For learners who are actively concerned about the world they live in and want to do something constructive and useful in it—whether in law, business, education, medicine, urban or rural planning—Sociology provides the best means for understanding how "the system" works. Whether students want to change society radically, modify it, preserve it as it is, or restore it to a bygone era, they must first understand what the structure of system is, how social order is maintained, and how social change can be affected. Sociology can give learners some of that knowledge and can further help them acquire the analytic tools to develop it on their own.
Sociology majors generally leave with solid research skills, people skills, and presentation skills, which helps prepares them for many fields of work. Some of UVM's students go on to get PhDs in sociology or related fields, many work in human service agencies, or go on to masters in social work programs or law school.
