Sociology

Sociology encompasses studies of the self and the intersection of personal biography with social forces, of social institutions like the family and workplaces, of collective behavior and social movements, and of world systems such as globalization. Sociology examines theoretical arguments with empirical data.

The Department of Sociology at UMass is among the highest ranked in the country by U.S. News and World Report, and is renowned for its applied curriculum, groundbreaking research, and outstanding advising.

Undergraduate Sociology program options include a Bachelor’s degree, a minor, and multiple certificates. The Labor Studies Program offers undergraduate courses as well.

Faculty Spotlight: How Faculty Office Hours Can Support Your Career Goals

We strive to earn a college degree because we want a solid foundation to launch our careers. Cornerstones to our preparation are grounded in our engagement with members of the professional and career development team in the Pathways Center (Thompson …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
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Faculty Spotlight: How Faculty Office Hours Support Your Academic Aspirations

The biggest misperception about faculty office hours is that you have to be struggling with the class to meet with your professor outside of class. This could not be further from the truth. You can take advantage of faculty office …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
Read more »

Career Fair Season is Upon Us!

Employers are coming to campus to recruit for internships and full time positions and they are excited to hire UMass students!

Career fairs are your best opportunity to speak one-one with employers and let them know why you are the …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Director of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Featured Alumni

Caitlyn Arnold’17, Sociology

Alumni
  • Beverly, MA
  • Admissions Manager The School for Field Studies

Featured Resources

Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

Build a Successful Career in Project Management

Oliver Yarbrough
Do you want to get into project management? Maybe you’re already in project management, but you want to grow. Either…

Media Relations Foundations

Jessica Chen
View Jessica’s LinkedIn Newsletter If you want your business to succeed, you need as much brand recognition as you can…

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…

Nonprofit Management Foundations

Leslie Crutchfield
Thinking about leading a nonprofit organization? Internationally renowned author Leslie Crutchfield provides a primer on nonprofit management and leadership. She…

Social Media Marketing Strategy: TikTok and Instagram Reels

Ashley Kennedy
If you’re in marketing, the only thing worse than not having a social media marketing strategy is having a bad…

Emerging Leader Foundations

Dan Schawbel
View Dan’s LinkedIn Newsletter Taking on a leadership role in the diverse, ever-changing modern workplace can feel both exhilarating and…

From Excel to SQL

Madecraft
Data is powerful, and the ability to access it quickly and accurately is important. In this course, instructor James Parkin…

Cert Prep: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®

Kelley O'Connell
The agile approach to project management can help companies respond faster and more effectively to change. As a result, having…

Learning to Write Marketing Copy

Ian Lurie
Copy is the heart and soul of almost every marketing endeavor. Get a great foundation for all your campaigns with…

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,…

Content Marketing: Online Reviews in Social Media

Melodie Tao
For business owners, online reviews are a powerful asset in your marketing toolkit that can make or break a sale,…

Customer Service Foundations (2020)

Jeff Toister
View Jeff’s LinkedIn Newsletter Do your customers feel valued? When they do, they keep coming back. When they don’t, your…

Purpose-Driven Sales

Lisa Earle McLeod
Do you have a purpose, or do you just sell stuff? Best-selling author and sales leadership consultant Lisa Earle McLeod…

SEO Foundations (2018)

David Booth
Modern consumers navigate the world through search. From laptops, smartphones, virtual assistants, tablets, and more, they search the wild and…

Brand Design Foundations

Sean Adams
Everyone knows the importance of great branding, but how do you build a brand from scratch? In this course, Sean…

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…

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…

Business Analysis Foundations: Business Process Modeling

Haydn Thomas
When you’re trying to grapple with user demands and market changes, it can be difficult to mentally zoom out and…

Customer Service: Managing Customer Expectations

Jeff Toister
View Jeff’s LinkedIn Newsletter Today’s customers expect a lot. Customer service expert Jeff Toister helps frontline employees identify where they…

Google Ads Essential Training (2020)

Brad Batesole
Learn the foundations of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising with Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) the industry-leading PPC platform. First, explore…

Relevant Courses

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…

Research Opportunities

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.