Sociology, M.A.

Sociology and Criminology
Head: Andrew Woolford
Campus Address/General Office: 320 Isbister Building
Telephone: 204-474-9260
Fax: 204-261-1216
Website: umanitoba.ca/arts/sociology-criminology
Academic Staff: Please refer to Sociology and Criminology Faculty for staff information.

Sociology Program Information

The Department of Sociology and Criminology offers programs that lead to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Both programs provide training in the core areas of the discipline (theory and research methods) and offer a wide range of areas of specialization and theoretical approaches.

Admission Information

Admission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Application and Admission Procedures are found in the Academic Guide.

Admission requirements for Master’s students are found in the Master’s Degrees General Regulations section of the Guide.

Sociology M.A. Admission Information

Students who have completed a 4-year Honours degree in Sociology or equivalent, or a closely related cognate field that includes substantial sociological content and a strong foundation in sociological research methods and theory may enter directly into the Master of Arts program. Students with a general 3-year B.A. in Sociology may be eligible for the Pre-Master's year.

Pre-Master's Option

This unit offers a Pre-Master’s program of study. The Pre-Master’s program of study is intended to bring a student’s background up to the equivalent of the required 4-year degree in the major department/unit, and to provide the student with any necessary prerequisites for courses to be taken in the Master’s program. Completing the Pre-Master’s program does not guarantee acceptance to the Master’s program.

Application Information

Students should complete and submit their online application with supporting documentation by the date indicated on the Sociology M.A. program of study page.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts program in Sociology consists of 18 credit hours of coursework (including 3 credit hours in Research Methods and 3 credit hours in Sociological theory). Students must also complete and successfully defend a thesis.

Expected Time to Graduate: 2 years

Progression Chart

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1		Hours
GRAD 7300	Research Integrity Tutorial	0
GRAD 7500	Academic Integrity Tutorial	0
Select one of the following Methods courses: ¹		3
SOC 7240	Seminar in Selected Topics in Research and Methods
SOC 7390	Survey Research Methods
SOC 7400	Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
SOC 7420	Qualitative Research Methods for Sociological Inquiry
SOC 7470	Evaluating Social Programs
Select one of the following Theory courses:		3
SOC 7190	Seminar in Selected Topics in Sociological Theory
SOC 7320	Seminar in Political Sociology
SOC 7430	Seminar in Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 7440	Seminar in Contemporary Sociological Theory
SOC 7480	Social Inequality
SOC 7280	Seminar in Theoretical Criminology
Select courses designated SOC 7000		12
	Hours	18
Year 2
GRAD 7000	Master's Thesis	0
	Hours	0
	Total Hours	18

¹: Students may take courses outside the department with permission from the Graduate Chair. (See Supplementary Regulations for details.) Auxiliary courses may be taken with permission from the student’s advisor and the Graduate Chair. Reading courses are permitted only under exceptional circumstances, and require permission from the Graduate Chair and Department Head.

Registration Information

Students should familiarize themselves with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies ‘GRAD’ courses applicable to their program. If you have questions about which GRAD course(s) to register in, please consult your home department/unit.

All new and returning Pre-Masters, M.A., and Ph.D. students must meet with the Chair of Graduate Studies in Sociology to discuss their program of study (usually in late August). The Graduate Program Assistant will then register the student. All course additions and withdrawals must be arranged in a similar fashion.

Regulations

Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.

Supplementary Regulations

Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations.

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.

All students must successfully complete:

GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to the student’s research or within the student’s first year, whichever comes first; and
GRAD 7500 within the first term of registration;

unless these courses have been completed previously, as per Mandatory Academic Integrity Course and Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course.

Students must also meet additional BFAR requirements that may be specified for their program.

General Regulations

All students must:

maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).

Courses

Sociology

SOC 7110 Seminar in Sociology of Religion 3 cr

A comparative and analytical study of religion with particular reference to such areas as integration, change, ideology, value orientation, normative structures, social class, intergroup relations, personality systems.

SOC 7120 Seminar in Sociology of Education 3 cr

An analytical treatment of the influence of education, as a basic social institution, on society its functions in socialization, change, control, social mobility, social progress, etc. and the influence of society on the organization, content, and goals of education.

SOC 7160 Selected Topics 3 cr

An intensive study of the contemporary research and theory in a selected field of sociology. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.

SOC 7190 Seminar in Selected Topics in Sociological Theory 3 cr

The content of this course may vary from year to year, depending on interest and need. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.

SOC 7240 Seminar in Selected Topics in Research and Methods 3 cr

SOC 7280 Seminar in Theoretical Criminology 3 cr

An advanced course dealing with theory and research in the field of criminology with emphasis placed on an evaluation of existing theories of crime, law, and social justice.

SOC 7300 Seminar in the Sociology of Law and Social Control 3 cr

A critical examination of classical and contemporary sociological theories of law and social control and their import for understanding substantive issues relating to the law-society relationship.

SOC 7310 Seminar in Intergroup Relations 3 cr

This seminar will provide an opportunity for detailed study of intergroup (religious, racial, and ethnic) relations in contemporary Canadian society. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.

SOC 7320 Seminar in Political Sociology 3 cr

A critical examination of classical and contemporary sociological theories and current empirical research concerned with the relationship between politics and society. Particular emphasis is placed upon the origin, development, nature and future of the welfare state from a comparative perspective.

SOC 7340 Seminar in the Sociology of the Family 3 cr

This seminar investigates various conceptual frameworks which are developing in the study of the family today, including research problems and procedures unique to such study. Various approaches will be examined.

SOC 7350 Advanced Reading and Research 1 3 cr

Directed study of a selected area within the general field of sociology. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.

SOC 7370 Issues in Health Care Seminar 3 cr

An advanced seminar designed to examine current issues in health care. The content of this course may vary from year to year depending on interest and need.

SOC 7390 Survey Research Methods 3 cr

Through the use of secondary electronic data sources, students learn all aspects of survey research. Topics covered include: sampling, question and questionnaire construction, index construction and scaling methods, techniques of establishing validity and reliability, order effects, conducting interviews, coding, data analysis, and budgeting. Previous experience with multivariate data analysis at the undergraduate level is strongly encouraged.

SOC 7400 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods 3 cr

This course emphasizes the understanding and application of advanced quantitative data analysis techniques to sociological research problems. Issues in regression decomposition, path analysis, log-linear analysis, discriminant function analysis, principal components and factor analysis, as well as non-parametric statistical tests are covered as they relate to sociological research concerns. Statistical packages are used to illustrate sociological examples.

PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: [SOC 4570 or the former SOC 4480] or written consent of department head.

SOC 7420 Qualitative Research Methods for Sociological Inquiry 3 cr

This course provides an overview of methodologies of qualitative research for sociological inquiry. Discussion focuses on the ontological and epistemological foundations of qualitative methods and the variety of approaches and techniques available within interpretive and critical paradigms. Issues such as sampling, reflexivity, analysis, interpretation, theoretical development, rigor and representation will be discussed.

SOC 7430 Seminar in Classical Sociological Theory 3 cr

A critical examination of certain central aspects of the sociological tradition. The content of this course may vary from year to year depending on interest and need.

SOC 7440 Seminar in Contemporary Sociological Theory 3 cr

An examination of current trends in sociological theory. The content of this course may vary from year to year depending on interest and need.

SOC 7450 Selected Topics in Criminology 3 cr

An advanced seminar in a selected area of criminology. The course content may vary. Students can earn multiple credits for this course only when the topic subtitle is different.

SOC 7470 Evaluating Social Programs 3 cr

Designed as a course in applied sociology, students will review the models and methodologies used for evaluating social programs. The course will introduce the necessary conceptual and analytic tools to design and carry out program evaluations.

SOC 7480 Social Inequality 3 cr

A critical examination of classical and contemporary theories and current empirical research concerned with various dimensions of social inequality (such as class, gender and race) and social stratification from a comparative perspective.

SOC 7490 Globalization 3 cr

A sociological examination of the globalization of trade, production and finance, including the creation of multilateral trading blocs (e.g., APEC, EU, NAFTA) and international organizations (e.g., WTO, IMF, the World Bank) and their impact upon social inequality, the welfare state and the environment in developed and developing nations.

Academic Calendar