Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology

Our PhD program in Sociology critically examines the emergence of contemporary global society, analyzing and evaluating its effects on people's lives.
We attend to issues of power, change, and social inequalities, especially as they affect the social and policy environments. Our areas of expertise cover culture and community, migration and population, and crime and justice.
Our faculty members are renowned for providing attentive, individualized supervision that reflects our commitment to your professional and scholarly development.
The first program of its kind in Canada, it is grounded in a comprehensive approach including: immersion in a variety of data gathering techniques, substantive topics like community, research design, analysis and interpretation, and rigorous theorizing.
The program offers unique opportunities for student-professor collaboration, discovery, creativity, critical thinking, and community engagement.

For admission to the Ph.D. program in Sociology, applicants must hold a Master's degree in Sociology (or equivalent) from a recognized university. The minimum cumulative average in the final two years of study (full-time equivalent) of the 4-year undergraduate degree must be 77%.
Possession of the minimum academic requirements does not ensure acceptance. Applicants will be assessed with respect to their academic qualifications, letters of recommendation, and career-related achievements. The specifics of the application process are outlined below.

Applications must include (all documents are submitted online through eGAS):

Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (unofficial transcripts in PDF format will be uploaded to your application in eGAS however official transcripts sent directly from the institution(s) will be required upon acceptance into the program),
Letter from the applicant including a statement of their area for dissertation research (this statement of interest is not binding on the applicant) Students are encouraged to identify one (1) or more members of the department's graduate faculty with whom they would like to work,
A sample of written work (e.g. a term paper, thesis proposal, published work),
A personal statement (maximum 500 words) that answers both of the following questions:
1. How have you been involved in social justice issues through research, work, or community activity?


2. How do you envision your research contributing to social justice?
Three Referee Assessment Forms (referees will receive an automatic email notification to complete the forms electronically once the applicant submits the application) (one should be from the M.A. supervisor, one can be from a non-academic referee who has worked with you in a social justice area),
A resume or CV,
English language proficiency score, if applicable.

Minimum TOEFL: IBT-83

Minimum IELTS: 6.5