Explore Options: A Menu of Major-Specific Experiences and Sampling of Related Career Paths
Explore Sociology academic resources designed to support your academic goals!
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Feeling like you don't know what to do with all of this great information? We highly encourage to make an appointment with your academic advisor and career advisor. Another great starting point is the Self-Guided Career Exploration Tool.
Unlock career potential in Sociology! Discover resources to maximize your professional trajectory.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
My favorite course was Social Psychology under Dr. James Lundy given it bridged my interest in psychology with organizational development. My most fun course was Field Techniques in Anthropology which was an actual physical anthropology excavation.
I have so many great memories from GVSU. If I had to pick one, it'd be my freshman year watching our football team in the playoffs on an ESPN-televised game. It was absolutely freezing out. We won the game and all the students stormed the field afterward.
My favorite Grand Valley memory is the Community Working Classics program within the Philosophy department. I had the honor of designing and teaching a humanities course to students who would not otherwise been exposed to the subject.
Academic memory- Dr. Todd Williams and Dr. Christine Smiths research labs. Still a social psychologist at heart. Non academic memory- Mondays at Founders Brewery
January 21, 2026 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Stop by the Au Sable Hall First Floor anytime between 9:30am and 2pm to meet representatives from the Children's Advocacy Center of Kent County! Each semester, we bring top companies...
January 28, 2026 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Stop by the Au Sable Hall First Floor anytime between 9:30am and 2pm to meet representatives from the The Fowler Center for Outdoor Learning (MCHS Family of Services)! Each semester,...
February 1, 2026 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
All Grand Valley students and alumni are invited to attend a GVSU/JCPenney Suit-Up Event! This event will include options to participate virtually or in-person. In-person: Come to JCPenney at RiverTown...
February 4, 2026 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Stop by the Au Sable Hall First Floor anytime between 9:30am and 2pm to meet representatives from the Michigan State Police! Each semester, we bring top companies right to you on campus!...
February 9, 2026 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Are you preparing for the upcoming Fall GVSU Career and Internship Fair, but not quite sure where to start? The Career Center will be hosting a drop-in event to help you refine your resume, formulate...
View More Career Community- Education, Nonprofit & Public Service
Consider joining the Education, Nonprofit, and Public Service Community or any other Career Community you are interested in!
Undergraduate Sociology majors are able to pursue a variety of graduate degrees. Below are a few examples:
Looking for other career resources? The Career Center Resources page contains resources related to careers, resumes, internships, job search, interviewing, networking, and more.
