What do social sciences researchers do?
Destinations at a glance
Social sciences doctoral graduates from 2003-2007 working in the UK:
- 66% were working in the education sector, predominantly higher education (HE)
- 45% entered 'education and teaching occupations'
- The highest proportion of any discipline became university lecturer, accounting for 34%
- 18% were employed as research staff in higher education
- 10% were in employment in the finance, business and IT sector
- 2.4 % were unemployed - below the average for doctoral graduates and well below the levels for social sciences Masters and first degree graduates.
Employment sectors entered by UK-domiciled social sciences doctoral graduates 2003-2005, based on Standard Industrial Clasocial sciencesifications (SIC)
|
Year of graduation |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
Education |
65.9% |
64.5% |
64.0% |
|
Finance, businesocial sciences and IT |
9.9% |
7.2% |
12.5% |
|
Health and social work |
10.3% |
8.2% |
6.5% |
|
Manufacturing |
3.6% |
4.4% |
5.2% |
|
Public administration |
7.5% |
10.0% |
7.8% |
|
Other sectors |
2.8% |
5.6% |
4.0% |
Common career paths
Social sciences represent a diverse range of subjects.
You can start to navigate career options by looking at Options with your subject on the Prospects careers website.
Investigate where former researchers in your department or institution are now working.
The following career profiles are useful in terms of gaining ideas on destinations.
- Varyl - geography - postdoctoral researcher
- Stewart - human geography - lecturer
- Helen - politics - postdoctoral researcher
- Chris - politics - policy and research manager
- John - geography - lecturer
.
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