Professional Social Scientists
Applying Social Sciences Beyond the Professoriate
This category includes workers who are employed in professions applying social science expertise — albeit outside of university or college instruction. This category includes the applied form of those various social sciences career fields not covered in other standalone occupational categories such as economics, psychologists, or mathematicians. As described by the official description, these are:
“Other professional occupations in social science include anthropologists, archaeologists, geographers, historians, linguists, political scientists, sociologists and other professional occupations in social science. They are employed in universities and throughout the public and private sectors.” (NOC 2021)
Sample Job Titles
This category includes a variety of job titles that may not necessarily be reflected by the category title. For a full index of job titles, see the category entry on the ESDC site. Example job titles include:
Anthropologists
Archaeologists
Criminologists
Ethnologist
Geographers
Gerontologists
Graphoanalysts
Historians
Political Scientists
Psychometricians
Sociologists
Typical Employment and Education Requirements
The requirements listed for each occupational category will tend to vary across particular roles, job titles, and contexts.
The following typical requirements are listed on the ESDC’s 2021 entry for this occupational category:
- “A master’s or doctoral degree in the discipline is usually required.”
- “Specialization usually exists within each of these occupations and is usually obtained through university study or through experience.”
- “In Quebec, membership in the regulatory body for criminologists is required to use the title “Criminologist”.”
Success with a Social Sciences Undergraduate Degree and Beyond
When reviewing typical requirements, please remember:
- Degree and diploma listings often end with a purposefully open-ended phrase (“or a related field”, “or a similar discipline”) that acknowledges the variety and applicability of social sciences and liberal arts degrees.
- Employers often focus less on the name or title of a candidate’s degree, and more on how they articulate their transferable skills and experiences.
- Many qualifications and certifications are available as post-graduate certificates aimed at recent university graduates; these can make an excellent further education option for a social sciences or liberal arts degree.
Related Categories
Here are a few other categories that might interest you:
Related Sectors
Whereas Economic and Social Development Canada’s ‘occupational’ categories tend to focus more on the duties and functions that people play in specific roles, exploring careers by ‘sectors’ helps us to sort by employer type, industry, or general field of work. Here are just a few of the sectors that may be relevant to this category:
Academic Program Connections
As you select your program of study and the courses you will take, you can chart a path towards success in this sector from any one of our social sciences departments and programs. Here are just a few examples of academic disciplines that have connections with this sector:
Anthropology Learn More
Anthropology studies human evolution and history, helping to understand modern social systems. This historical view is important for social scientists to see how past events influence current social behaviours and trends.
Environment & Society Learn More
A degree in Environment and Society helps students analyze social issues, such as climate change, sustainability, and environmental justice, which are key topics for social scientists researching societal challenges.
Health, Aging & Society Learn More
Courses in Health, Aging & Society focuses on how aging and health affect individuals and societies, which is important for studying social issues related to aging populations, healthcare access, and social support systems.
Sociology Learn More
Learning important societal issues, such as inequality, crime, education, and health prepares Sociology students to research and understand the root causes of social problems and suggest potential solutions.
