Sociology Degree

A group of students have a conversation outdoors

Because understanding your roommate's weird habits is a life skill.  

People are complicated. Study Sociology so they make sense. If you’re curious about how society works, Sociology helps you understand how social forces shape the modern world.

You’ll study human activity and interaction, while learning to think and write clearly about complex issues. Some are serious: inequality, poverty, crime, and criminal justice. Others reveal surprising truths about everyday interactions. (Why do long lines form in some countries and not others?)

This is a program where you’ll wrestle with pressing questions — and develop the tools to create solutions to local and global challenges. You’ll explore topics such as age, class, ethnicity, religion, gender, criminality, education, work, social change, and politics.

And when you study Sociology at Waterloo, ranked 7th in Canada (Academic Rankings of World Universities 2024), you’ll learn from leading experts committed to creating an outstanding classroom experience,. You can even enroll in the co-op stream and gain up to two years of work experience before graduating.

You’ve always suspected your family gatherings are a microcosm of society. With a degree in Sociology you’ll know why!

What courses will you take in Sociology?

First-year courses

As an Arts student, you’ll choose your major at the end of first year. You’re encouraged to explore a second major in first year to discover potential new interests.

You will also take an Arts First course in either the fall or winter term of your first year. In this course, instead of going to a lecture hall, you and your classmates will work together to respond to an intriguing challenge. With only 25 students in this course, you might address topics such as The Science of Happiness, Are We Erasing History?, Games and Culture, and Writing About Poems and Songs.

You can choose to study Sociology through Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

Honours Arts

September to December

  • SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • Two electives

January to April

  • Choose one or two courses from
  • Arts First requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2
  • One or two electives

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

Honours Arts and Business

September to December

  • ARBUS 101 – Introduction to Business in North America
  • ECON 101 – Introduction to Microeconomics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology
  • Prospective major #2

January to April

  • ARBUS 102 – Accounting Information for Managers
  • ARBUS 202 – Professional and Business Ethics
  • Arts First Requirement or elective
  • Prospective major #2

Plus one course from

This is a sample schedule. Courses or when a course is offered may change depending on availability.

After first year

40% of the classes you’ll take will be Sociology courses. You can then choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo, such as law, psychology, and social sciences.

Sample upper-year courses

SOC 207 – Sociology of Education
SOC 223 – Deviance: Perspectives and Processes
SOC 418 – Social Theory and Popular Culture
SOC 451 – Global Development

Customize your degree

You can add additional areas of expertise by including one or more of the minors available to all Waterloo students.

Popular minors for Sociology students include Legal Studies, Political Science, and History.

Faculty:
Faculty of Arts

Degree:
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Available as a co-op program?
Yes

Available as a regular program?
Yes

Available as a minor?
Yes

Sociology major = flexibility. Our flexible curriculum leaves plenty of room to explore your interests through minors or double majors, while co-op opportunities are also available.

Academic and social support. The student-led Sociology Society coordinates movie nights, student and prof mixers, academic help sessions, special lectures, and more.

Co-op = relevant paid work experience

By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.

Sample co-op job titles

  • Human rights, equity and inclusion support and engagement coordinator
  • Business analyst identity access and privacy
  • Research assistant
  • Technical writer
  • Community relations coordinator

Co-op work-study sequence

Starting in second year, you'll normally alternate between school and work every four months, integrating your classroom learning with real-world experience. You can return to the same employer for a couple of work terms to gain greater knowledge and responsibility or work for different employers to get a broad range of experience.

If you choose to study Sociology through Arts and Business, your first work term will be halfway through second year (January - April 2027).

Year September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First Study Study Off
Second Study Co-op Study
Third Co-op Study Co-op
Fourth Study Co-op Co-op
Fifth Study Study -

or after second year (May to August 2027) if you choose to study Sociology through Honours Arts.

Year September to December (Fall) January to April (Winter) May to August (Spring)
First Study Study Off
Second Study Study Co-op
Third Study Co-op Study
Fourth Co-op Study Co-op
Fifth Co-op Study -

What can you do with a degree in sociology?

Waterloo Sociology graduates often pursue careers in social work, research, education, human resources, and recruiting. They commonly work for government, social service departments, counselling centres, and a wide variety of businesses.

Recent graduates

  • Social Worker — Counselling Centre of East Algoma
  • Market Manager — Apple Canada
  • Recreation Therapist — YMCA
  • Digital Project Coordinator — Rogers Communications
  • Research Associate — Conestoga College
  • Law Enforcement Agent — Canada Revenue Agency
  • Human Resource Manager — Colgate-Palmolive Canada

Learn about the future of careers in the humanities, social sciences, languages, and creative arts.

Tuition fees for programs in the Faculty of Arts

First-year tuition

Type of fees Tuition (8 months of school)
Domestic (Ontario residents) $9,000
Domestic (Out of province students) $9,000
International (visa students) $57,000
 
  • Estimated amounts listed include incidental fees. Fees based on 2024-25 tuition rates.
  • Visit our financing page to learn about scholarships, estimate your total expenses, and see how co-op can help pay for your education.

Admissions

Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Sociology as your major at the end of first year.

Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including

  • Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of at least 70%)

Admission average: Low 80s (co-op and regular)

Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business.

Related program

Social Development Studies

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