Social Science

By earning a degree in social science, you will have the opportunity to acquire an entry level position in the humanities and social science fields. Many social science graduates choose to further their education by earning a master's or doctorate, as this can get them on the fast track to the career they desire. Furthering their education allows a social science major to specialize their studies even further, fitting their desired career choice. A social science degree prepares anyone for work in multiple career areas. However, the main area of focus for a social science degree graduate is both social and human relationships.

Common Career Paths:

Anthropologist

An anthropologist studies the origin, development, and behavior of humans. They observe all of the different ways of life, languages, and physical features of individuals in diverse parts of the world. Further work includes looking at the customs, values, and social patterns of varying cultures. There are those who focus more on looking at current human concerns, such as overpopulation, warfare, and poverty. With others examining the early history of Homo sapiens – this entails the evolution of the human brain. However most anthropologists typically focus on one of the following subfields – sociocultural, linguistics, biological, and physical anthropology. For sociocultural anthropologists, these individuals look primarily at the customs, cultures, and social lives of people in places that range from undeveloped societies to metropolitan areas. Their work is done through observing others or having interviews that are face to face with the groups of people they are analyzing. They take all of their notes and findings and then review the similarities and difference between all of their subjects. Their reasoning behind these studies can involve trying to uncover the reasoning behind exotic life choices, which may be able to help them better grasp the entire culture of a specific civilization. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the median annual wages for anthropologists was $53,910. The middle fifty percent earned between $39,200 and $70,980. The lowest ten percent earned less than $32,150, and the highest ten percent earned more than $89,490. The starting salary for this position may be higher in other parts of the country, where the usual local pay level is higher.

Sociologist

A sociologist is someone who studies all facets of human society and political systems. This can include social behavior, development, and operation of political systems. Through their work, they are able to offer insight into all of the varying way people and governments come to making choices, react to any form of change, and exercise power. Their research makes it possible for them to potentially put together solutions to any of their problems – such as business, governmental, or social. Sociologists survey societies and the behavior of those within these targeted communities. Looking at the activities the natives enjoy partaking in, whether it is a religious, political, or social event, sociologists are able to learn more about the behavior of others. They can evaluate the interaction between varying groups of people and note their initial reactions to things such as illness, crime, and advanced technology. A sociologist will also make an attempt at uncovering the cause and development of these groups and interactions. They will examine how a social influence can alter the way a person or group will lives their life. With so much to study among any vast culture, a sociologist will design a specialized research project to attempt to answer questions about the inner workings of an unknown society or culture. They desire to comprehend the inner working of other cultures, comparing them to their own. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the median annual wages of sociologists were $68,570. The middle fifty percent earned between $51,110 and $92,220. With the lowest ten percent earning less than $40,720, and the highest ten percent bringing in more than $122,130.

Geographer

Geographers general job description is that they study the earth and its land, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. Many geographers work in one of the two primary divisions of geography – physical & cultural. Those who are physical geographers study the physical aspects of a region. This involves its land forms, climates, plants, soils, vegetation, water, and animals. Others go by the title of cultural geographers, these individuals explore the spatial effects of human activity within a particular area – this includes its economic activities and social characteristics, along with political organization. Geographers bring in a lot of varying technologies into their work – i.e. geographic information systems and remote sensing. Geographers can use these systems to follow information on population growth or traffic patterns and environmental hazards in a digital format. For those who study geography and work with geographic information systems are categorized in other specific job titles, such as a surveyor or a map technician – someone who creates maps. However, while there may be a large variety of tasks, the title of geographer is still granted to all those in the field. This is because as a geographer, you are expected to have some knowledge of say, earthquakes, as well as other physical aspects of the earth. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 the median annual wages of geographers were $66,600. The middle fifty percent earned between $51,390 and $82,590. The lowest ten percent earned less than $38,780, and the highest ten percent earned more than $97,540. In 2009, the Federal Government’s average annual salary for geographers was $79,223.