Explore career options in social science
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles your studies in history, human geography, indigenous studies, Islam-West relations, sociology and/or psychology degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
The Bachelor of Arts is a three-year degree that equips graduates with the ability to find and communicate creative solutions to contemporary challenges by bringing a holistic approach to understanding social, cultural and political issues. Arts degrees focusing on social science cultivate key skills in demand by employers in a rapidly changing world of work. Along with technical skills in research, analysis and policy development, arts graduates are valued for high-level critical thinking and communication skills. The ability to question narratives, look at issues from multiple viewpoints to drive innovation, develop solutions, communicate across cultures, structure writing, speak with confidence, and communicate with influence can be applied in a variety of ways across industries and occupational sectors. An arts degree can empower you to shape worldviews and develop tools to make an impact in key areas of interest.
Career fields
- Government (local/state/federal)
- Non-government organisations
- Arts organisations
- Museums
- Corporate consultancies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Universities and research
- Primary and secondary schools
- Political parties
- Advocacy and lobby groups
- Trade unions
- Media organisations
- Defence
- Entrepreneurship
- Justice and legal
- Tourism
Employment roles
- Learning and teaching officer
- Policy officer
- Graduate consultant
- Community liaison officer
- Arts development officer
- Diversity and inclusion specialist
- Client insights and research officer
- Volunteer program coordinator
- Child safety officer
- Youth wellbeing coordinator
- Future workforce planner
- Grants officer
- Educator
- Research officer
- Social media coordinator
- Travel consultant
Occupation snapshot
Employed
16,100
Annual growth
700
Weekly earnings
$1,758
Part-time share
56%
This data is based on the occupation profile for social professionals, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Seek
- Ethical Jobs
- Jobs for Sustainability
- ATS Jobs
- Indeed
- Jora
- Prosple
- GradConnection
- SmartJobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- ProBono
- APSJobs
- ArtsHub
- Impactpool
- Arts Industry News
- Careers for Social Scientists
- What you can do with a humanities degree
- Services Australia entry-level pathways
Notable alumnus: Cameron Costello
Cameron Costello, a Quandamooka man from Moreton Bay, South East Queensland, is Griffith University's 2020 Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus. He has dedicated his professional life to advocating for and supporting the rights of First Peoples. Currently, he serves as the CEO of the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, managing Native Title rights and interests for the Quandamooka People.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Academy of Social Science in Australia
- Australian Sociology Association
- The Council for Humanities, the Arts and Social Science
- Social Science Research Council
- Institute of Public Administration Australia
- Australian Historical Association
- Australian Society of Archivists
- Australian Institute of International Affairs
- Market and Social Research—The Research Society
- Australian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science
- International Sociological Association
- Australian Sociological Association
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.