The information on this page is designed to help you explore possible careers. Use the links below to navigate to different areas of the page. We recommend working with a career counselor to help you identify careers based on your skills, interests, and values.
What Can you do with a Degree in Social Science?
The short answer is that you can do a lot. Your social science degree prepares you for many careers in many fields.
That's great, isn't it? Many possible careers... But if many careers are possible, how will you choose among the possibilities?
Social science is a powerful academic foundation that provides you with the opportunity to develop skills employers value in employees. These include: oral and written communication, interpersonal, teamwork, technical, analytical, critical thinking, organizational, and problem solving skills.
Remember that your social science major, in and of itself, does not determine your career path. No major does — not business, not psychology, not biology.
Career Counselors in the The University Career Center can help you with the process of identifying your preferred skills, interests, and values, and identifying careers to explore. We can also help you think about how your coursework relates to the world of work and how to effectively describe your educational background to employers.
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Resources to Generate Ideas for Careers and / or Places of Employment
Careers Reported by Social Science Majors on the American Community Survey
The following list of job titles was generated from American Community Survey data. Every year, the federal government surveys 3,000,000 people. This list shows some of the most-often reported careers for people who majored in the social science. Please be aware that additional education, internships, or career-related experience may be a prerequisite to some of the careers on this list. The University Career Center provides this list as a tool for generating ideas for exploration. To find a brief description of the following occupations, go to the Standard Occupational Classification system.
- Elementary and Middle School Teachers
- Social Workers
- Miscellaneous Managers
- Counselors
- Lawyers, and Judges, Magistrates, and Other Judicial Workers
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Secondary School Teachers
- Social and Community Service Managers
- Education Administrators
- Management Analysts
- Chief Executives and Legislators
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Registered Nurses
- Human Resources Workers
- Accountants and Auditors
- Police Officers
- General and Operations Managers
- Marketing and Sales Managers
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Clergy
- Human Resources Managers
- Financial Managers
- Compliance Officers
- Psychologists
- Designers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Writers and Authors
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
- Special Education Teachers
- Credit Counselors and Loan Officers
- Librarians
- Construction Managers
- Editors
- Physical Scientists
- Community and Social Service Specialists, Including Health Educators and Community Health Workers
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Operations Research Analysts
- Administrative Services Managers
- Occupational Therapists
- Media and Communication Workers
- Computer Programmers
- Web Developers
- Software Developers, Applications and Systems Software
- Social Scientists, Including Survey Researchers and Sociologists
- Medical Scientists and Life Scientists
- Financial Specialists
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
- Musicians, Singers, and Related Workers
- Technical Writers
- Photographers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- Veterinarians
- Fundraisers
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Dietitians and Nutritionists
- Directors, Religious Activities and Education
- Purchasing Managers
- Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists
- Dentists
- Producers and Directors
- Artists
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List of Employers and Job Titles Developed from Jobs Posted in Handshake for Social Science Majors
Students with degrees in social science develop skills that are valued by employers. They may find employment in government, nonprofits, social services, educational institutions, and businesses, depending on their skills, experience, and interests. Internships or relevant part-time jobs may be a prerequisite to finding employment in some fields.
The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the University Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested social science majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for social science majors. This list does not reflect current openings.
- Associated Services for International Adoption (ASIA) — International Adoption Coordinator
- Benton County — Parole & Probation Sergeant
- Cascadia Behavioral HealthCare — Counselor I, Counselor III
- City College of San Francisco — Institutional Research Officer
- Clackamas Community College — Student Services Coordinator, Workforce Development Specialist
- Community Action Organization — Community Resource Advocate
- Contra Costa County — Victim/Witness Assistance Program Manager
- Cowlitz County -- Probation Counselor I or II, Probation Officer, Health Educator
- C-Tran — Training & Compliance Specialist
- Dirkse Counseling & Consulting — Vocational Consultant
- Doernbecher Children's Safety Center — Safety Advocate
- Evergreen State College — Coordinator of International Programs and Services
- Gartner, Inc. — Custom Researcher-Methodology
- Hopelink — Child Development Manager
- Human Services Council — Interpreter Services Coordinator, Information Specialist - Senior Information & Assistance, Case Management Supervisor, Employment Transportation Coordinator I
- Human Solutions — Family Advocate: Bilingual English/Spanish
- Jackson County — Community Justice Director
- Lane Education Service District — Gender Equity/Career Coordinator
- Lifeworks NW — Medical Case Manager
- Loaves & Fishes Centers, Inc. — Center Manager
- Luke-Dorf, Inc. — Residential Counselor
- Metropolitan Family Services — Program Coordinator
- Morrison Center Child & Family Services — Program Coordinator
- Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) — Financial Aid Coordinator
- Multnomah Education Service District — Oregon Trail Field Instructor
- North Santiam Watershed Council — Education and Outreach Coordinator
- Northern Arizona University — Career Service Specialist
- Northwestern Mutual Financial Network — Financial Representative
- Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) — Project Delivery Training Program Coordinator
- Oregon Department of Education — Dormitory Operations Manager (Dormitory Program Supervisor)
- Oregon Food Bank — Programs Manager - Branches
- Oregon Judicial Department, Oregon Courts — Juvenile Court Programs Analyst
- Oregon Office of Homeland Security — Program Analyst 2
- Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) — Operations and Policy Analyst I
- Oregon Social Learning Center — Bilingual Assessor
- Oregon State University — Assistant Director - COAS Student Programs
- Outside In — Housing Specialist
- Portland Community College (PCC) — Career Specialist
- Portland State Department of Sociology — Research Associate/Project Manager
- Portland VA Medical Center — Health Science Specialist (Clinical Coordinator)
- REACH Community Development, Inc. — Tenant Services Coordinator, Rose Apartments (TSC)
- RISE Services — Direct Support Professional (Youth Mentor)
- SAIF Corportation — Claims Adjuster Trainee, Claims Adjuster, Training and Development Manager, Employee Relations and Employment Manager
- Sisters of The Road — Project Associate
- Tongue Point Job Corps Center — Residential Living Supervisor
- TriMet — Community Relations Specialist
- Umpqua Community College — Upward Bound/Educational Talent Search Director
- Universal Forest Products — Wood Technologist
- Westmark Industries — Outside Sales Representative
- Yakima Valley Community College — Workforce Education Grant Coordinator
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Related 'What Can I Do with a Degree in...?'
For additional information and ideas: