Sociology and Social Studies (MA)

It depends on your goals, interests, and strengths.

The thesis-based Master’s allows a student to dive deeply into a specific research topic and carry out a research project from start to finish. Thesis-based students develop a research question, design and conduct an original research project, and write and defend a thesis. The thesis project may be empirical or theoretical/conceptual.

The thesis-based program requires four courses; the remainder of the program consists of the thesis component and is fulfilled by completing research credit hours. Thesis-based students work closely with a supervisor, who oversees their research and provides ongoing mentorship throughout the process. Although the supervisor supports the student’s work, much of the work is carried out independently; therefore, timely completion depends on the student’s ability to stay engaged and complete major milestones on time. As such, the thesis-based program is a good fit for those who are self-motivated and work independently.

If you have experience or interest in conducting research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed), you may find the thesis program rewarding. If you choose this route, consider contacting a potential supervisor in the department before you apply, to inquire about their interest and availability to supervise your work. Thesis-based applications may be rejected if an appropriate and available supervisor cannot be identified at the time of application.

In contrast, the course-based Master’s prioritizes breadth over depth. Students in the course-based program complete 10 courses in various social science disciplines; they do not conduct research (unless required as part of a course) and do not write or defend a thesis. Course-based students are assigned a faculty advisor, who is a professor in the department. The advisor assists the student with course selection every semester, helping to ensure a cohesive, relevant, and appropriately challenging program of studies. The advisor may provide other advice regarding academic standards or expectations, but does not oversee the student’s coursework or research in any way.

Please note: because the Department of Sociology and Social Studies is a small program, limited courses are available. Only SOC 804, 802, and SOST 801 are offered regularly. Therefore, students in the course-based program will need to take courses from a variety of different units on campus and, in some semesters, selection can be limited. Your advisor will work with you to identify and select appropriate courses from across the university. The Graduate Program Coordinator will provide a list of current course offerings from other units on campus; you are encouraged to discuss the options in the list with your advisor and seek their approval of your choices.

It is possible to change your program route, although this is not guaranteed. Typically, transfer from the course-based to thesis-based program is only possible if a supervisor is available to support the thesis research.

The Sociology M.A. provides a more disciplinary approach, while Social Studies is our interdisciplinary stream. Typically, students with an undergraduate degree in Sociology are admitted to the Sociology stream, while those from other academic backgrounds enter the Social Studies stream.

The Department of Sociology & Social Studies has three options for a Master’s degree:

(1) thesis-based Sociology;
(2) thesis-based Social Studies;
(3) course-based Social Studies.

We do not offer a course-based Sociology program because, due to our department’s small size, we are not able to offer sufficient courses to support a disciplinary course-based program.

M.A. candidates in the Sociology (thesis-based) program are required to take four courses, two seminar courses (SOC 800), and write a thesis (18 research credit hours). The program has two core (required) courses: SOC 802 and SOC 804. The other two courses can be pre-approved social science courses from our department or other departments on campus.

M.A. candidates in the Social Studies (thesis-based) program are required to take four courses, two seminar courses (SOC 800), and write a thesis (eighteen research credit hours). This program has no core classes, although Social Studies students often take Sociology 802 or 804, the core classes for the Sociology program. Social Studies students are required to take at least one course in another traditional social science discipline besides sociology.

M.A. Candidates in Social Studies (course-based) program must complete ten courses, including SOST 801, one social science theory course, and one social science methods course, plus seven approved electives. Students must also complete two semesters of the graduate seminar (SOST 800).

For more details, please see the Graduate Handbook and the “Planning Your Program” tool.

Current tuition costs and an expense calculator can be found on the FGSR website.

The cost of living in Regina is significantly lower than in larger cities like Toronto or Vancouver. However, students must still be prepared with a realistic budget. If you are unfamiliar with the cost of living in Regina, it can be helpful to review home rental and grocery store websites to get a sense of everyday costs.

Living on campus may be an appealing option for some students. You can find more information about on-campus housing from Housing Services.

Note: Contingent on fund availability each semester/year; each award is subject to eligibility requirements.

Students are responsible for ensuring they have adequate funds to support their studies. Our department does not provide guaranteed funding packages at the Master’s level. However, we do offer a range of scholarships and awards. These include:

• Entrance Scholarship - $3000 per student in the first semester of graduate-level study (non-competitive; one-time funding)
• Student Research Grants - $1000 available per project to support research costs (non-competitive)
• Student Travel Awards - $1000 available per year to support conference or fieldwork travel (non-competitive)
• Sociology & Social Studies Scholars Award – available each semester; amount depends upon the number of eligible recipients but averages $250-300 per semester (x 3 semesters per year). (non-competitive)
• Graduate Student Base Funding – typically $500/semester (competitive, by GPA)

Some supervisors will have additional funding to support their thesis-based students.

Teaching Assistant (TA) positions are available most semesters. The hourly rate currently is $24.24 per hour. TA positions typically range from 30 to 90 hours per semester. Current openings are found on the Human Resources website, under “Student Postings”. 

Research assistant (RA) positions are often available, as professors from across campus seek to hire RAs on their research projects. Current openings are found on the Human Resources website, under “Student Postings”.

Students seeking TA and RA positions are advised to check the HR website frequently for new postings. Most postings are open for a minimum of one week.

Other competitive awards can be found on the FGSR website. 

Both course-based and thesis-based programs typically are designed to take two years of full-time study, but it is possible to take more or less time.

Each graduate course is 3 credit hours. A full-time course load is 6 credit hours (i.e., 2 courses per semester). At 2 courses per semester and 3 semesters per year, a course-based student can feasibly complete their program in less than 2 years (i.e., 5 semesters). Master’s students must enrol in 2 courses (i.e., full-time) in the fall and winter semesters; however, they are permitted to drop down to once course (half-time) in spring/summer. This is often advisable, since the number of courses offered in spring/summer is very low and finding two appropriate courses can be difficult. Students may use the spring/summer semester to prioritize paid employment or holiday time.

However, some students may choose to enrol in an overload (e.g., three courses) during the fall or winter, when more courses are offered. This can speed up the timeline, but can be challenging. You must seek permission from your advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator before enrolling in more than two courses per semester.

Thesis-based students typically complete their required courses in the first two semesters, then proceed to their thesis research in the second year. After the required courses are completed, thesis-based students enrol in research credit hours (i.e., SOC 901 or SOST 901), during which they work on their research and compose their thesis. Completion times for thesis-based students are highly dependent on the student’s own ability to make progress in their research.

For course-based students:

The course-based program does not require a supervisor. However, course-based students will be assigned a faculty advisor (who is a professor in the department) before entering the program. Faculty advisors guide the student in selecting which courses to take. It is crucial that you correspond with your faculty advisor prior to registering in any courses. Courses that are not approved by your advisor may not count toward your program.

For thesis-based students:

Although not required, prospective thesis-based students are encouraged to identify a potential supervisor before applying. If you are interested in the thesis-based program, we suggest contacting one or more professors in our department whose research interests align with yours, and inquire about their interest and availability to supervise you. An interested supervisor may tentatively agree to work with you. If so, you may add their name to your application. Please do not add a supervisor’s name to your application unless you have secured a tentative agreement from that supervisor. Having a tentative agreement from a supervisor does not guarantee that your application will be accepted by the admissions committee, but it may support your application.

Please note that we are a small department and supervisory capacity is very limited. Supervisors may not be accepting new students. If you cannot identify a supervisor before applying, but are accepted to the thesis-based program, our Graduate Program Committee will do its best to find a supervisor for you. If a supervisor still cannot be found, we typically offer admission to the course-based program as an alternative. If you wish to be considered for the course-based program as a secondary option, please select “yes” to this question on the application:

In the event that you cannot be admitted to your first choice program, would you like us to consider you for admission to a similar program?” Yes/No

You can find a list of our faculty members in this directory. Only those with the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor are eligible to supervise graduate theses. Instructors, sessional lecturers, and post-doctoral fellows cannot supervise graduate students.

To learn more about a faculty member’s interests, you can click on their name to read their profile.

When contacting a potential supervisor, it is advisable to choose someone whose research interests and/or methodological expertise align with your own. When contacting them, provide a brief outline of your research interests and your anticipated program start date. Consider attaching a current CV and/or writing sample (prepared independently).

Join senior and graduate students in the Sociology and Social Studies Course Union. Work on committees such as:

• Graduate Program Committee
• Special Programs and Events Committee
• Research, Travel and Scholarship Student Fund Committee
• Public Relations, Promotion and Alumni Outreach Committee

Yes. We offer teaching assistant and research assistant positions. Every semester, there are several teaching assistant positions available to graduate students. Faculty members often hire graduate students as research assistants to contribute to their research. You could have the opportunity to:

• Collect, process and interpret data
• Co-write/co-author research reports in journal publications
• Co-present research findings

Yes! Once you have been accepted as a fully-qualified graduate student with no conditions or holds on your admission, then you are eligible to apply for our scholarships, awards, or graduate teaching assistant positions.

Sociology and Social Studies Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Sociology and Social Studiesoffers many opportunities for research and travel funds, as well as awards for exemplary graduate students.

• Student Research Fund – Up to $1,000. Graduate students in the active research phase of their program may apply for a research grant.
• Travel Fund – Up to $1,000. Graduate students may apply for this award to support travel related to their program of study or their research-assistant-related work, including support for conference presentations.
• CSA Outstanding Graduating Sociology Student: Canadian University and College Sociology Departments recognize their top graduating master and PhD students. Departments select one top student in each academic level who has graduated or will be graduating in a given academic calendar year.
• Several competitive Graduate Student Entrance and Continuing Scholarships of $3,000 are awarded each academic year to students entering the program or continuing students (funds permitting).

Faculty of Arts Graduate Funding

• Dean of Arts Building Dreams and Futures Scholarship
• Tommy Douglas Graduate Scholarship

Apply for these scholarships, and more, by visiting our Graduate Awards Portal (GAP), the U of R online graduate scholarship application system.

All Graduate Funding Opportunities

Visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research website to learn about all graduate funding opportunities including:

• National Scholarships (including Tri Council funding)
• Awards to Study Abroad
• FGSR Funding/Special Awards
• Funding for Indigenous Students
• Funding for International Students
• Other Awards and Scholarships
• External Scholarship Opportunities
• External Student and Faculty Awards