The degree in Sociology is a four-year program of study, with a relevant focus that is unique to Ryerson University. Students will graduate with practical research skills, in addition to critical analytical skills, communication skills, and a mature, reflective understanding of their social world. With Ryerson's downtown location, metropolitan Toronto itself becomes the laboratory to study contemporary society. Identified as the world's most multicultural city, Toronto offers a rare opportunity to study complex issues unique to a socially and culturally diverse metropolitan environment, such as the dynamics of social interaction, multicultural communication, cultural representation, and social problems and policies. Students will learn to critically assess their social world and conduct original research to investigate social issues in this career-oriented degree program in Sociology.
The program offers four main benefits: (i) a focus on social change and cultural issues; (ii) a focus on research methodologies; (iii) an opportunity for a professionally-related minor; and (iv) training for competencies.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Graduates of the Sociology program will have portable research skills – practical tools – that can easily be brought into any type of employment. Sociologists mainly find employment within career areas such as government, business, community development, public affairs, human resources, research, teaching, consulting, community affairs, public administration, the arts, media industries, and marketing. This may include working for private companies, non-profit organizations, social services, government agencies, or even starting an independent consulting practice. The Sociology program also allows graduates to continue with future academic pursuits, including graduate studies and teacher training. With a background in Sociology, students can also springboard themselves into other professional areas, such as law, education, and business.
CURRICULUM INFORMATION
As a discipline within the Social Sciences, Sociology combines theory, methods, research, and practice. Students will take two years of fundamental preparatory courses, shared with students in Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, and Psychology; and then two years of specialized courses in Sociology, including sociological theory both classical and contemporary, research design and methods, and professionally-related courses on a wide range of themes from gender identity to action movies to racial and ethnic inequality and many more.
Semesters One through Four: In the first two years, students are introduced to Sociology as a discipline, and explore some of the diverse ways in which the contemporary social world can be understood, using Toronto as the primary reference point. The core Sociology courses will introduce students to basic theoretical knowledge and help develop practical skills in writing and critical analysis. The first two years share a common foundation with Ryerson's Bachelor of Arts programs in Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, and Psychology including two mandatory Sociology courses, in addition to Arts and Contemporary Studies courses, and a selection of courses from Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Politics and Governance, and Psychology. To ensure breadth, students may take no more than four courses in any one of these subject areas in the first two years.
Because students achieve breadth in the Social Sciences through course selection in Table I, only the following lower level Liberal Studies (Table A) subject courses can be selected: ENG, FRE, HST, IRL, ITM, MUS, NPF, PHL, SCI, SPN and THL.
Semesters Five through Eight: During the upper years, the focus will be specifically on Sociology, where students will study classical and contemporary sociological theories, analyze the world as it is presented through the media, and learn practical research skills. In the fourth and final year of study, students will develop a unique research proposal within the metropolitan environment based on their specific interests. Sociology students will conduct their research project with a faculty supervisor.
Through a range of courses in all four years, students will develop essential career-oriented skills, including how to think critically, how to communicate effectively, how to do research and strategies to promote life-long learning, how to negotiate and work in teams, and how to understand written, graphic, and computer communications.
Transferability Guidelines
Students admitted to either the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, Psychology, or Sociology may transfer from their current program and plan to any one of the other three plans for the Fall term of either their second or third year of studies. Applications are available through the Program Office and must be submitted by February 2nd. Transfer applications are considered on a competitive basis subject to program capacity, and therefore program choice cannot be guaranteed.
In order to transfer to Sociology from Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, or Psychology, students must: (1) have a CLEAR Academic Standing at the end of the Winter term in which they apply to transfer; and (2) have successfully completed SOC 105 and SOC 107.
Liberal Studies
Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate.
Minors
Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with exceptions), and are eligible for only one Minor. Please refer to the Minors Policy section of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and restrictions.
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates
Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible restrictions. Please refer to the Curriculum Advising website at www.ryerson.ca/curriculumadvising for complete details.
