How to Apply - Graduate Program in Sociology

Aerial view of Vari Hall with the Ross Building behind it

Application Instructions

1. Applications can be found online at futurestudents.yorku.ca/graduate. A non-refundable application fee of $140.00 is required at the time of application. Acceptable forms of payment include VISA or Mastercard. If you do not have a VISA or Mastercard, or if you do not wish to submit your credit card information online, you must contact the Office of Admissions at (416) 736-5000. Please do not contact the Graduate Program Office for questions about your application fee as we do not process the payment for your application.

2. All supporting documentation, including your transcripts, must be uploaded as part of the application within two weeks of submitting your online application. Within five business days after you submit the online application and pay the application fee, you will have access to MyFile, through which you will upload your documents.

3. If, after uploading your documents, you need to re-submit any of your supporting documents, you may send in a request to do so through MyDocServe. Please monitor MyFile so you’ll know when you’re able to re-submit.

4. The Office of Graduate Admissions now has a FAQ/info page for applicants who have already applied. Here, applicants find information about document processing times.

The following documents must be uploaded as part of your application:

Your statement should be approximately 500 words, single- or double-spaced (applicants are welcome to write more than 500 words), outlining your research question, relevant literatures and how your work would fit in/draw upon them. Your statement should also include the type of methods you’ll be using, if you have already begun to think this through, and information about why our program is a good fit for your research project. You may also include information on your academic background and any work/volunteer experience only as it relates to your research question. In cases where applicants may already have secured a supervisor and/or supervisory committee, please indicate this in your statement also. Please note that having a supervisory committee in place at the time of application is not a requirement of our admissions application.

Your sample paper should be approximately 15-20 pages. If you don’t have a 15-20 page paper, please submit two smaller papers; i.e. submit two 8-10 page papers. Please ensure that you submit a clean copy (no grades/comments included). Your writing sample does not have to be in your proposed area of research, but rather, should be the paper that you consider to be your best work. Please ensure that your paper has a title page which includes the following information: (i) course number; (ii) course title; (iii) your name; (iv) course director’s name. Where possible, please also indicate the grade you received on the paper as well as a copy of the course assignment.

Transcripts from all institutions attended must be uploaded through MyFile. These transcripts will be considered “unofficial”. If you receive a decision of conditional admission to our program, you must send one official transcript for every postsecondary institution you have attended, to the Graduate Admissions Office. To be considered official, it must be evident that you have had no direct access to the transcripts. Transcripts must come directly from, and bear the seal of, the issuing institution. If the institution issues transcripts directly to you, the envelope must be sealed by the institution and remain sealed until opened by York University. Photocopies of faxed transcripts are not accepted. If transcripts are in another language, an official English translation is required. If the name of your transcript differs from the legal name that you currently use, please make sure that you include your former name on your application form.

There is no need for you submit a York University transcript when you apply to our program if you have (i) taken one or more courses at York; (ii) earned a degree from York; (iii) completed a certificate program at York. Graduate Admissions will run off your York transcript for you. Please note, however, that if you have an outstanding debt with York University, a transcript will not be released and your application will not be processed.

Using the referee link, submit the names of three referees and their email addresses. The Office of Graduate Admissions will contact your referees and provide them with a link to the online reference form. Your referees will submit their letters online directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. You do not need to submit a hard copy of your referee’s letter if they have submitted an online reference form. Since the Office of Graduate admissions contacts your referees using the email addresses you’ve provided, it’s essential that you double-check that their addresses are entered correctly.

The Supplemental Information Form (SIF) is required of all applicants. The SIF contains information that is relevant to our admissions committee (eg. area of interest, potential supervisors, etc.)

A Test of English as a Foreign Language score is required of international applicants whose higher education has not been in English. Other acceptable language tests and the required scores can be found at Admissions Process.

If you’ve submitted your language test score to the admissions office but don’t see it reflected on MyFile, please send an inquiry to MyDocServe.

Apply Online to York

Quick Links

Fall Application:

Oct 15, 2024–Jan 15, 2025

Learn More

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.

How to Apply

Application Instructions

Quick Links

Learn More

Connect with Sociology