Professional Self-determination of "Sociology and Social Informatics" Students in the Educational Process

The existing professional identity allows you to better cope with work in your professional environment and to overcome the difficulties that arise when leaving the sphere of education on the labor market. The professional identity of a modern person should be flexible and be able to adapt to complex changes in the professional sphere. In an effort to meet the needs of students in obtaining the most flexible and relevant education, universities modify their educational programs. in 2015, Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg creates a bachelor's program in Sociology and Social Informatics. In 2020, the first graduation of students of this program is expected. Graduates of this program receive a diverse education that combines skills and competencies related not only to sociology, but also to a number of other professions. At the same time, this division raises a number of questions related to the professional self-determination of students of this program. It was important for us to determine how the professional self-determination of graduate students of the direction “Sociology and Social Informatics” occurs. Qualitative methods made it possible to identify the deeper meanings invested by informants in the reasons for their choice of specialty, their ideas about sociology and social informatics, their place in the profession and their view of their own professional future. The paper gives a theoretical justification of the student’s role in assessing the educational program, presents the main approaches to the study of professional identity, reveals the types of career paths for students, describes the process of forming their professional identity, reasons for admission and career plans. It is concluded that professional self-determination is a complex, multi-stage and non-linear process.