant to various career paths. Here is a very small sampling of courses relevant to this industry from across the majors. Please speak with your academic advisor to explore all available courses, and remember that you need not constrain yourself to courses within your major. Study what is interesting to you!
ANTHRO 104 – Culture, Society and People
ANTHRO 104 – Culture, Society and People: The nature of culture and its role in creating forms of social, economic,…
SOCIOL 220 – Sociology of American Culture
SOCIOL 220 – Sociology of American Culture: The elements and dynamics of culture everywhere; special reference to Americana. Topics include culture…
ECON 397 – Education and Economics
ECON 397 – Education and Economics: This course will examine contemporary issues in U.S. education through the use of economic theory…
SOCIOL 322 – Sociology of Education
SOCIOL 322 – Sociology of Education: Sociological perspectives on educational issues; social class differences in school achievement, the crisis in educational…
COMM 250 – Interpersonal Communication
COMM 250 – Interpersonal Communication: This course introduces non-majors to a variety of competing theories of interpersonal behavior and everyday social…
ResEcon 212: Intro to Stats for Social Scientists
ResEcon 212: Intro to Stats for Social Scientists: Designed for students in the social science and business related fields of…
COMM 260 – Public Speaking
COMM 260 – Public Speaking: Practical communication in one-to-group contexts. Theoretical bases for structuring and presenting public speeches.
COMM 320 – Culture, Communication & Social Identities
COMM 320 – Culture, Communication & Social Identities: Explore ways in which everyday communicative practices and culture are intertwined, and the…
SUSTCOMM 205 – Dynamics of Human Habitation
SUSTCOMM 205 – Dynamics of Human Habitation: How the built environment is shaped by humans. The forces that go into developing…
JOURNALISM 333 – Introduction to Visual Storytelling
JOURNALISM 333 – Introduction to Visual Storytelling:  introductory level course for students who wish to acquire a working knowledge of…
Sociology 213 – Data Collection & Analysis:
Sociology 213 – Data Collection & Analysis: Introduction to research design in sociology. How social science data are obtained and…
SBS College to Careers – SOCBEHAV 250
SOCBEHAV 250: College to Careers This class is all about YOU. • One credit, highly-participatory course • Learn about yourself…
Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes
See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.
The Core Competencies All Employers Seek
Some skills are universally sought by employers and are essential to a well functioning team. Stand out from the crowd…
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training (2021)
Corey Koberg
Google Analytics 4 provides the means to track, analyze, and report on the visitors to your site and app—who they…
Learning Infographic Design
Amy Balliett
To create a truly successful infographic, you must understand the power of visual communication. Properly executed visuals can connect with…
Learning Canva
Marley Jaxx
Canva is an easy way—without any graphic design experience—to create professional graphics for social media, presentations, newsletters, business cards, brochures,…
Outlook Quick Tips (2017)
Nick Brazzi
Get quick answers to your most urgent Outlook questions. These short tutorials help users work faster and smarter with Outlook,…
Nano Tips for Using Excel with Miss Excel (2021)
Kat Norton
Welcome to our Nano Tips series, where LinkedIn Learning creators deliver impactful lessons in literally seconds. Here, join Miss Excel…
Public Speaking Foundations
Laura Bergells
Develop the skills you need to prepare and deliver an outstanding speech or presentation. In this course, Laura Bergells offers…
Digital Marketing Trends
Martin Waxman
View Martin’s LinkedIn Newsletter Stay up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing. In this biweekly series, marketing…
Introduction to Graphic Design
Tony Harmer
Graphic design is a complex art. To become a graphic designer, you need to master many different skills and tools.…
Photoshop 2022 Essential Training
Julieanne Kost
Whether you’re an experienced creative professional or just looking to make the most out of your new camera, learning how…
PowerPoint: Designing Better Slides
Heather Ackmann
Designed for non-designers, this course introduces average business professionals to key design components and requirements for purposeful PowerPoint slide design.…
Marketing Tools: Digital Marketing Tools and Services (Hootsuite, Agorapulse, Buffer, Sprout Social)
Anson Alexander
As a modern marketer, you have a wealth of digital marketing solutions at your disposal. How do you determine which…
Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization
Turi McKinley
Design thinking is a user-centered way of solving problems. It involves extensive collaboration, using strategies such as mapping customer journeys,…
You Need a Career Development Plan
Macmillan Publishers
You can’t navigate your way to career success without first plotting a course. Having a career development strategy can be…
How to Be More Inclusive
Madecraft
Creating an inclusive workplace, where every employee feels welcomed, valued, respected, and heard, requires both structural change to your company…
CSS Essential Training
Christina Truong
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a stylesheet language that allows you to control the appearance of your webpages. In this…
InDesign 2021 Essential Training
David Blatner
InDesign is an essential tool for design firms, ad agencies, magazines, newspapers, book publishers, and freelance designers around the world.…
User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers
Tom Green
User experience (UX) design is more than just pushing pixels and adding interactivity. It’s a people-centric practice that involves many…
The Secrets to Success at Work
Nigel Cumberland
Regardless of your profession or career stage, you can excel and be successful at work. In this course, Nigel Cumberland—a…
Illustrator 2020 Essential Training
Tony Harmer
Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard in vector drawing—for everything from minimalistic logos to full-blown illustrations. This course teaches core…
Explore Outcomes
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
First Destination
Top Employers
Starting Salary
Job Titles
Employment Locations
Top Universities
Degree Types
Fields of Study
First Destination
SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others. This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.
Top Employers
Students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst build the skills employers seek, such as critical and analytical thinking, creative problem solving, communication, cultural awareness, and more. This makes our students highly attractive candidates for a wide variety of roles with an even wider range of employers and industries. The list of employers featured here is based on information reported by students or employers to SBS, or employment data that is made publicly available by students. The list is formulated based on the most-commonly reported hiring employers. Generally, the first ten on the list have hired multiple students, and after that, employers who have hired at least one SBS grad are listed in alphabetical order. Survey data indicated that a minimum of 330+ distinct employers hired UMass students in 2022.
Starting Salary
Starting salary data is self-reported by the new graduates and is not a required field on the survey, so this data is incomplete with regard to salary ranges. Keep in mind that salaries for volunteer/service roles are, by their nature, low, and skew the averages lower. There are also students making significantly more than the average. Both cost of living (based on geographic location), and chosen industry have a significant impact on starting salaries. These data do not include information on benefits such as health insurance, tuition reimbursement, bonuses, and other important factors in a student's employment decision making process.
Job Titles
Employment Locations
A majority of students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, as with the University as a whole, are residents of Massachusetts. While the majority of our graduates choose to stay in Massachusetts for their first post-graduate jobs, many others accept positions all across the country, and around the world. Common first destination locations are Washington, D.C., New York City, California, and the other New England states.
United States
World
Top Universities
The list below provides a look at the most-commonly reported graduate schools in which SBS graduates are enrolled. While many SBS graduates choose to stay at UMass Amherst for their graduate education, many others attend universities across the country and around the world.
Degree Types
Fields of Study
The variety of fields of study selected by SBS graduates is a good indication of their diverse interests, and their desire to both expand and deepen their understanding of their area of interest.
We don’t have enough student data to show you these results.
Emergency Management Internship - Mayor's Internship ProgramPhiladelphia Office of Emergency Management
RARE AmeriCorps MemberResource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
Historic Preservation & Sustainability ApprenticeVaughan Woods & Historic Homestead
Summer 2023 Research InternshipDemocratic Governors Association
Administrative Assistant, AFT Higher EducationAmerican Federation of Teachers
Group Leader (Summer Opportunity!)EF Education First
Anti-Trafficking Casework InternInternational Rescue Committee
AmeriCorps NCCC Summer of Service 2023AmeriCorps
