Sociology and Social Studies (MA)
The Master's programs in Sociology and Social Studies at the University of Regina give you the opportunity to study with inspirational faculty mentors who focus their research and teaching on relevant and critical social issues — important to you and the world. Choose one of these master's degree programs and prepare yourself for the next level of your career or a degree at the doctoral level.
U of R strengths in sociology include:
- Critical social theory
- Sociology of the environment
- Development and sustainability
- Rural sociology
- Sociology of disaster
- Agriculture and food systems
- Political economy
- Power and inequality
- Social justice
- Research methodology
- Quantitative and qualitative research methods
- Community engaged scholarship and outreach
- Sociology of education
Get the precise master’s degree in sociology or social studies that interests you, with routes that include:
Sociology (thesis-based)
With sociology faculty members as your guide, complete four courses and SOC 800 in two (fall and winter) semesters. To graduate, you will write and defend a thesis.
Social Studies (thesis-based)
Complete four social science courses and SOST 800 in two (fall and winter) semesters. You'll then write and defend a thesis.
Social Studies (course-based)
This program requires the completion of 30 credit hours in courses, including 9 hours of required core courses. The remaining courses are selected from two or more of the social sciences. A faculty advisor is assigned to guide you in developing a program of courses.
Co-operative Education option
You can also gain a graduate co-operative education experience in your sociology or social studies master’s degree. When you complete your master’s degree, your transcript features on-the-job sociology experience and a Co-operative Education Designation.
No matter which track you take in U of R's sociology and social studies master’s program, you'll focus on critical issues, engage in timely debates and assist professors with their research — setting you up for career success in governmental and non-government organizations or further graduate study.
What is a Master's Degree in Sociology and Social Studies?
The knowledge and skills you gain from earning a sociology or social studies master’s degree create an impact beyond your professional life. From advanced sociology and social studies courses, you learn to respond meaningfully to the pressing issues of our times. In addition, you build necessary skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods and theories to assist you in your own career or further graduate study. Learn to design studies, navigate ethics approval, collect primary data and process and analyze data.
Job titles of some of our graduates with a master's degree in sociology or social studies include:
- Director of research
- Senior policy analyst
- Senior evaluation analyst
- Consultant
- Senior data analyst
- Public relations specialist
- Labour relations specialist
- International aid and development advisor
- Non-profit program coordinator
- Program manager
- Higher education lecturer
- Social and community service manager
- Urban and regional planner
Quick Facts
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Why Study Sociology and Social Studies at the University of Regina?
Graduate students succeed in their Sociology or Social Studies programs thanks to our long tradition of supporting learning through dedicated mentoring and supervision by faculty members who guide you through your thesis and are engaged in research across a wide range of areas.
Meaningful careers
U of R graduates with a master’s degree in sociology or social studies set themselves up for senior-level careers in public service, trade unions, government and non-government organizations, as well as position themselves for doctoral programs.Co-operative education and internships
Participate in a sociology or social studies focused graduate co-operative education experience. Upon completion of your hands-on work experience assignments, your transcript will include a Co-operative Education Designation.Engaging and inspirational professors
Sociology and Social Studies professors actively nurture a welcoming environment for learning, supervision and mentorship. They bring diverse research and teaching expertise and a record of a continuing commitment to service to the university and the public. Join inspirational professors researching a wide range of areas, such as:
- Henry Chow researches criminology and criminal justice, immigration and multiculturalism, race and ethnic relations, and post-secondary students’ attitudes toward critical social issues.
- Kristin Ciupa researches resource extraction, international political economy, neoliberalism and post-neoliberalism, international law, Indigenous issues and social movements.
- Amber Fletcher researches gender, sociology of disaster, environmental, climate change, agriculture, rural communities, qualitative research methods, critical realism.
- Cindy Hanson focuses on gender and sexuality, intersectionality, active citizenship, feminist and nonformal adult learning, community engagement and Indigenous policy related to Indian residential schools.
- JoAnn Jaffe researches agrarian and rural political economy, rural households and communities, agri-food system knowledge, eco-social justice, food security, and international development in the Caribbean, Latin America, East Africa, and Saskatchewan.
- Rozzet Jurdi-Hage studies population health, community-based participatory research, community-engaged social and public policy research, risk, outcomes and prevention and safety, sociology of higher education, postsecondary students’ beliefs, experiences and outcomes, quantitative and mixed-methods research methods, critical realism.
- André Magnan studies the sociology of agri-food systems, globalization and development, sociological theory, the changing structure of family farms, digital agriculture, and the financialization of farmland.
- Claire Polster focuses on the sociology of education and higher education, sociology of knowledge, social policy, social inequality, women's issues, and the sociology of wellbeing and happiness.
Advanced knowledge and exciting courses
Get advanced knowledge in sociology and social studies topics through graduate courses such as:
- Sociological Theory: An advanced theory course with special consideration given to classical sociological theory.
- Development and Environment: Investigate political ecology, discourse analysis and ecofeminism. Explore issues like water, population, and climate change.
- Interdisciplinary Issues in the Social Sciences: Study the roles of complexity, uncertainty and change in areas of social reality with an emphasis on conceptual and methodological integration, developing alternative forms of conceptualization, constructing interdisciplinary research questions and devising unique research strategies.
- Community Engaged Scholarship and Outreach: Examine research, learning and methods for working in partnership with communities by building on learning from community development, the commons, community-based research and social movements. The course brings students, organizations and communities together to produce research and action.
Other popular sociology or social studies graduate courses include:
- Research Methodology
- Class and Political Economy
- Development and Underdevelopment
- Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
- Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
You'll also take a weekly graduate seminar where you can present papers and discuss social issues.
Sociology and Social Studies Frequently Asked Questions
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
Sociology Master’s Degree and Social Studies Master’s Degree Program Concepts and Goals
In the master’s degree programs in Sociology or Social Studies at the U of R, train in practical research techniques and get a solid background in interdisciplinary social theoretical perspectives and methodologies.
Study
Take courses taught by inspirational professors who bring a long-standing tradition of supporting student learning and who are ready to provide mentorship:
- Sociological Theory
- Research Methodology
- Class and Political Economy
- Development and the Environment
- Development and Underdevelopment
- Interdisciplinary Issues in the Social Sciences
- Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
- Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
- Community Engaged Scholarship and Outreach
Engage
Present your research, as well as examine and discuss timely critical social issues, during your weekly graduate seminar. Research with faculty members. Defend a thesis. Travel to conferences.
Experience
Get practical experience and a Co-operative Education Designation added to your transcript through U of R's graduate Co-operative Education Experience. Obtain high-level sociology jobs in governmental and non-governmental organizations or prepare for advanced studies at the doctoral level.Sociology and Social Studies Concentrations
Sociology (thesis-based)
Sociology master’s program requirements include:
- Four 3-credit-hour graduate courses and the Sociology 800 seminar in two semesters.
- Two of the four courses must be Sociology 802 (theory) and Sociology 804 (methods).
- The balance of the program consists of at least 18 credit hours of thesis research.
To graduate, sociology graduate students are required to write and defend a thesis.
Social Studies (thesis-based)
Students in the social studies master’s program are required to take:
- The Social Studies 800 (seminar) in two semesters.
- Four approved graduate courses in two or more of the social sciences
- Register in at least 18 credit hours of thesis research.
Social Studies (course-based)
The course-based social studies master’s program requires:
- The completion of 10 courses (30 credit hours), including 3 courses (9 credit hours) of required core courses.
- Core courses, including Social Studies 801, one social science theory course and one social science methods course.
- Registration in the Social Studies 800 seminar in two semesters.
What Can You Do with a Master’s Degree in Sociology or Social Studies?
University of Regina graduates with a master's degree in sociology or social studies pursue careers like these:
- Senior Policy Analyst, Strategy and Innovation Branch, Government of Saskatchewan
- Senior Evaluation Analyst, Early Childhood Program, Policy and Design, Ministry of Education, Government of Saskatchewan
- Executive Director, Consultant Services, Office of Planning, Performance and Improvement, Ministry of Finance, Government of Saskatchewan
- Executive Coordinator, Regional Services Branch, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan
- Member Services and Public Engagement Officer, Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC)
- Settlement Team Leader, Regina Open Door Society
- Program Advisor, University of Regina
