Graduates with a master's degree in sociology often work in academics, the government or for nonprofit organizations. Within the umbrella of sociology, students still choose a research and interest area such as urban sociology, religion or social stratification; the interest area drives which electives students take. Core requirements include a set number of credits in courses about statistics, methods of sociology and theory. For instance, first-year graduate students often take a course during which they survey the theories and methods of research in already-established sociological works.
Master's degrees in economics often put graduates into the business sector, though students may choose to specialize in developmental economics and go into government service. Core course requirements for a Master of Arts degree in economics often include the math of economics, both micro- and macro-economic theory and applied statistics. In preparation for global-based careers, students wishing to specialize in developmental economics take additional courses related to international trade and finance as well as social economics or income distribution.
Students concentrate their Master of Social Sciences degree in social justice normally because they want to work with advocacy groups to influence public opinion and policy. Their education focuses on the intersection of democracy, human issues and the law. In addition to core social science courses, they take electives related to the quantitative and qualitative research methods of their field. These may include classes such as human genetics, feminist thought, gender studies and international relations.
A Master of Arts in anthropology traditionally leads to careers in academics or research. The study of anthropology has students analyzing humans and their development and is, therefore, one of the more science-heavy fields of social science. Naturally such a broad field is often narrowed by area of research, including social anthropology, biology and archaeology; indeed, graduate students usually take core courses in all three before determining their area of concentration. Core courses completed, students frequently concentrate in linguistic, socio-cultural, biological or archaeological studies.
Students who enjoy the study of the mind and its control on behavior go into psychology and conventionally become therapists, psychologists or researchers. Courses start with the fundamentals: research and evaluation methods, physiology, human development and behavior. However, students choose upper-level courses according to their chosen specialization. For instance, universities offer classes related to theory, such as personality theory, psychotherapy and assessment of intelligence. Students may otherwise choose counseling techniques or a specialization related to research.