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Sociology

College to Career

Sociology Major - Nicholas Butler, Founder and President of T.R.O.Y. Center

No matter where you want to go, sociology can get you there, and the Department of Sociology will work hard to help you achieve your dreams. 

At Fresno State

While in the major students are provided a range of opportunities to explore their career opportunities, including one-on-one mentoring with faculty, participating in the sociology club, hearing the experiences and stories of alumni, and listening to guest lecturers from a range of professions.  Students also have access to the College of Social Sciences Advising Center, with its socials, workshops, peer mentors, and academic advising sessions, as well as Fresno State’s Career Development Center, which assists with resumes, interviewing, career counseling, preparing for graduate school, and searching for jobs.

These activities, when combined with the knowledge students acquire in their courses, provides students with the foundation to grasp the varied and diverse set of jobs that await them after college while also cultivating the skills necessary to put their best foot forward to get the job they want.  

By the end of their degree, students will have the opportunity to refine and master numerous "crossover skills" that will make them employable in a vast number of careers.  These skills include, but are not limited to: cultural competency and cultural humility, interpersonal communication, public presentations, statistical analysis, grant writing, group collaboration and leadership, survey creation, facilitating interviews and focus groups, and creating executive summaries and research reports.

Beyond Fresno State

Upon completion of the degree, graduates generally obtain a (new) job, participate in a gap year program, or pursue graduate education.

Workforce

Most graduates obtain jobs in the San Joaquin Valley.  In the past few years, graduates have obtained employment at local nonprofits (Fresno Metro Ministry, Beneficial State Foundation), public agencies (Probation, Child Protective Services, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), and in the K-12 education system.  

Gap Year

There are a growing number of students who take advantage of service programs or fellowship programs rather than going right into a new job or to graduate school. Including AmeriCorps, The Greenlining Institute, Teach for America, and the Capital Fellows Program.

Graduate Education

Graduate school is also a pathway that quite a few alumni pursue. Students have attended graduate programs in sociology at UC Davis, UC Merced, UCSF, and Brown, to name a few.  Given the strong skill set and social science background that students receive in the program, alumni have also entered graduate programs in social work, mental health counseling, school counseling, and marriage and family counseling at Fresno State.

Sociology Major - Tom Willey, T&D Willey Farm