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.
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
Below are a few examples, 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.
Some skills are universally sought by employers and are essential to a well functioning team. Stand out from the crowd by making sure you are strong in these areas:
Tech is an ever-changing field responsible for many of the newest innovations we use every day—making it an exciting industry to work in. And even though people often assume that entering the tech industry as an entry-level candidate requires a …
By Carol Sharick
Carol SharickDirector of Career and Professional Development for Undergraduates, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
These courses offered by SBS and Linkedin Learning will help you build the skills employers seek.
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…
Digital Marketing Trends
Martin Waxman
Stay up to date on the latest trends in digital marketing. In this biweekly series, marketing and social media expert…
Tableau Essential Training
Curt Frye
Tableau is a powerful and versatile data analytics and visualization tool that many consider indispensable for data science work. Its…
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training
Corey Koberg
Google Analytics 4 provides the means to track, analyze, and report on the visitors to your site and app—who they…
Google Universal Analytics Essential Training (2020)
Corey Koberg
Google Analytics is the industry standard for web analytics. This powerful tool provides the means to track, analyze, and report…
Blockchain Basics
Jonathan Reichental
Blockchain technology demands attention. And it’s not just due to the way it revolutionized monetary transactions. The concept of transactional…
Learn Emotional Intelligence, the Key Determiner of Success
Big Think
Explore the four domains of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—as defined by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman.…
Creating a Business Plan
Mike Figliuolo
Looking to build a business or expand one you’re already running? You’ll need to build a business plan before you…
SEO Foundations
David Booth
Modern consumers navigate the world through search. From laptops, smartphones, virtual assistants, tablets, and more, they search the wild and…
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…
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…
Learning Excel 2016
David Rivers
This beginner-level course will introduce new users to Excel 2016. Author David Rivers covers the interface, creating and opening workbooks,…
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,…
Nano Tips for Using Excel with Miss Excel
Kat Norton
You’re applying for a job that requires Excel, or maybe you already have the job and aren’t sure how to…
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…
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,…
Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Essential Training
Adam Wilbert
Master the fundamentals of SQL Server 2019, the industry-leading database management platform from Microsoft. In this course, instructor Adam Wilbert…
Machine learning is one of the liveliest areas in artificial intelligence. Machine learning algorithms allow computers to learn new things…
Social Media Marketing for Small Business
Martin Waxman
Small businesses can’t afford not to be active on social media. Having a Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter account keeps you…
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…
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 2020 was 60%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
First Destination
Top Employers
Starting Salary
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. Survey data indicated that a minimum of 250+ distinct employers hired UMass students in 2020.
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.
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.
2022 Data Analytics Summer Internship - Wilmington, DE
IT FinTech Internship
Breakthrough Generation Summer Fellowship
Business Analyst
Talent and Communications Co-op (July 11th-December 16th 2022)
Summer 2022 Intern: Analytical, Consulting, and Data Science
Project Coordination Intern
Market Research Analyst
Michelle Aghiarian’13 Anthropology & Sociology 
Jon Astor’19, Managerial Economics 
Kerry Chan’19, Resource Economics, concentration in Natural Resource & Environmental Economics 
