Sociology Major
OBJECTIVE: To identify major skills possessed by Applied
Sociology graduates of St. Cloud State University. Each student is stronger
in some areas than others.
Research Design and Data Collection Skills
- Completion of independent senior research project.
- Aspects of research design, including problem definition, sampling,
and measurement.
- Methods of data collection, including questionnaire construction, interview
techniques, observation techniques, and use of personal and archival
records and documents.
Data Analysis and Presentation Skills
- Use of SPSS and other software for data analysis and presentation.
- Descriptive statistics, including measures of association and multiple
regression.
- Inferential statistics, including hypothesis testing and confidence
intervals.
- Data presentation, including tables and graphs.
Writing Skills
- Completion of a variety of written work, including summaries, application
papers, critiques, research reports, and library research papers.
- Experience writing for different audiences.
Interpersonal and Oral Communication Skills
- Participation in collaborative projects, such as group presentations.
- Oral presentations in classes.
- Networking with alumni.
Analytical Skills
- Connect individual behaviors with larger patterns of social interaction,
social structure, and culture.
- Identify patterns among diverse sources of information.
- Apply theories, concepts, and other general principles to a wide range
of situations.
- Familiar with current theory and research findings in one area of sociology.
