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Career Exploration

The Department of Sociology offers many options for students to find and prepare for future careers. Students may explore internship opportunities, which involve working in a social services and criminal justice related agencies for course credit.  Students earn internship credit during the school year, but may choose to complete internships while spending the summer off-campus.  Either way, internships are a valuable opportunity to investigate potential careers while still earning credit toward graduation.

What Can I Do with a Law and Society Degree?

What Employers Look For

Many employers look for universal skills such as communication, cultural awareness, customer-centered focus, ability to problem-solve, and build working relationships. To be marketable in today’s work force, persons should strengthen their abilities be flexible while adapting to change in a technology based, highly diverse, and rapidly changing globalized society.  Skills such as resilience, problem solving and adaptability are valuable at work as well as in life.

What Can I Do with a Sociology Degree?

What Employers Look For

Many employers look for universal skills such as communication, cultural awareness, customer-centered focus, ability to problem-solve, and build working relationships. To be marketable in today’s work force, persons should strengthen their abilities be flexible while adapting to change in a technology based, highly diverse, and rapidly changing globalized society.  Skills such as resilience, problem solving and adaptability are valuable at work as well as in life.

What Can I Do with a Digital Criminology Degree?

Digital Criminology or Digital Forensics has a wide variety of positions for anyone interested in cyber-crime. With the increased risk of cyber-attacks and computer-related crimes, forensic analysts’ positions are on the rise in law enforcement, legal firms, large and small corporations, and private companies. These positions are also found on all levels of government to include Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other agencies within the Homeland Security Agency.

What Employers Look For

Most employers in this career field want candidates who possess strong communication and technical skills as well as great writing ability. Such candidates must be able to locate and interpret data and repackage and present information in a way that is easily understood by others. To be marketable in a digital forensic investigation career, persons should possess a strong curiosity on human and computer behavior, strengthen their critical thinking and analytical skillsets in quantitative methods, statistics, and proficient knowledge of cyber-crime.

Internships

The Department of Sociology highly encourages students to participate in internships. An internship is a great way to integrate classroom learning with real world situations.  Internships offer a planned program of observation, participation, and study in a selected agency.  They also give students an opportunity to explore a possible career choice and learn professional skills necessary to be competitive in the job market.


Internship Information for Students

The Department of Sociology at Purdue University gives students opportunities to receive academic credit for participating in the internship program with approved social services and criminal justice agencies.

The internship program offers a planned program of observation, participation, and study in a selected criminal justice agency. In a single semester, students may work 10 to 40 hours per week as arranged with their internship agency.

The sociology internship coordinator meets with each student prior to placement to discuss career goals and identify agencies of interest.  During the internship, each student should be assigned to a field supervisor who discusses the work that will be done and assists the student in determining placement objectives.


WHY SHOULD STUDENTS COMPLETE INTERNSHIPS?

There are many benefits of internships to include:

  • Explore personal career choices
  • Develop professional work habits and improve communication skills
  • Gain hands-on work experience
  • Acquire new skills while applying classroom knowledge
  • Network with professionals in the field
  • Improve employment potential
ACADEMIC EVALUATION

Students must enroll in SOC 423-Field Practicum in Sociology to receive credit for internship participation. A grade is assigned based upon the satisfactory completion level of contact hours required by the school and the agency, as well as course requirements that include progress report, weekly journal reports, a final paper and performance evaluation by the agency.

INTERNSHIP APPLICATION PROCESS

If you are interested in a field placement or internship credits, please contact Career Development and Internship Coordinator Mr. William Coghill at  wcoghill@purdue.edu.

COMPENSATION

Agencies are not required to compensate students for participation in the internship placement with their agency. Many of the internship opportunities are non-paid, yet these agencies provide valuable practical experiences and professional networking to guide students’ career interest.

TYPES OF PARTICIPATING AGENCIES

The listing below offer some of the agencies that provide internships for sociology students:

  • District Courts
  • State Government Agencies
  • Federal Government Agencies
  • Juvenile Delinquency Detention & Treatment Facilities
  • Local, County & State Police Departments
  • Probate Courts
  • Law Offices
  • Circuit Courts