Welcome to Sociology and Legal Studies

University of Waterloo sign in the winter

Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo is a stimulating and expanding department, and consists of sociologists and socio-legal scholars engaging in innovative teaching styles and research programs.

Sociology is the study of social life and the social, economic, and political dynamics and dimensions of social relations and social change.

Legal studies is the study of law which is central to everything we do - how we carry on business, how we treat the environment, how we shape our governments and how we deal with other people.

This website gives an overview of the teaching and research in sociology and legal studies at the University of Waterloo.

Remote video URL
two students walking on campus in the Fall.

Undergraduate

Major in Sociology or Legal Studies at UWaterloo for your Undergraduate degree and explore key topics like social justice, inequality and legal systems.

Art's lecture hall

Graduate

Research topics in social, political, economic, and cultural relations by completing a Graduate degree at UWaterloo in Sociology or Legal Studies.

Dana Porter

Meet our people

Discover the people that make up the Sociology and Legal Studies department and the research projects they are currently involved in.

News

Please join us for the Fall 2022 Joint University of Waterloo–St. Jerome’s University Legal Studies Seminar with Dr. Katy Sowery is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Liverpool.

Friday, November 25, 2022

Housing resources

If students are looking for temporary housing until they can secure a rental, there are a number of short term accommodations webpages, and some local hotels provide students with a special UW pricing which was mainly for quarantining, but in some cases has been extended to a non-Covid stay while the student finds more permanent housing.