A good minor for a sociology major is one that complements and integrates with your future career plans. This will require you to evaluate your values and beliefs about the world, then assess your interests and aspirations. Majoring in sociology prepares graduates for careers in research, education, government and law enforcement. The minor you choose should align with your ideal long-term career direction.
Sociology Branches
In order to gain the specific skills to complement the general sociological perspective, you should select a sub-field specialization. The field of sociology is actually quite broad and includes career possibilities in politics, criminology, health care and social work. For example, those who want to focus on deviant behavior could minor in either psychology or law enforcement. Those who plan on working in government agencies should minor in politics or public administration.
Alternatively, sociologists who want to work with specific populations may benefit from a minor in a language or ethnic study groups, such as Asian or Native American studies. If you enjoy the university life, you may want to focus on majoring in statistics. This is especially beneficial because most sociological data is researched, processed and reviewed as statistical information.
Psychology
From an academic perspective, psychology and sociology go hand in hand. Minoring in psychology will increase your self awareness and your understanding of the inner workings of the mind. You will also become familiar with collective emotions, behaviors and interactions of people. A psychology minor offers a solid foundation for understanding how and why people act, feel and think the way they do.
When combined with the science of sociology, a minor in psychology may open career doors to a number of fascinating fields. This includes employment in the fields of social work and human services. However, it can also create a track to working in fields like business, marketing and human resources. If you truly want to focus on sociology, you should minor in the interesting field of social psychology.
Criminal Justice
A criminal justice minor will teach you the scientific methods and empirical research tools used in studying social problems. Most of these programs focus on law, society and criminology. You will gain a new appreciation of the race, class and gender issues present in the application of criminal laws. Criminal justice minors will impart a working knowledge of the operational branches of the criminal justice system, such as police, courts and corrections.
You will gain an understanding of modern-day law enforcement methods and the strengths and weaknesses of the court systems. Criminal justice programs focus on legal processes and criminal court proceedings, but they also focus on the correctional process and functioning of the corrections system. Either way, you will gain an understanding of controversial issues and become open-minded to new ideas about criminal justice issues and appreciative of the values of the legal justice system.
Economics
Finally, a good minor for a sociology student is economics because it teaches you to think deeply and creatively about some of the most important concerns facing communities today. Students will learn various theoretical perspectives about globalism, social justice, cultural values and wealth and poverty.
When asking yourself, “what is a good minor for a sociology major” you can see that there are many great options to choose from. Knowing what you plan to do with your degree will give you most the guidance in your decision making process. Another excellent place to investigate the career possibilities of sociology is at the American Sociological Association’s website.
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