Sociology is the formal study of society and social structure. The study of sociology aids students in understanding human relations and organizational behavior. It helps students understand behavior in families, in communities, and in the many complex organizations which dominate modern industrial societies. The study of sociology may help students understand why people usually conform, but sometimes deviate and break the rules and laws of society. Students learn the process of scientific problem solving, a skill increasingly in demand in both the private and public sectors.
Students learn to identify problems, analyze data, test ideas against the facts, and write reports.
Some sociology graduates go on to graduate school. Some go directly into careers in business. Others enter governmental jobs in the criminal justice system, in programs dealing with the aged, or in dozens of other local or federal programs which attempt to solve the many problems of modern society. Sociology graduates are found in jobs wherever an understanding of human relationships is required. Entrance into the job market can be helped greatly by the wise selection of a minor to supplement the sociology major.