Master of Arts in Sociology - Thesis Plan

This webpage has replaced the Master of Arts in Sociology - Thesis handbook. All regulations, instructions, and information contained within the handbook can now be found on this page.

Introduction

The purpose of this handbook is to provide graduate students in Sociology and Legal Studies with the information they require to navigate the program. This information is mainly available in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (Master of Arts in Sociology). The Calendar is the official source of regulation and information. If the information in this handbook disagrees with that in the Calendar or other University Policies or regulations, those sources will be taken as correct.

Program length

The thesis MA is normally 6 terms (2 years). Students may undertake this program full- or part-time.

Degree requirements

Thesis Master's students must successfully complete the following.

  • Four courses:
    • SOC 700 'Sociological Theory' or 708 'Contemporary Debates in Sociological Theory'
    • SOC 710 'Applied Statistical Methods'
    • SOC 716 'Qualitative Research Methods'
    • At least one other graduate course with a minimum weight of 0.5 unit.
  • A thesis proposal that will be orally defended.
  • A thesis, approximately 100 to 150 pages in length and equivalent to four one-term courses that will be orally defended.

Some students may also be required to take additional undergraduate courses or graduate courses as a condition of admission.

1. Courses

Courses

The MA thesis option requires 4 courses, including the required courses (as above). Courses are normally to be chosen from those offered by Sociology and Legal Studies.

In some circumstances, students can take graduate courses offered by other disciplines at the University of Waterloo or by other Ontario universities. This requires permission of the Graduate Advisor, as well as the student’s supervisor and the course instructor. Usually, only one external course is permitted in an MA program.

Students are also able to take a maximum of one “directed readings” course (SOC 789) in their program. This requires identifying a course topic in consultation with a faculty member (normally in Sociology and Legal Studies). While reading courses are largely discouraged, to be approved, it must generally be the case that:

a) the topic area is not covered by regular offerings, and either...

b) the topic area directly contributes to the theoretical/methodological background required for their thesis/MRP/dissertation research, or...

c) degree progress would be hindered by a lack of options (e.g., no other courses offered in a term).

A written rationale must also be provided. Course instructor, supervisor (where applicable), and graduate committee approval must be obtained. Contact the Graduate Coordinator for required forms.

In order to complete a course satisfactorily, students must complete all course requirements, as specified by the instructor and receive a minimum passing grade of 75%. Students may receive a grade of “incomplete” (INC) on a graduate course, if there is an agreement with the course instructor that outstanding work will be submitted, normally within one term. Evidence of that agreement should be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator. Grades of INC will revert to “failure to complete” (FTC) after two terms.

If the student does not receive a passing grade of 75% or higher for a course:

  1. In the case of a required course (SOC 700/708; SOC 710; SOC 716): they must retake the course.
  2. In the case of an elective: they must retake the course or complete another available graduate-level course instead.

2. Thesis Proposal

Thesis supervision

Students completing the Thesis option will decide on a supervisor for their research. Supervisors must normally be regular faculty members in Sociology and Legal Studies. The student can be co-supervised by one faculty member of SOC and LS and a faculty member from another discipline at the University of Waterloo or affiliated college. Supervisors should normally be confirmed by the end of the first term.

Those undertaking the Thesis option require two additional committee members for the defense. Committee members are chosen by the student in consultation with the supervisor. These are also normally members of SOC and LS, but members of other disciplines at the University of Waterloo or other academic institutions can also be committee members. However, no more than one member of a committee can be a non-regular member of the Sociology and Legal Studies. The Graduate Coordinator must be notified by e-mail when the committee selection has been made.

For information regarding thematic areas of SOC and LS, faculty members and their research specialties, visit the website.

Thesis proposal

The purpose of the thesis proposal is to present a justification and plan for the thesis research, and to give the thesis committee members, the student and the supervisor an opportunity to discuss, modify and agree to the proposed plan.

The proposal should be written in consultation with the thesis supervisor. The proposal itself is usually about 25 pages in length. It normally includes some introduction to the research problems, a literature review and justification for the proposed research, research questions or hypotheses (as appropriate), a plan for data collection and analyses, and some discussion of the limitations of the research plan. Proposals often include proposed timelines, as well as discussions of ethical issues related to the research. Note that the thesis proposal is normally defended before submission to the Office of Research Ethics.

Thesis proposal defense

The thesis proposal must be orally defended to your supervisor and two committee members. Your thesis oral defense should be completed by the end of the second term (typically the end of April, for full-time students).

After the supervisor agrees that the proposal can go to a defense, the student should notify the Graduate Coordinator and prepare a Thesis Proposal Form to be signed by the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies. The Graduate Coordinator can help coordinate the date and time of the defense with the supervisor and other committee members, and to book a room for the defense.

The oral defense usually consists of a short (approximately 20 minutes) presentation by the student, followed by questions from the committee members and supervisor. The supervisor normally chairs the defense. Thesis proposal defenses are normally open to other members of SOC and LS, the University community, and the public.

After the defense, the supervisor and committee members decide in camera whether the proposal and oral defense have 1) passed, 2) passed with revisions, or 3) have not passed. In cases in which the proposal has not passed, it must be re-written and re-defended within a timeframe specified by the supervisor and agreed upon by the student and Graduate Officer.

Once the proposal has passed and any required revisions have been made and approved by the supervisor, an MA proposal approval form must be completed. This form is obtained from the Graduate Advisor.

3. Thesis

MA Thesis

Your thesis should be completed and defended by the end of the sixth term. The thesis is usually between 100 and 150 pages in length. The contents of the thesis should be developed in consultation with the thesis supervisor. Other committee members might be involved in various ways as the thesis is being written. This should be discussed with the supervisor.

Thesis submission and oral defense

Once the supervisor has decided that the thesis is ready to be defended, s/he should notify the committee and the Graduate Coordinator, who will assist with the required forms, arranging a time and booking of a room. The Graduate Coordinator should receive an electronic copy of the thesis at least 3 weeks before the date of the defense. This copy will be sent to the committee members and also be made available to members of the university community who wish to examine it.

The thesis defense is similar to the proposal defense. It is open to faculty and students in SOC and LS, the university community and the public, and is normally chaired by the supervisor. The student gives a short presentation (approximately 20 minutes), followed by rounds of questions from the committee members and the supervisor. After the defense, the committee members and supervisor decide in camera whether the thesis and oral defense have passed without revisions, passed with revisions required, or have not passed. If revisions or further work to pass are required, the committee will specify the nature of these revisions/work. In the case of revisions, committee members will be responsible for overseeing them and for the timeframe required. In cases in which the thesis has not passed, it must be reworked and re-defended within a timeframe specified by the supervisor and agreed upon by the student and Graduate Officer.

Graduation

Once you have completed your MA thesis, you must do the following: 

  1. Upload your thesis to UW Space.
  2. Contact the Graduate Coordinator to request that a Program Completion Form be completed. This certifies that you have met all the requirements and are able to graduate.
  3. Complete the intention to graduate form on Quest. (Learn more about convocation)

If you have any further questions regarding the graduation process, please contact the Graduate Coordinator.

The University of Waterloo hosts two convocations per year (Spring and Fall), in the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) on campus. You may select your preferred convocation date in the Intent to Graduate form.

Funding

Student funding is described in the offer of admission, provided through Quest. Normally, MA thesis students receive 4 terms of funding, in the form of Teaching Assistantships and scholarships from the University. Funding is conditional on maintaining an average of 80% in graduate program courses. Information on awards and funding is available from the Current Graduate Students website.

Student Financial Services resources.

The Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs office also offers a Research Travel Assistantship to cover expenses related to conference travel. 

There are also external Master’s scholarships that students can, and should if eligible, apply for. Below is a non-exhaustive list of the main funding bodies that offer such scholarships:

SSHRC master’s awards (CGS): Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships Master's (CGS M) 

OGS master’s awards: Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) 

Co-op

Graduate students may combine academic studies with paid work experience through the graduate co-op programs. Co-op placements normally occur in the third and fourth (Spring and Fall) semesters of full-time enrolment in a graduate program. Students then return to academic study to complete all remaining requirements for their program. Placement opportunities are available to students through Waterloo Works, the University’s co-op job placement portal. In some cases, it is possible to have student-found positions approved for co-op credit. While we will make every effort to assist students in finding suitable co-op placements, we cannot guarantee co-op employment. Only Canadian citizens and holders of Permanent Resident status may enroll in graduate co-op programs.

If you would like more information about co-op opportunities, please contact the Graduate Advisor.

Co-op Resources

Inactive terms and changing between full- and part-time

Students may change between full- and part-time studies with approval of the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies. Part-time students will normally not receive funding. Students may choose to change their status to “inactive” for a maximum of two terms, with permission of the Associate Chair. Inactive students will not receive funding.

Sociology and Legal Studies activities

We aim to create an environment of ongoing constructive discussion and relevant support regarding our members’ research interests and training. To that end, many scientific activities are organized throughout the academic year, including the seminar series, professional development workshops, TA training, etc. You are STRONGLY encouraged to participate and engage in as many of these activities as possible.

Social, emotional and physical well-being

The overall well-being of graduate students is a top priority at the University of Waterloo, which offers a wide range of resources, most available free of charge, to ensure the continued well-being of its students. Below is a list of some of these key resources:

Graduate Student Association
Mental Health Services and Campus Wellness
Campus Safety and Security

Graduate Advisor
Miljana Kovacevic

Please email the appropriate address relevant to your area of study.

soc.grad@uwaterloo.ca
ls.grad@uwaterloo.ca