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.

Considering a Career in Social Work? Sociology LEAD Program to launch at Charles River Spring 2026

If you are interested in internships in social work, social research, or criminology, this may be the program for you! Spend a semester interning at exciting locations in the Greater Boston area and taking courses relevant to your major. Intern …

By Carol Sharick
Carol Sharick Exec. Director of Career and Professional Development, SBS
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Finding Your Community at UMass Amherst

Coming to UMass Amherst as either a first time freshmen or a transfer student, walking onto this campus can be an overwhelming experience. You may find yourself traveling from across the globe, across the country, across the state, or even …

By Felicia Griffin-Fennell
Felicia Griffin-Fennell Director of the SBS RISE Program & Lecturer in Sociology
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Would you like to succeed in your professional journey after graduation? 

Enroll in our newest SBS career course!

SOC BEHAV 490C: Pathways to Career Success

In this course, students will critically examine the concepts of happiness, success, and thriving and apply those concepts in a career planning context. Utilizing a strengths-based …

By Karen Miller
Karen Miller Lecturer & Associate Director for Professional Education 
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Labor Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Explore occupations by career categories and pathways and use real time labor market data to power your decision making.

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

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 2025 was 71%, 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 2025 was 71%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
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  • 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.

Featured Alumni

Caitlyn Arnold’17, Sociology

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

Michelle Aghiarian’13 Anthropology & Sociology

Alumni
  • Product Designer Ceridian
Meet Michelle

Suresha Ramjit’20 – Sociology, Political Science minor Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice System Certificate in Social Research Analysis

Alumni
  • Boston, MA
  • Practice Assistant - Global Practice Support Kirkland & Ellis
Meet Suresha

Isabel Alves de Lima’20 – Sociology

Alumni
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Recruiting Coordinator OpenAI
Meet Isabel

Matt Cavanaugh’21 – Sociology

Alumni
  • Tampa, FL
  • Commercial Risk Advisor BKS Partners
Meet Matt

Dianna Bronchuk’16, Communication & Sociology

Alumni
  • Chief of Staff Boston Distirct 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén
Meet Dianna
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Featured Resources

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Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

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

Build a Successful Career in Project Management

Taught by 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

Taught by 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)

Taught by Corey Koberg
Google Analytics 4 provides the means to track, analyze, and report on the visitors to your site and app—who they…

Emerging Leader Foundations

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

Social Media Marketing Strategy: TikTok and Instagram Reels

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

Nonprofit Management Foundations

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

Customer Service: Managing Customer Expectations

Taught by Jeff Toister
Today’s customers expect a lot. Customer service expert Jeff Toister helps frontline employees identify where they can manage the expectations…

User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers

Taught by Tom Green
User experience (UX) design is more than just pushing pixels and adding interactivity. It’s a people-centric practice that involves many…

Social Media Marketing for Small Business (2016)

Taught by Martin Waxman
View Martin’s LinkedIn Newsletter Small businesses can’t afford not to be active on social media. Having a Facebook, Instagram, or…

Six Sigma Foundations

Taught by Richard Chua
Learn how to apply Six Sigma to drive improvements in the performance of your processes, products, and services. Dr. Richard…

Social Media Marketing Foundations (2020)

Taught by Brian Honigman
Social media dramatically altered marketing by allowing businesses to directly engage with customers and vice versa. Brands that stand the…

SQL Essential Training (2019)

Taught by Bill Weinman
Knowing how to code and manage relational databases and database-driven applications is a valuable skill for any career in tech.…

LinkedIn Quick Tips (2019)

Taught by Oliver Schinkten
This collection of LinkedIn quick tip videos is designed to demonstrate helpful tricks, explain useful features, and provide quick answers…

Marketing on LinkedIn: The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide

Taught by Alex Rynne
It’s a great time to be on LinkedIn. Businesses are seeing better engagement and ROI on LinkedIn than ever. So…

Sales Foundations

Taught by Jeff Bloomfield
What makes someone effective at sales? A genuine desire to help others solve problems. In this course, former Genentech senior…

Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Essential Training

Taught by Adam Wilbert
Master the fundamentals of SQL Server 2019, the industry-leading database management platform from Microsoft. In this course, instructor Adam Wilbert…

Learning Canva

Taught by Marley Jaxx
Canva is an easy way—without any graphic design experience—to create professional graphics for social media, presentations, newsletters, business cards, brochures,…

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

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

Learning Data Science: Understanding the Basics

Taught by Doug Rose
Many of the people who work on data science teams won’t be data scientists. They’ll be the managers and associates…

Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization (2016)

Taught by Turi McKinley
Design thinking is a user-centered way of solving problems. It involves extensive collaboration, using strategies such as mapping customer journeys,…
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Relevant Courses

SBS Pathways Careers Courses

SBS Pathways Careers Courses SOC BEHAV 250: College to CareersSOC BEHAV 490C: Pathways to Career Success SOC BEHAV 490C: Pathways…
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Research Opportunities

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