have a high school diploma or GED

have a bachelor's degree

have at least a master's degree in sociology

enjoy doing research

May work part time or full time, but most work more than 40 hours a week.

May work overtime to meet deadlines.

May travel to do on-site research.

Sociologists will:

Study the behavior and relationships of groups of people, such as families, tribes, and communities.

Plan and develop ways to collect information about people.

Observe and interview groups of people to collect data.

Sociologists frequently:

Use the study results to identify problems and develop ways to solve them.

Prepare reports and other publications that discuss their findings and suggest solutions.

It is important that Sociologists be able to:

Have good research and analytical skills.

Be exact in their work. Errors could result in faulty research.