If you think data tells a story, and you would like to help unravel complex systems and create tools to enable people to better understand your desired topic, or influence their thinking about it, then you might want to start here. From the highly technical and quantitative to qualitative interpretation, this community has an ever-changing approach to the varied work it entails.
Welcome to the Technology / Data / Analytics Community
If you think data tells a story, and you would like to help unravel complex systems and create tools to enable people to better understand your desired topic, or influence their thinking about it, then you might want to start here. From the highly technical and quantitative to qualitative interpretation, this community has an ever-changing approach to the varied work it entails.
The tech sector as a whole employs more SBS graduates than any other sector, with employer partners like Oracle, Granite, Toast, and others leading the pack. For SBS majors, these roles are generally on the customer interface/user experience (UX) and sales sides of the industry.
If you are interested in using technology for the good of society, consider exploring the Public Interest Technology (PiT) Initiative, in which UMass is a partner. You can learn more here.
But being able to interpret big data, and use it to tell a story is an incredibly sought after skill, and one that social scientists are particularly capable of. You may want to consider the UMass Data Analytics and Computational Social Science (DACSS) one-year masters degree as a next step.
Sample Classes
To explore this field, you can take courses that will provide you with knowledge and skills in:
Communications in the media and culture
Visual storytelling
Data collection and data analysis
Design & design concepts
Research methodologies
Creative and technical writing
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.
Different industries recruit at different times of year!
If you are seeking a career in the business and/or tech sectors, start paying attention NOW, and getting your materials ready to apply for job and internship opportunities in the next few …
By Carol Sharick
Carol SharickDirector of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
There is often a gap between the classroom and the world of work. Forage helps bridge that gap by offering top employers a platform to provide real-world job simulations for students. Explore different types of jobs, find your career fit …
By Carol Sharick
Carol SharickDirector of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
SEO specialists are essential to just about every business today. As a result, they’re in very high demand. So, if you’re looking to switch careers or just starting out your career search, you’d be missing out if you didn’t give …
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!
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…
ECON309: Game Theory
ECON309: Game Theory: Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interaction among rational decision-makers. It has applications…
RESECON 112: Computing – Foundations to Frontiers
Students work in a team-based learning environment to develop understanding of contemporary computing tools and concepts and the higher-order skills…
LEGAL 465 – Globalization
LEGAL 465 – Globalization: The globalization of law, culture, and politics. Competing arguments about the meaning and effects of globalization.…
Sociology 213 – Data Collection & Analysis:
Sociology 213 – Data Collection & Analysis: Introduction to research design in sociology. How social science data are obtained and…
Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes
See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.
Python for Students
Madecraft
There is no better time to learn Python than when you are young. Python is a powerful language for automation,…
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…
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…
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…
Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365)
Dennis Taylor
Get up to speed with Microsoft Excel, the world’s most popular spreadsheet program. Follow along with Excel expert Dennis Taylor…
Learning Data Analytics: 1 Foundations
Robin Hunt
Are you interested in pursuing a career in data analytics? In this course, instructor Robin Hunt brings you into the…
PowerPoint Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365)
Jess Stratton
You don’t have to be a designer to create a great visual presentation. Learn how to use Microsoft PowerPoint for…
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,…
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…
Customer Service Foundations
Jeff Toister
View Jeff’s LinkedIn Newsletter Do your customers feel valued? When they do, they keep coming back. When they don’t, your…
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,…
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…
Nano Tips for Using Excel with Miss Excel
Kat Norton
Welcome to our Nano Tips series, where LinkedIn Learning creators deliver impactful lessons in literally seconds. Here, join Miss Excel…
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…
Excel: Introduction to Formulas and Functions
Curt Frye
To unlock the power of Excel, you need to use formulas and functions. These calculation tools help you bring information…
Data Visualization: Best Practices
Amy Balliett
Media and marketing efforts often rely on data visualizations to prove a point quickly. But poorly designed visualizations can be…
Blockchain Basics
Jonathan Reichental
View Jonathan’s LinkedIn Newsletter Blockchain technology demands attention. And it’s not just due to the way it revolutionized monetary transactions.…
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…
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…
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 2020 was 60%, 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 2021 was just shy of 60%, 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 360+ distinct employers hired UMass students in 2021.
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.
Consumer & Market Knowledge – Advanced Analytics Co-op (FALL 2022)Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Data Analyst, Domestic Health SpendingUW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
2023 Summer Analyst, Research & Business DevelopmentFinancial Technology Partners
2023 - Summer Analyst Internship - TechnologyBNP Paribas
(Fall) Pricing Analyst Co-op, July to December 2022SharkNinja
Entry-Level Business Development RepresentativeAdDaptive Intelligence
Video Editing InternBrag House Inc.
AI scientist/Data scientistTalkmeup
Sybelle Etienne’21 – Managerial Economics 
Sana Shah’18, Managerial Economics 
Melissa James’10 Journalism, Legal Studies 
Michelle Aghiarian’13 Anthropology & Sociology 
Isabel Alves de Lima’20 – Sociology 
Kerry Chan’19, Resource Economics, concentration in Natural Resource & Environmental Economics 
