Sociology

Admission Requirements

Students may apply to complete some or all of the MA degree requirements on a part-time basis. Part-time students are not eligible for teaching assistantships or scholarship support, therefore applicants for part-time status will need to demonstrate to the admissions committee that they can complete the degree in a timely fashion while relying exclusively on outside sources of financial support and meeting their non-university obligations.

Admission requirements for students seeking admission to the MA program are as follows:

• normally an Honours Bachelor's degree or its equivalent in Sociology with at least a B+ overall standing (78%);
• three letters of reference from academic sources;
• official transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions;
• a sample of written work;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a statement of interest (approximately a page and a half, outlining areas of interest and reasons for choosing to study at the University of Waterloo);
• results from the General Section of the Graduate Record Examination (optional);
• proof of competency in English (if applicable). A score of at least 600 is required in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). See Academic Regulations - English Language Proficiency Certification for other acceptable tests of English.

Note: The deadline for applications is February 1 for Fall admission. Applications received after this deadline will be considered only if positions are available.

Degree Requirements

There are two program options: the thesis option and the research paper option.

Master's Thesis Option

Master's students who choose this option must:

• complete four graduate-level one-term courses (with a unit weight of .50 each);
• maintain at least a B average (75%);
• demonstrate proficiency in theory, methods, and statistics; this is usually accomplished through coursework, specifically, by obtaining passing marks (understood to be B-, 72% or better) in the following courses:
  
  Theory: one of SOC 700 or 704
  Methods: SOC 712
• write and orally defend a thesis.*
• Note: Students who choose the co-op option for the MA program will be required to submit a work report upon completion of the work terms.

*A Master's thesis is considered to involve an amount of work equivalent to four one-term courses (2.00 units).

Note: Coursework beyond these minima may be required at the discretion of the Associate Chair, Graduate Affairs. If additional coursework is required, the student will be notified in writing at the time of entry into the program. Additional coursework may be required if the student's undergraduate preparation is not the equivalent of that required for an Honours Bachelor's degree in Sociology at the University of Waterloo.

The student must obtain at least a B (75%) average in courses presented in fulfillment of the MA requirements. Student progress is reviewed each year. The student is notified in writing in the event that there is a problem with his or her academic standing.

Master's Research Paper Option

• Master's students who choose this option must:
• complete six graduate-level one-term courses (with a unit weight of 0.50 each);
• maintain at least a B average (75%);
• demonstrate proficiency in theory and methods and statistics; this is usually accomplished through coursework, specifically, by obtaining passing marks (understood to be B-, 72% or better) in the following courses:
  
  Theory: one of SOC 700 or 704
  Methods: SOC 712
  Statistics: SOC 710
• write and orally defend a research paper.*
• Note: Students who choose the co-op option for the MA program will be required to submit a work report upon completion of the work terms.

*A research paper is considered to involve an amount of work equivalent to two one-term courses (1 unit).

The Sociology Specialization in Survey Methodology

Any student admitted to the UW Sociology Master's program will be eligible to take the Survey Methodology Specialization.

Completion of the course of study shall be designated by the line "Specialization in Survey Methodology" on the Master's degree, and will certify that the degree holder has acquired an ensemble of skills qualifying him or her to design, administer, analyze and interpret social science surveys.

Structure of the Specialization

The Specialization is a sequence of six courses (with unit weights equal to 0.50 each) plus a research paper. The Survey Specialization comprises:

Core Master's Degree in Sociology (Research Paper Stream)

Courses:

• Soc 700 or 704 (Theory)
• Soc 712 (1st course in Methodology)
• Soc 710 (Statistics)

Any other Sociology course of the student's choice, other than the two courses listed below. This normally will be a course in a substantive area of Sociology.

Courses Unique to Survey Specialization Students:

• Soc 697 (Practicum in Survey Administration)
• Stats 890 (Topics in Statistics)
• Research Paper (on a topic in Survey Methodology)

The Research Paper for the Survey Methodology Specialization must involve some aspect of survey methodology. The research paper rather than thesis requirement is appropriate to methodological work. Research papers will not always have the depth of theoretical grounding in problem development that we look for in a full thesis. While graduates from this Specialization are intended mainly for applied work in government or industry, they would be eligible to proceed to doctoral work.