Area of study
Social science & social work programs
Social science and social work programs at UT are for students who want to examine humanity—our history, behavior, environment, and needs—or improve the lives of others. Students in these programs often join their professors in real-world spaces and research. Maybe you’ll help investigate the Melrose Hall courtyard on campus, which sits on an area once used by soldiers in the Civil War. Perhaps you’ll contribute to research that improves the lives of at-risk youth. You might even find yourself in Germany studying urban sustainability.
Your future as a professional
UT alumni with social science and social work degrees have gone on to work at places like the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Tennessee Department of Health, the National Park Service, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
What you can do with a degree in a social science and social work program:
Anthropology careers
- Documentary film production
- Epidemiology
- Excavation
- Field work
- Photography/photojournalism
- Policy analysis
- Real estate
- Surveying
Geography careers
- City/regional planning
- Conservation
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Glaciology
- Oceanography
- Population geography/demography
- Radar and satellite imaging
- Transportation management
Political science careers
- Advocacy
- City or town management
- Foreign service
- Government relations
- Human rights
- News reporting
- Political advising
- Public policy
Sociology careers
- Anti-violence and prevention
- Advocate for equity and inclusion in organizations
- Civil rights leadership
- Drugs and substance use support
- Environmental and social justice advocacy
- Housing and homelessness services
- Law and legislation
- Social statistics
Social work careers
- Addictions treatment
- Anti-poverty
- Child welfare
- Crisis intervention
- Disaster relief
- Hospice care
- Social justice
- Veterinary social work
Potential employers
- International organizations
- Governmental or intergovernmental agencies
- Hospitals/healthcare providers
- Local historical societies or sites
- Natural history or history museums
- Newspapers and magazines
- Private foundations
- Research institutions
- Schools, colleges, and universities
Studying at UT
Top-notch research opportunities
Students in social science and social work programs have the chance to develop a deeper understanding of their field by conducting research alongside their professors. As an anthropology student, for example, you might learn how to capture metric data from skeletal remains in the Organismal Variation Analysis Laboratory. Maybe you’ll decide to pursue social work and intern with the Center for Behavioral Health Research, a national leader in the research of health and social service systems that care for at-risk youth. If you decide to study geography, you could study soils and sediments as archives of climate and environmental history in the Laboratory of Paleoenvironmental Research.
Real-world experiences
Before you graduate from UT, you’ll have already had real-world experiences in your field. As a psychology or social work student you can perform services at the UT Psychological Clinic for clients of all ages and socioeconomic groups (under the supervision of fully licensed psychologists and social workers, of course). Or, say you study political science. Many of our students have gone on to gain experience through internships with government entities, such as the US Foreign Service.
Community engagement
In true Volunteer fashion, social science and social work students have a variety of opportunities to get involved in the community on a local and even on an international scale. UT’s Department of Geography has a long history of community engagement, specifically with K–12 education. As a geography student, you could help host professional development workshops for K–12 teachers based on exhibits at UT’s McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture. If you decide to pursue sociology, you might consider joining the Oxfam America Club, one of 17 members to a global organization working to alleviate poverty, hunger, and injustice. UT is a leader in veterinary social work and trains students to provide services in grief and pet loss, animal-assisted interactions, human and animal violence, and compassion fatigue and conflict management.
Where you’ll study
Social science and social work programs are housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Social Work, and the Herbert College of Agriculture. Programs like Mediterranean archaeology, geospatial science and technology, criminology, and experimental psychology can be found in the College of Arts and Sciences. Organizational leadership, social work and law, and clinical practice are examples of programs in the College of Social Work. Courses offered through the Herbert College of Agriculture and the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs can also lead you to careers in social work.
I always say that UT and learning at UT is so much more than the four walls of a lecture hall. Whenever you come here, you are going to have so many opportunities to diversify the education that you are getting by going out into the community and meeting new people and really immersing yourself in the fabric of our city. Because I went to UT, I was able to complete over 500 hours of experience with the city of Knoxville working for the Civic government. I got to serve and meet so many incredible individuals in our community. I got to learn more about our neighborhoods, our small businesses, the history of our city and other schools.
Evan
(’23)
Social Work
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