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At UMass, we encourage students to start planning for their entry into the job market from their very first semester – building a CV, creating networks, and developing their skills in the areas which are most important to the kind of career they want to have. Faculty mentors help students navigate the application and interviewing processes. This entails not only logistics, but also thinking through what kind of job best meets their individual needs, interests, and skills. We also offer a two-credit -Job Market Workshop every other year to help students learn what to expect and to prepare materials, including cover letters, CVs, research statements, diversity statements, and teaching portfolios. For students actively on the market, we hold practice job talks that are well-attended by both faculty and students, who ask questions and provide feedback to help strengthen presentations.

Graduates of the UMass Sociology program have taken jobs in a wide variety of academic settings – at national or international research-1 universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. They join sociology departments or find a home in an interdisciplinary or specialized field, such as women’s studies, ethnic studies, or criminology. Some of our students have won multi-year postdoctoral fellowships or visiting scholar positions, and others accept offers from prestigious research institutes or become university administrators. Some pursue employment in nonprofit or government agencies.

List of recent graduate placements