Dr. Ra:
I am about to graduate am applying to graduate schools for sociology. But I am not really sure if I need to go to graduate school for what I want to do. I really want to start a non-profit company because I want to help youth. Do you think I should go to graduate school for sociology?
Confused Student
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Dear Confused Student:
You might think about getting a graduate degree in social work, especially since you want to work with youth. There are many jobs available in social work and is a professional degree that you can take to the market place. Some graduate programs in social work focus on non-profits. Georgia State University’s social work program is one of them. There is also a lot of flexibility in terms of the type of work you can do. You can work for a non-profit or the government, you can be a licensed counselor where you can set up your own practice, and you can start your own non-profit organization. Starting a non-profit from scratch and raising enough money to pay yourself, staff and office expenses can be tough in the beginning. At least with a graduate degree in social work you can work with a non-profit that focuses on youth until you are able to start your own non-profit.