Occupation · SOC 25-1067
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
541 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingInstructingMonitoringCritical Thinking
Knowledge areas
English LanguageSociology and AnthropologyEducation and TrainingComputers and ElectronicsHistory and Archeology
Technology & tools
Computer based training softwareData base user interface and query softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, measurement and data collection, and workplace social relations.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Supervise students' laboratory and field work.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Mentor new faculty.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Participate in campus and community events.Act as advisers to student organizations.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Student assignments and papers — evaluate and return with written feedback under faculty mentorship in an undergraduate sociology course.Classroom discussions on foundational sociological topics — initiate and facilitate with structured prompts under the guidance of a supervising professor.Course examinations — compile and administer according to departmental templates and established grading rubrics in a postsecondary setting.Introductory lectures on race, ethnic relations, and social stratification — prepare and deliver to undergraduate students using provided course frameworks.Syllabi and homework assignments — draft and distribute following departmental guidelines and accreditation requirements for sociology courses.Current sociological literature and peer-reviewed journals — read and summarize to remain current with emerging field developments under faculty direction.Preliminary research data — collect and organize using analytical software in support of a faculty-led research project at a university setting.Existing course content and instructional materials — review and identify areas for revision with guidance from department curriculum committees.Grading criteria and rubrics — apply consistently to student class work using institutionally approved assessment tools in a postsecondary classroom.Word processing and office suite software — use to produce instructional handouts, correspondence, and course documents in a department office environment.
developing
Student papers and class work across multiple course sections — evaluate and grade independently using self-developed rubrics aligned to learning outcomes in a postsecondary sociology program.Seminar and lecture-format classroom discussions on topics such as measurement, data collection, and workplace social relations — moderate and redirect with reduced supervisory oversight.Midterm and final examinations — compile, administer, and score autonomously, delegating proctoring tasks to teaching assistants when appropriate.Undergraduate and graduate lectures on sociological theory and research methods — prepare and deliver with increasing depth, integrating current scholarship into course content.Comprehensive course materials including syllabi, reading lists, and assignment sequences — develop and refine independently across recurring course offerings.Professional conferences and colloquia — attend and participate to sustain engagement with disciplinary developments and apply insights to classroom instruction.Independent research projects — design and conduct within a defined area of sociological inquiry, submitting findings to peer-reviewed journals for publication.Course curricula for assigned sections — evaluate and revise periodically based on student performance data and evolving disciplinary standards.Database and information retrieval software — use to locate peer-reviewed sources and manage bibliographic data in support of teaching and research activities.Student learning progress across a course term — monitor using gradebook and learning management systems, adjusting instructional pacing as needed.
proficient
Graduate and undergraduate student work across diverse course formats — evaluate with sophisticated analytical judgment, providing substantive written commentary that advances student scholarly development.Complex seminar discussions on contested sociological topics such as intersectionality, globalization, or social movement theory — facilitate and moderate autonomously, fostering rigorous intellectual exchange.Full examination cycles including design, administration, grading, and grade appeals — oversee independently across multiple courses, delegating to and supervising graduate teaching assistants.Advanced graduate seminars and undergraduate lecture courses — prepare and deliver with scholarly authority, integrating original research and cutting-edge literature into every instructional session.Adaptive course materials responding to emerging sociological events and new empirical findings — develop and deploy rapidly without supervisory input, maintaining syllabus coherence and rigor.Peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and book chapters — produce consistently as a recognized contributor within a defined subfield of sociology.Multi-semester research agendas — design, fund through grant applications, and execute using analytical and scientific software, producing findings that inform both scholarship and teaching.Program-level curricula — plan, evaluate, and revise collaboratively with departmental faculty, ensuring alignment with accreditation standards and disciplinary best practices.Diverse student populations with varying learning needs — assess using social perceptiveness and adaptive instructional strategies to promote equitable academic outcomes in postsecondary settings.Complex interdisciplinary questions bridging sociology, psychology, law, and philosophy — address through critical thinking and inductive reasoning in research and graduate-level instruction.
advanced
Departmental academic standards for grading and student assessment — establish and institutionalize, ensuring consistency and scholarly rigor across all faculty and course offerings.Department-wide pedagogical culture — shape by modeling exemplary discussion facilitation practices and mentoring junior faculty in evidence-based instructional methods.Institutional examination and assessment policies — lead the design and evaluation of, aligning departmental practices with university accreditation and regional academic standards.University-wide or consortium-level curriculum reform initiatives — spearhead, drawing on deep expertise in sociological theory, research methodology, and learning science to drive transformative change.Scholarly book manuscripts, edited volumes, and major journal articles — produce and shepherd to publication, establishing a nationally or internationally recognized research identity within sociology.Professional conference programs, editorial boards, and disciplinary task forces — lead and shape, advancing the field's intellectual agenda and representing the institution in national scholarly communities.Cross-institutional research collaborations and externally funded research centers — direct, integrating teams of faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students around high-impact sociological questions.Graduate program design including admissions criteria, degree requirements, and mentorship structures — architect and steward, ensuring the production of future sociological scholars and educators.Strategic instructional technology adoption across the department — champion and guide, evaluating computer-based training software and analytical platforms for integration into faculty teaching practice.Departmental vision, faculty development priorities, and resource allocation — set and lead at the executive level, cultivating a culture of intellectual curiosity, integrity, and scholarly achievement.
Also known as
52 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Comparative Sociology ProfessorEducation And Training Apprentice (Air Force 3F231)Race Relations ProfessorUSMA, Professor of History (Army 47K)ProfessorEducation And Training Superintendent (Air Force 3F291)USMA, Professor of Law (Army 47E)USMA, Professor (Army 47A)Instructor, Academic (Social Science) (Navy 3254)USMA, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Army 47D)Social Organization ProfessorEducation And Training Helper (Air Force 3F211)USMA, Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (Army 47L)InstructorSociology Faculty MemberCollege Faculty MemberUSMA, Professor of Mathematical Sciences (Army 47N)Sociology InstructorEducation and Training Journeyman (Air Force 3F251)Associate ProfessorAdjunct Sociology ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Military Instruction and Ethics (Army 47U)LecturerSociology ProfessorAdjunct InstructorSociology Adjunct ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Army War College (Army 47W)USMA, Professor of Physical Education (Army 47S)USMA, Professor of Army Cyber (Army 47V)USMA, Professor and Associate Dean (Army 47Q)Social Science ProfessorFaculty MemberSociology Adjunct InstructorFaculty Member, College or UniversityEducation And Training (Air Force 3F2X1)College ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Foreign Languages (Army 47G)USMA, Professor of Social Sciences (Army 47J)Marriage and Family TeacherUSMA, Professor of Physics (Army 47H)