What is Sociology?

The study of sociology gives the student an understanding and appreciation of the nature of society, social institutions, and people as social beings and creators of culture.

Through systematic investigation and analysis, students gain knowledge and insight into the complex relatinships found in the modern world. Students are then better prepared to make intelligent judgments in their own lives and to contribute more effectively to society and the world.

Sociology as a Foundation

Sociology provides a background for pursuing further study in sociology, business, law, social work, social services, counseling, communications and other related areas.

Where are Sociology Majors Employed?

Sociology prepares students for employment in the public and private sectors in such areas as:

  • management
  • public relations
  • human resources
  • applied research
  • public policy
  • administration
  • teaching

Saint Anselm College's program in sociology allows students to focus on general sociology or social work.

​Internships, Careers, and Graduate School

  • Internships

    Internships help students experience a practical work environment related to sociology, while developing highly marketable career skills. Past sociology majors have interned at a range of organizations including:

    • Catholic Medical Center
    • Child and Family Services
    • Manchester middle and high schools
    • United Way of Greater Manchester

    For an explanation of the sociology department's internship program, please see our program overview.

  • Careers

    Our program in sociology allows students to focus on general sociology or social work. Sociology prepares students for employment in the public and private sectors in such areas as:

    • management
    • public relations
    • human resources
    • applied research
    • public policy
    • administration
    • teaching
  • Graduate School

    Many of our graduates elect to pursue an advanced degree in sociology, or a related field. Our course of study provides a background for pursuing further study in sociology, business, law, social work, social services, counseling, communications and other related areas.

  • Past Sociology Internship Sites
    • Parkside Junior High School; Guidance Department
    • Highland - Goffes Falls Elementary School; English-as-a-Second Language class
    • N.H. State Senate Research Office
    • Manpower of New Hampshire, Temporary employment agency...special project
    • Alliance for the Progress of Hispanic Americans (ALPHA), administrative and social services
    • Hillsboro County Department of Corrections, law library and other departments
    • New Hampshire Youth Development Center, secure facility for delinquents
    • Manchester Public Health Department, administrative/research and special projects
    • Da Vinci Television Productions, special projects and research
    • Fidelity Investments Inc., human resources
    • Nashua Youth Association, group home abused & neglected children
    • WMUR-TV, Channel 9, newsroom
    • Catholic Medical Center, administrative and social services positions
    • Child Health Services, pediatric heath care clinic
    • Moore Center Services, administrative and social services positions
    • Manchester School Department, administrative and social services positions
    • N.H. Division of Child and Youth Services, administrative and social services positions
    • United Way of Greater Manchester
    • Kennedy Associates, lobbyist
    • Webster House, group home abused & neglected children
    • Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Customer Relations
    • Family Connection, : Family Services Worker
    • Up-Reach Therapeutic Riding Center, Administrative Assistant
    • Mt. View Middle School, Guidance Department
    • Porter- McGee Public Relations, Public Relations Assistant
    • Child and Family Services, Assistant in transitional living program
    • Columbia Parkside Rehabilitation Center, Assistant to speech pathologist
    • N.H. Department of Children, Youth and Families: Protective services worker
    • N.H. State Senate, Assistant to State Senator
    • South Side Junior High School, Guidance Department
    • RCN Communications, Sales Department
    • Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, Service and administrative assistant, residence aide
    • Family Strength, In-home family counseling and other behavioral health services
    • WGIR Rock 101, promotions assistant
    • Hillcrest Terrace Retirement Community, Activities Department; Administrative Assistant

Program Overview

  • Program Overview

    The primary objective of the Sociology Internship Program (SO454 and SO455) is to provide selected Junior and Senior sociology majors and non-majors with a supervised, professional and academic experience that will complement their liberal arts training at Saint Anselm College. This internship experience will provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply their academic knowledge and skills to their internship setting.

  • Eligibility

    Junior and Senior Sociology majors and non-majors must have at least 2.0 GPA in their major and at least a 2.0 GPA overall. Students who do not meet the major GPA requirement must receive approval by the Internship Coordinator and the Chair of the Sociology Department.

  • Policy

    Beginning the Spring Semester of their Junior year, selected Junior Sociology majors and non-majors will have the opportunity to select a one-course (124 hours) internship for non-sociology elective credit. Beginning the Summer Semester of their Senior year and including the upcoming Spring Semester of that Senior academic year, Junior and Senior Sociology Majors and non-majors can select a two-course and/or one-course internship for non-sociology elective credit. The two-course internship requires the completion of 224 hours or approximately 16 hours a week for a given semester. The one-course internship requires the completion of 112 hours or approximately 8 hours a week for a given semester. NOTE: The College's financial aid program is not available for Summer school.

    Sociology majors and non-majors can receive elective course credit for a total of 9 credits (3 elective courses) by either taking SO454, a 6 credit Internship (2 course elective credit) and SO455, a 3 credit Internship (1course elective credit) or three 1 course Internships.

    Interns are expected to start their internships the first week of the Spring or Summer Semester and work until the end of that semester. The exact days and hours will be determined by the internship agency supervisor, the student and the Sociology Internship Coordinator. All Sociology Internships are for academic credit, however a sponsoring agency may choose to pay or financially sponsor a Sociology Intern.

  • Provisions

    All Sociology Internships are for elective credit and said credit does not count toward the completion of the course requirements for the Sociology Major.

    At all times, the Interns are expected to perform in a professional manner, conforming to the acceptable norms and regulations at the sponsoring agency. That is to say, the student is expected to follow the regulations pertaining to confidentiality, appropriate dress and manners, respect for property, etc.

    Absences by Sociology Interns are not permitted except for very serious reasons and both the agency supervisor and the Internship Coordinator must be notified by Interns of their inability on that date to be present. Sociology Interns are entitled to the regular College holidays and vacation periods, but they must inform the agency supervisor during the first week of the internship of their unavailable dates.
    During the semester Sociology Interns will meet with the Internship Coordinator, either in person or via our Sakai site. Academic assignments related to this Internship will be posted on our site at the beginning of the Semester. The Internship Coordinator will meet and/or confer with the agency supervisor at least once during the Spring semester or more often if necessary.

    Sociology Interns are solely responsible in submitting to the Internship Coordinator all academic assignments by the end of the Semester.

  • Sponsoring Agency

    The agency offering placement is expected:

    1. To provide the Intern with work experiences at a professional level;
    2. To assign a supervisor the first week of the internship to meet with the Intern to discuss and complete the Department's "Internship Program Proposal" regarding the goals of the Internship, the duties and knowledge/skills development for the Intern, the supervisor's role and responsibilities to the Intern, and any other special requirements. The supervisor is expected to regularly meet with the intern to discuss the intern's progress and to constructively advise/guide the intern to perform at an optimum level.
    3. To have the supervisor available to meet with the Internship Coordinator at a mutually agreeable time and place at least once during the semester.
    4. The supervisor is also expected to complete and return the provided Sociology Department Internship Evaluation form to the Internship Coordinator by the last week of semester.
  • Grading

    The final grade is based on the supervisor's evaluation, the internship coordinator's evaluation, "Discussion Board" participation, student's journal and written assignments. Interns will receive a letter grade for their final grade (i.e. A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E, F).

Resources

Spotlight on Alumni

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Katharine Winner

Katharine Winner, a Master's of Social Work (MSW) student at the University of Pennsylvania attributes where she is today to her time spent at Saint Anselm College. "All of the experiences that I had while at St. A's pointed me in the direction of social work and to help others".

Her classes in sociology helped her to see and understand how society and a community functions and her classes in social work highlighted how individuals in that community can come together to better the community and each other. Katharine's involvement with the Meelia Center and Campus Ministry SBA trips gave her the chance to see and apply what she learned in the classroom in a real-life experience. During her SBA trip to Mississippi in her junior year and her WBA trip to Washington, D.C. in her senior year, Katharine knew that she wanted to do a year of volunteer service after graduation. "So many people in this country need help and these trips are a great way to help them and become more aware of the need, but I felt I needed to do more."

After graduation, Katharine spent a year in Philadelphia, PA with the Augustinian Volunteers working with a small organization, ADROP (the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor), with their social service ministries. Through ADROP, she tutored students and established distance learning programs for a Catholic school in the city, taught ESL classes, and helped out in a health clinic primarily for the Indonesian population in Philadelphia. "It was an amazing year and certainly eye-opening. It was an experience that solidified my desire to pursue a degree in social work and further help those in need."

Currently Katharine is half-way through her Masters of Social Work degree with an emphasis on clinical social work focusing on the medical aspect of the field. Last year, she interned at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in the kidney transplant department where she had the opportunity to learn about the transplant process not only from the medical side but also from the side of the human experience. This coming year she will be interning at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in the cystic fibrosis and heart/lung transplant. "For the past few years, medical social work has been a great interest of mine; there is a wide variety of things I can do in the field and every day is different. I see people at a low point in their life as they go through complications with their health, but I just hope that whatever assistance I can give to make the medical process a little bit easier can give them some sort of comfort and ease; that why I went into social work."