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 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
| Year 1 | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| GRAD 7300 | Research Integrity Tutorial | 0 |
| GRAD 7500 | Academic Integrity Tutorial | 0 |
| Select one of the following Methods courses: 1 | 3 | |
| Seminar in Selected Topics in Research and Methods | ||
| Survey Research Methods | ||
| Advanced Quantitative Research Methods | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods for Sociological Inquiry | ||
| Evaluating Social Programs | ||
| Select one of the following Theory courses: | 3 | |
| Seminar in Selected Topics in Sociological Theory | ||
| Seminar in Political Sociology | ||
| Seminar in Classical Sociological Theory | ||
| Seminar in Contemporary Sociological Theory | ||
| Social Inequality | ||
| 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 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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An examination of current trends in sociological theory. The content of this course may vary from year to year depending on interest and need.
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.
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.
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.
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.