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    University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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    • 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 areas on campus that were 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.

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    A social work researcher in a lab smiles up at a young research subject who is wearing a cap with electrodes and sensors

    What you can do with a degree from a social science and social work program:

    Anthropology careers

    • Documentary film production
    • Epidemiology
    • Excavation
    • Fieldwork
    • 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 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 of 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.

    College of Arts & Sciences

    College of Social Work

    Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs

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    Social worker and Marine veteran Kevin Rumley, a man with long brown hair, a beard, and colorful arm tattoos, wearing an orange Vols t-shirt
    A young person with blonde hair and a huge smile, wearing a black leather jacket and khaki pants, standing in front of a historic building

    I always say that UT is so much more than the four walls of a lecture hall. You are going to have so many opportunities to diversify your education. I was able to complete over 500 hours of experience with the City of Knoxville. 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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