Program

The deadline for applications for a September start is January 15th.
ProgramExpected LengthProject and/or thesisCourse based
M.A.2 years
Ph.D.4 years

The Department of Sociology offers a thesis and non-thesis program leading to a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Sociology and a thesis-based Ph.D. program. The program of study for the candidates in M.A. and Ph.D. programs is prepared to suit the individual student's needs and interests. This generally requires a combination of rigorous training in the areas of theory and methodology and elective courses in the candidate's area of interest.

Graduate student enrollment in the department is at a level that provides flexibility and extensive student-faculty interaction. Presently, there are 50 graduate students enrolled in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs with 19 faculty members who are actively involved in research. Our current faculty research areas are:

  • Citizenship, immigration, race, and ethnicity
  • Crime and justice
  • Health and illness
  • Indigenous Peoples and societies
  • Development, agriculture and environment
  • Science, education and knowledge
  • Family and religion

The Department of Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan provides a research supportive environment. Office spaces for students are located near the Graduate Student Computer Labs. Graduate students have opportunities to work in a variety of research settings, including activities related to projects through the Social Sciences Research Laboratories and the Saskatchewan Data Research Centre. 

Research supervisors

It is not necessary to find a potential supervisor before you begin an application. The list below though may be helpful to learn about the research interests of our faculty.

Name Research areas
Carolyn BrooksCriminology; Intimate Partner Violence; Penology; Social Control; Youth Crime and Resilience
Hongming ChengAboriginal Rights; Chinese Law and Society; Corporations; International Criminology; Policing; White Collar Crime
Colleen Anne DellAddictions; Animal Assisted Interventions; Criminalization; Healing; Health; Indigenous Wellbeing; Knowledge Mobilization; Mental Health; Women and Girls
Harley DickinsonHealth Care; Higher Education; Knowledge Systems; Reflexive Modernization; Sociological Theory
Michael GertlerProduction co-operatives; sociology of agriculture; sustainable rural development
John G. HansenAddictions Recovery and Healing; Crime and Society; Indigenous Justice; Indigenous Knowledge; Restorative Justice
Monica HwangEducation; Immigration and Diversity; Political Sociology; Racial and Ethnic Stratification; Social Capital; Social Inequality
Timothy KangCrime; Life Course; Social Research Methods; Youth
Julie KayeColonial Gendered Violence; Community Research and Organizing; Critical Criminology; Feminist and Indigenous Feminist Thought; Harm Reduction; Human Trafficking; Post-, Anti-, and Settler-Colonialisms; Sex Work; Systemic Inequalities; Women and Law
Sarah KnudsonFamilies; Gender; Qualitative Research Methods; Sexuality; Young Adults
Marie LovrodAutobiography; Feminist Theory; Queer Theory; Transnational Feminisms; Trauma and Resilience
Jennifer PoudrierCommunity Based Participatory Research; Indigenous Knowledge; Sociology of Medicine; Sociology of Science and Knowledge
Elizabeth QuinlanArts Based Methods; Caring Labour; Labour History; Participatory Research; Work; Work Organization
Kara SomervilleImmigrant Families; Indo-Canadians; International Migration; Race/Ethnicity; Second Generation; Transnationalism
Scott ThompsonClassification; Colonialism; Gender; Governance; Identity; Law; Race; Social Control; Surveillance; Technology
Terry WotherspoonImmigration; Inclusion; Indigenous-settler Relations; Inequality; Social Policy; Sociology of Education; Work and Labour Markets
Laura WrightFamilies; Life Course and Aging; Partnership Trajectories; Quantitative Methods; Romantic Unions; Social Demography; Transitions to Adulthood
Li ZongChina Studies; Immigration; Race and Ethnic Relations

Tuition and funding

Funding

To be eligible for department funding, students must meet the language requirements for admission and have obtained at least an 80% academic average in the last two years of study.

Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.

Tuition

Thesis or project-based master's program

Graduate students in a thesis or project-based program pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.

Term Canadian students International students
September 1 - December 31, 2023 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
January 1 - April 30, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD $3,699.00 CAD
Total per academic year $4,932.00 CAD $11,097.00 CAD

Doctoral program

Doctoral students pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program. Both international and domestic PhD students pay the same rate.

Term
January 1 - April 30, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2024 $1,644.00 CAD
September 1 - December 31, 2023 $1,644.00 CAD
Total per academic year $4,932.00 CAD

Student fees

In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.

Fall 2023 Winter 2024 Spring 2024 Summer 2024
Student fees $497.88 CAD $659.51 CAD $35.00 CAD $35.00 CAD

Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.

Admission requirements

  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
  • A four-year honours degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
  • Master’s degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university in a relevant academic discipline
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 75% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. coursework required in master’s program)

Application process

Submit an online application

Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.

During the application, you'll be asked for:

  • Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
  • Contact information of your three referees
    • For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
  • Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions

The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.

At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable $120 application fee. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.

Submit required documents

Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application, and upload the documents outlined below.

Preliminary Statement of Marks

  • Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
  • The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college, and must include a grading key/legend.
  • All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
  • Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.

Uploading documents

Post-secondary Transcripts

If you receive an offer of admission, you will then be required to have your official post-secondary transcripts sent (by mail in a sealed envelope directly from the institution) to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place 
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

  • Transcripts usually indicate the institution’s name, grading scheme (typically on back of transcript), your name, course names, numbers, credits, and the grades you have received. Depending on the country or institution, some features may not be available.
  • Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
  • If you are a current University of Saskatchewan student completing your undergraduate program then a letter of completion of degree requirements will be required from your college.

Proof of English language proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.

For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:

  • It is your responsibility to have completed an official and approved test with the appropriate score before the application deadline.
  • Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
  • Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.

Uploading documents

If you receive an Offer of Admission you may be required to have your official language test scores sent to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building - 110 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

In addition to the above official documents, please upload the following documents:

  • A curriculum vitae or resume
  • Statement/letter of intent, including a statement of research interests. The letter should outline your academic background and other relevant information, as well as your proposed area of graduate research, identifying as much as possible, such as your research problem, theoretical interests, and proposed data sources or methodological approach. The letter should be one to two pages for M.A. applicants and five to six pages for Ph.D. applicants. The letter is an important means by which the Graduate Studies Committee can determine the extent to which the proposed research can be accommodated within Department programming and to ensure appropriate supervisory resources are available. The letter of intent is also a useful means by which faculty members can identify students whose work may be eligible to be supported through research grants and other external forms of funding.

Contact

Department of Sociology
9 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5

Graduate Chair
Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan
Email: elizabeth.quinlan@usask.ca

Graduate Administrator
Email: sociology@usask.ca