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Message from the Chair

A sociology degree provides students with the skills to address real-world problems and to communicate complex ideas. Our students become community leaders and engaged citizens. Our methods courses are designed to introduce non-specialists to essential skills for the modern workplace. Students are also trained in oral, written, and digital communication skills. Students in sociology learn to apply a critical lens to current issues such as economic inequality, gender identities, changing family forms, migration, race and racism, social movements, health care, new technologies, social media, climate change, and more.

In the modern economy, large industrial nations rely less on producing things (such as cars or machines) and, instead, focus on producing ideas and knowledge, such as insurance or software. Many of the skills that are valued in these industries – notably creativity, ethics, reasoning, reliability, social ability, teamwork, and communication - are skills associated with a degree in sociology.

Graduates with a B.A. degree in Canada earn on average $68,000 per year, which is 24% higher than national average. Sociologist commonly find work in the service sector (e.g., finance, health, education, media, management, digital services), which is by far the fastest growing sector in Canada and around the world. This includes the nonprofit sector – aided by programs such as Community Service Learning.

The Department of Sociology also has a highly competitive graduate program. Approximately 12 per cent of Canadians hold an MA or PhD. But the impact on lifetime earnings is notable – the average income for someone with an MA degree is $85,000 and, for a PhD, approximately $100,000 – 38% and 48% higher than the national average respectively.

The sociology program will prepare you to understand and engage with a complex, diverse and changing world. By the time you graduate, you will have an excellent foundation for professional pathways into law, education, medicine, business, government, or graduate studies in public health, business, education, urban planning, criminology, sociology, and more.

Admission to the program is competitive. Applicants will be assessed on the basis of their academic records.