Approaches to Focusing on Employability in the Sociology Major

Abstract

In this conversation, we argue that undergraduate sociology programs should take career readiness seriously either by developing courses that are explicit in their career-related goals or by integrating career exploration and related learning across the curriculum. By doing so, sociology programs can meet students’ needs for meaningful careers that contribute to societal well-being while at the same time maintaining a rigorous and critical core sociology curriculum. Such programs can contribute to equity and the success of diverse graduates in their postbaccalaureate lives and can do so without being overly burdensome to faculty who have no desire to be full-time career counselors. We provide models of diverse courses and programs with emphasis on our own teaching at the University of Indianapolis, Central Michigan University, and Ball State University and highlight the strengths and challenges associated with the explicit course and integrated learning approaches.