Program Requirements

Master's students in sociology are required to select and follow one of the optional program patterns below, chosen in consultation with a graduate adviser:

Thesis Program
5.0 credits including:

• 3.0 credits. Under certain circumstances one of the courses may be selected from those offered at the senior undergraduate level. SOCI 5005 and SOCI 5809 are highly recommended, especially for students who at the time of registration have not decided on a thesis topic;
• A thesis equivalent to 2.0 credits; and
• An oral examination on the candidate's thesis and program.

Research Essay Program
5.0 credits including:

• 4.0 credits. Under certain circumstances one of the courses may be selected from those offered at the senior undergraduate level. SOCI 5809, is highly recommended, especially for students who at the time of initial registration have not decided on a research topic;
• A research essay equivalent to 1.0 credit; and
• An oral examination on the candidate's research essay and program.

Course Work Program

• 5.0 credits excluding SOCI 5905. Under certain circumstances one of the courses may be selected from those offered at the senior undergraduate level; and
• Written and oral comprehensive examination in the candidate's area of specialization and program.

Concentration in Quantitative Methodology

Students in either the research essay or thesis program options may pursue a concentration in quantitative methodology. For a concentration in quantitative methodology, courses selected must include the following:

• SOCI 5005;
• SOCI 5809;
• At least 1.0 credit selected from: SOCI 5101, SOCI 5102, SOCI 5103 SOCI 5104, SOCI 5105, SOCI 5201 SOCI 5605; and
• At least 1.0 credit in sociology at the graduate level (not including those listed above).

Students in the Concentration in Quantitative Methodology may apply for admission into a Cooperative Education option. This option provides an opportunity for students to enhance their educational experience through a work placement directly related to their area of interest and expertise. Once admitted into this option, students shall enrol in SOCI 5907. The conditions of the placement are arranged with the student's supervisor and the graduate coordinator. Grades for the cooperative education placement are assigned in consultation between the placement supervisor and the graduate coordinator. Placements can be held for up to two academic terms and count for 1.0 credit.

Transfer from Thesis to Course Work M.A.

Students who choose to change from the thesis to the course work program must normally do so before registering for a third term after initial, full-time registration, or before registering for a fifth term after initial part-time registration.

Program Requirements

Ten credits, including:

• SOCI 6000, and a thesis equivalent to a maximum of 7.0 credits or a minimum of 5.0 credits;
• Written and oral comprehensive examinations in two areas of specialization;
• Presentation of a thesis proposal;
• Language requirements as stated below; and
• An oral defence of the thesis.

Comprehensive Examinations

Each Ph.D. candidate is required to write comprehensive examinations in two of the following areas:

• Theory and Methodology
• Stratification and Power
• Cultural Studies
• Applied Social Research

Subjects of instruction and research subsumed under these four areas are:

Theory and Methodology

• Logic of Social Scientific Inquiry
• Classical Social Theories
• Contemporary Social Theories
• Feminist Theories
• Research Methods (Historical, Qualitative, and Quantitative)

Stratification and Power

• Occupations, Organizations, and the Labour Process
• Class Analysis and Social Stratification
• Political Sociology
• Race and Ethnic Relations
• Gender Relations
• Political Economy
• Canadian Society
• Social and Economic Development
• Citizenship Studies
• Governance, Regulation, and Law

Cultural Studies

• Communication and Popular Cultures
• Ethnographic Analysis
• Discourse Analysis
• Social Anthropology
• Social and Virtual Spaces

Applied Social Research

• Criminal Justice
• Health and Illness Policy
• Population Studies
• Sociology of Language
• Built Environments
• Education Policy

Upon petition to the sociology graduate program's coordinator, an approved field in sociology or a related discipline may be substituted for one of the options above. The subjects of instruction and research subsumed under each of the areas are indicative, and may be subsumed under more than one area, depending on the analytic approach adopted.

The comprehensive examinations are to be completed after course requirements for the Ph.D. have been completed. Comprehensive examinations must be completed no later than two years or six terms after initial full-time registration, and four years or twelve terms after initial part-time registration.

The thesis proposal is to be presented after comprehensive requirements have been completed. Normally the thesis proposal must be presented no later than two and one-half years or seven terms after initial full-time registration and five years or fifteen terms after initial part-time registration.

Language Requirement

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology requires each Ph.D. candidate to demonstrate an understanding of a language other than English. Although French is the preferred second language, students may be permitted to substitute another language if it is demonstrably relevant to their professional interests. It is strongly advised, however, that all English-speaking candidates be proficient in French. The language requirements may be satisfied by a demonstration of reasonable understanding, on sight, of material contained in selected samples of sociological literature in that language. Students may find it necessary or advisable to take a course in the required language before undertaking the departmental language examination.