What Can You Do With a Social Science Degree?

Historians help us understand the past. They may study specific events, periods, or individuals, gathering and interpreting historical information to build a repository of public knowledge. Their day-to-day responsibilities can be quite varied, from securing and preserving artifacts to communicating the relevance of those artifacts to non-expert audiences in the form of books, presentations, and articles. The work historians do can be crucial for public institutions to function effectively, which is perhaps why many of these social scientists work in federal, state, and local governments. They can also be found working in museums, historical societies, and research organizations.

Journalists work across multiple mediums and report on developments in politics, society, and sports, to name a few areas, often helping the public understand current events in a larger context. There are various types of journalists. For instance, opinion analysts are typically subject matter experts that offer their take on a particular newsworthy event. By contrast, investigative journalists seek to uncover facts about an otherwise unknown story, stringing these together to create an accurate narrative of what happened. With the rise of the 24-hour news cycle, journalists may increasingly find employment in media corporations and tech companies rather than traditional print newspapers.

Political scientists are primarily responsible for studying political systems and trends. This can include collecting data to analyze government policies, comparing different countries, and forecasting the result of elections. They typically develop specialized knowledge of a particular country, region, or event, and they tend to publish their work in academic journals or newspaper articles. Political scientists are largely employed in the federal government, where they help elected officials make decisions about law and policy. A large proportion also work with businesses and in the education sector.

As medical professionals, psychologists help patients overcome or manage various behavioral, mental, and emotional disorders. They also conduct research into the environmental, social, and biological factors that may cause these conditions, so they can better understand how to treat them. Psychologists may have various duties, from working with patients and prescribing medication to developing theories and teaching at the college level. These professionals are therefore employed in settings like hospitals, universities, and clinics — though they may also have independent practices.

Nearly all organizations try to present a positive image of themselves. Public relations specialists cultivate this image by interacting with the media, advertising to customers, and presenting information to multiple audiences. This requires them to work across various organizational functions, including operations and marketing, and they typically coordinate communication through mediums like social media, television, and radio. Public relations specialists are widely employed across a range of economic sectors. They may work for businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, and even specific individuals.

Many social scientists go on to work in education, and school and career counselor is one of the several roles they may take up in this sector. These professionals help secondary students prepare for life outside of school. They typically advise students on further education and career options, work with them to develop important social skills, and communicate closely with teachers and parents. School and career counselors also monitor their students' academic progress, looking out for personal or other factors that may negatively affect performance. They can be found working in junior, middle, and high schools.

Like political scientists, sociologists examine how social systems shape and are shaped by groups and individuals. They focus on religion, gender, crime, and a range of other cultural issues, often presenting their findings to government officials and business leaders. Their role involves a significant amount of data collection, which they conduct using various qualitative and quantitative methods. Sociologists can be found working in research settings, such as think tanks, government offices, and consultancies. Some may also teach at the secondary or post-secondary level.

Social and community service managers work for the public good. This can involve designing and implementing public assistance plans, identifying a specific community's needs, and determining the effectiveness of their programs. They also carry out a range of administrative duties, such as those related to hiring new employees and overseeing finances. Given the nature of their work, these professionals mostly work in nonprofits and the public sector. But they can also be found in health care facilities, for-profit organizations, and community service centers.

Writers produce many different types of content, including novels, blog posts, and newspaper articles. Depending on their education and area of expertise, they may write fiction and non-fiction topics in areas like politics, society, art, and culture. Writers may also work on promotional and marketing material, biographies, speeches, and plays. They can therefore find employment in the corporate world, the public sector, and the entertainment industry. Writers who publish novels are typically self-employed.