Sociology Academic Resources

Explore Sociology academic resources designed to support your academic goals!

Curriculum Guide

Sociology Department

CLAS Advising Center

What Can I Do With This Major? (External Resource)

Sociology Career Resources

Unlock career potential in Sociology! Discover resources to maximize your professional trajectory.

Career Assessment - PathwayU

Jobs via Handshake

Sociology Department Career Resources

Career Communities

Sample Sociology Internship Sites:

Internships provide a way for you to get hands-on, supervised experience in the world of work. You are able to apply the concepts you are learning in the classroom to a work environment.

• Bethany Christian Services
• Hispanic Centre of Western Michigan
• Feeding America West Michigan
• Roosevelt Park Ministries
• City of Grand Rapids
• Kent County
• Children’s Advocacy Cente
• Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids
• New City Neighbors

Sociology Internship InformationGeneral Information on Internships

Join A Student Organization

Get involved with a student organization related to your major. Student orgs are a great way to get connected and explore career options!

• The Sociology Club
• Alpha Kappa Delta – International Sociology Honor Society
   

Student Organizations

Develop Skills by Taking Elective Courses and Earning Certificates:

Developing relevant skills that employers seek is an essential component of a student's education. GVSU students should consider elective courses and certificates that pair with their major to gain additional skills.

• Research
• Academic writing
• Problem-solving
• Analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information
• Interpersonal awareness
• Basic statistical analysis

Great Electives to Consider

Community Service Opportunities

Seek volunteer opportunities related to the field you're exploring as a way of testing out future careers.

The Civic Engagement Center keeps a list of current volunteer opportunities updated on their website. There are ongoing opportunities on a continuous basis, as well as on-campus and off-campus opportunities posted as they become available.

Civic Engagement Center

Sociology Study Abroad

Through study abroad you’ll also set yourself apart from other job-seekers and graduate-school applicants in an increasingly competitive market.

By studying abroad, sociology students will gain a global outlook. Students will be able to integrate the cultural diversity they experience abroad into their profession by developing  international and comparative perspectives on social problems, race, and social relations. From working at a refugee camp community center in Jordan to a malnourished infants clinic in Chile, there’s a program for you!

Sociology Study Abroad

Explore Internships Abroad

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Pursuing academic, creative, and research experiences and projects outside the classroom is an excellent way to learn new skills and build a body of work in your field.

Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Getting Started

Fellowship Opportunities

Fellowships are high-impact, potentially life-changing opportunities for students and alumni, opening doors to careers in public service, advanced academic study, foreign service, international teaching, and other career and service pathways into meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships

Finding a Fellowship

Where Alumni Have Landed

• Customer Service Representative – Huntington Bank  
• Youth Specialist – Kent County Juvenile Detention Center 
• Housing Resource Specialist – Community Rebuilders 
• Volunteer Coordinator – Greater Chicago Food Depository 
• Social Media Coordinator – Crowne Plaza Grand Rapids
• Intake Coordinator – Catholic Charities USA 
• Residential Support Staff – MOKA 
• Youth Worker – Spectrum Juvenile Services 
• Night Auditor – J.W. Marriott 
• Head of Unit – Jewish Community Center 
• Testing Coordinator – Fair Housing Center of West Michigan
• Teach for America
• City Year
• Case Manager – Hope Network

Undergraduate Sociology majors are able to pursue a variety of graduate degrees. Below are a few examples:

• Master of Arts or Science in Sociology
• Master of Social Work
• Master in Counseling
• Master/Ph.D. in Psychology
• Master of Public Policy
• Master of Public Administration
• Law School
• Ph.D. in Sociology