Positive Prospects : Careers for Social Science Graduates and Why Number and Data Skills Matter

Almost four in ten graduates studied one of the social sciences. Where do they go to work? How do their employment and earnings compare to those who graduate from other areas? What makes a difference to their employment chances?  

Positive Prospects provides a brief description of employment after graduation for those who study a wide range of social science subjects, using up-to-date information. The report gathers evidence from many sources about longer-term prospects and the backgrounds of ‘world leaders’.  It shows that there is variation between those graduating from different social science disciplines, as there is with so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) graduates. Positive Prospects takes a look at the effect of graduating from different types of university, while observing that this reflects a great many factors such as students’ backgrounds and where they live and study. 

One clear theme is that having number and data skills – either from secondary school or as part of undergraduate study – is likely to give individuals of every discipline a wider range of choices about work, meaning they are likely to earn more. Needless to say number and data skills are not the only things that matter, nor do all social science students need the same skill level. But the Campaign for Social Science has long believed that we need more people with conceptual social science skills and knowledge combined with some number and data skills – Positive Prospects shows that this combination has clear benefits. 

The Campaign has also prepared summaries aimed specifically at undergraduates, schools, and school students.

The Campaign for Social Science was launched in 2011 to advocate social science to the UK Government and to the public, at a time of significant change in the higher education system. It campaigns for the restoration of the post of Government Chief Social Science Advisor and the retention of large-scale longitudinal research programmes. It also promotes social science in the media and on the web and organises road shows and other events to emphasise the value of social science. As of January 2015, the Campaign was supported by 80 universities, learned societies, charities and publishers.