Welcome to the Graduate Program in Sociology!
As one of the largest and most dynamic centres of social theorizing and research in Canada, the Graduate Program in Sociology is known for its disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to engaging with the most complex social issues of the day. Our students and faculty take up diverse theoretical perspectives and methods to explore a broad range of research questions. Drawing on both the size and intellectual breadth of the faculty, we offer students the flexibility to study a range of topics, from multiple perspectives.
The diversity of our graduate students is one of our greatest strengths. Many of our graduates compete successfully for prestigious national and international awards, and postdoctoral fellowships. They take up exciting roles in both academic and non-academic positions. Their engagement in leading scholarship speaks to their commitment to open-minded inquiry on critical questions of our times. In their private and public sector employment, graduates contribute socially meaningful expertise and labour in all sectors, nationally and around the world.
The MA program is designed to promote students’ academic and professional growth. The core course sequence provides a thorough grounding in sociological theory and methods, while elective courses and the MA seminar help develop students’ expertise in their chosen areas of sociological interest.
Doctoral students receive training in professional development through two required doctoral seminars that focus on building professional skills, facilitating timely progress through the program, and building a research cohort and intellectual camaraderie in the PhD cohort and beyond. Graduate students strengthen their academic network by participating in courses, workshops, and colloquia in sociology and other programs. Ties across disciplines are many and close.
What makes all this possible is the program’s vibrant academic culture. Our faculty are award-winning scholars, scholar-activists, policy-makers and artists, creating a strong foundation of support for students in a rigorous, stimulating program of study.
The graduate program also has its own journal, New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis, organized by networks of femme, queer, and trans Black and People of Colour students, with a special emphasis on "critical and embodied theoretical, creative, and empirical contributions to the field of sociology and related disciplines." In addition, our students host an annual graduate research symposium in March that showcases research excellence, by faculty and students.
Finally, we have a long tradition of combining critical scholarship with a commitment to social justice. Among such initiatives, the special mandate of the Resource Centre for Public Sociology (RCPS) is to support our faculty and students in teaching and research that informs the well-being and vibrancy of local, national, and global communities.
We invite you to visit our website, where you will find a wealth of information about our program. We look forward to hearing from you!
Elaine Coburn
Graduate Program Director
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The Graduate Program in Sociology at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.