» An overviewTraditionally, graduates from these subjects have a lower than average employment rate six months after graduation and tend to have a higher than average representation in further study/training. This is largely explained by a drive to acquire more specialist qualifications which are necessary for certain careers such as law, social work, psychology and teaching. However, as with all the data in What Do Graduates Do?, it is important to bear in mind that figures collected six months after graduation only tell a partial story about career prospects. » Destinations and types of workTable 1 shows the destinations of 2004 graduates six months after graduation. Table 1: First destinations of social science graduates from 2004. | Numbers graduating (survey respondents) | Entering employment (%) | Entering further study/training (%) | Working and studying (%) | Unemployed at time of survey (%) | Other (%) |
|---|
| Economics | 3,785 | 55.3 | 15.2 | 13.9 | 6.4 | 9.2 | | Geography | 2,530 | 59.3 | 18.1 | 7.3 | 5.2 | 10.1 | | Law | 8,605 | 36.6 | 40.2 | 12.0 | 3.8 | 7.5 | | Psychology | 7,775 | 58.7 | 15.6 | 11.2 | 5.4 | 9.0 | | Sociology | 4,440 | 64.4 | 13.0 | 8.2 | 6.5 | 7.8 | | Politics | 3,320 | 55.7 | 18.9 | 9.0 | 6.8 | 9.6 | | All first degree subjects | 204,165 | 62.7 | 14.1 | 9.3 | 6.1 | 7.8 |
- Economics – Six months after graduation, seven in ten (69.2%) economics graduates from the 2004 cohort were either in employment or working and studying. Amongst these graduates, there was a strong representation in numerical and financial occupations, with 35.9% working as business and financial professionals or associate professionals. An above average percentage were also found to be working as commercial, industrial or public sector managers (13.9%, compared with 9.8% for all first degree graduates).
- Geography – Geographers demonstrated an above average participation (18.1%) in further study/training (as a sole activity), perhaps reflecting a desire to gain more specialist skills. Under the authority of the Privy Council, from April 2002 the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is able to award the professional status of Chartered Geographer to suitably qualified individuals. Geography graduates who were in employment were relatively highly represented in the commercial, industrial and public sector managers category (11%), which includes positions in general graduate schemes, in business and financial professions and associate professions (11%), and in the other professional/associate professional category (9.3%).
- Law – 40.2% of law graduates in 2004 chose further study/training as a sole activity compared with the overall graduate average of 14.1%, with many opting for vocational study in law, ie the Diploma in Law/Legal Practice and Bar Vocational Courses. In addition, 12% were engaged in work and study. Of those in employment, 17.6% entered legal professions, including legal and paralegal occupations, and 11.7% fell into the commercial, industrial and public sector managers category.
- Politics – Nearly two in three (64.7%) politics graduates were in employment or were working and studying six months after graduation. Of these graduates, 14.4% went into commercial, industrial and public sector management positions. A further 10.8% entered business and financial professions or associate professions. 18.9% of politics graduates chose further study/training as a sole activity (compared with the overall graduate average of 14.1%).
- Psychology - Psychology graduates had a strong representation in the other occupations category, with 23.4% of graduates who were employed or working and studying entering these types of jobs. Examples of jobs included in this category are the police and prison service, nursing auxiliaries and assistants and educational assistants. This perhaps reflects the need for many psychology graduates to gain relevant experience prior to embarking on postgraduate psychology study. A further 13.6% of psychology graduates entered social and welfare related work. In addition, 8.9% were employed as commercial, industrial or public sector managers. Interestingly, the British Psychological Society (BPS) estimates that only 15-20% of psychology graduates actually end up working as professional psychologists.
- Sociology – As with psychology graduates, sociology graduates have a wide variety of occupational destinations. A relatively high proportion (20.8%) entered the other occupations category. A further 14% fell into social and welfare related work, which includes social care and community roles. In addition, 9.6% were found to be in the commercial, industrial and public sector managers category.
It should be noted that a significant number of graduates from these subjects were found in what could be considered sub-graduate employment such as clerical and secretarial or retail and bar staff occupations. Many graduates, especially those from non-vocational subjects, take transitional or stop-gap jobs before they find a job that more clearly utilises their graduate skills. The research in Seven Years On supports this view. » SalariesA survey conducted by the Council for Industry and Higher Education notes that economics and law graduates have strong earning potential. It estimates that a male law graduate earns on average 27.3% more than a peer who has a qualification level of two or more A-levels. For economics, the figure quoted is 26.8%. These figures are even higher for female graduates at 39.3% for economics and 43.8% for law. » TrendsThe new job classifications developed by Peter Elias and Kate Purcell in the Seven Years On report identify niche graduate occupations as a growing trend. For the 2004 graduate cohort, over one in five graduates (22.7%) entering work went into niche graduate occupations. This expanding area, which includes many occupations that do not require graduate level qualifications, also contains within it, specialist niches that do require degrees as an entry requirement. Social science graduates are well represented within this category, with 30.8% economics graduates, 30.6% law graduates and 22.1% politics graduates from the 2004 cohort who were in employment six months after graduation entering these types of work. » Contacts and resourcesWebsitesResources on this siteGeneral links- Seven Years On: Graduate Careers in a Changing Labour Market, Peter Elias (Warwick Institute for Employment Research) and Kate Purcell (Employment Studies Research Unit, University of the West of England), June 2004. The study is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU).
- Entry into Legal Profession, Research and Policy Planning Unit, The Law Society of England and Wales.
- What can I do with a Social Sciences degree? Trotman. ISBN: 085660867X
- What can I do with a Law degree? Trotman. ISBN: 0856608521
- Careers using Geography, Kogan Page. ISBN: 0749430699
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