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Program details
The Department of Sociology and Criminology offers programs of study leading to a PhD in Sociology.
Expected duration: 4 years
The PhD program consists of a combination of coursework and a thesis component.
Tuition and fees: Tuition fees are charged for terms one and two and terms four and five. A continuing fee is paid for term three, term six and each subsequent term. (Refer to Graduate tuition and fees.)
In addition to the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section, students must complete:
- A minimum of 18 credit hours of coursework, including:
- 3 credit hours in theory
- 6 credit hours in research methods
- Two comprehensive examinations
- Preparation and successful defense of the thesis proposal
- Preparation and successful defense of the completed thesis
Areas of specialization
Criminology and Social Justice
Criminology is the study of the nature and causes of and responses to crime in society. The concern for social justice broadens the investigation to ask whether our institutions—including law and the criminal justice system—are organized and implemented in ways that realize human rights and equality for all members of society.
Culture and Social Relations
Culture and social relations is concerned with the ways in which social identities and relations are shaped, reproduced, and reconfigured through various socio-cultural processes and institutions. The individual in society is a subject of research for faculty specializing in the areas of symbolic interactionism, socialization, and social psychology. Faculty in this cluster also extend the socio-cultural approach to the study of class, gender, and ethnic relations, as well as to aspects of the media, consumer culture, and other institutions.
Population Health and Wellness
According to the World Health Organization, health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The teaching and research activities within this area are informed by the 12 social determinants of health, as defined by Health Canada. The emphasis is on the social determinants of health, including both structural and behavioural factors.
Power, Privilege and Resistance
This area examines the dynamics of power and the relations of ruling. It is particularly attentive to the way that class, sex/gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality and other forms of social differentiation are created and organized and how these operate to produce power and resistance. Faculty who specialize in this area seek to understand how power is expressed through movements, institutions and structures.
Global Sociology
The global sociology area is distinguished by the scale of its analysis, rather than by its specific substantive content. Researchers in this cluster examine relations, structures, institutions and flows that transcend the usual unit of social-scientific research, the nation state. The cluster emphasizes the movement of people, ideas, culture, capital and commodities as they form webs of connection, difference and inequality across the globe.
Social Policy and Practice
The state and its various policy domains are the focus of the social policy and practice area. Research and teaching in this area emphasize that the state and its policies are products and sites of struggle. Faculty members undertake analysis of social and public policy and corresponding practice.
Sample course offerings
- SOC 7120: Seminar in Sociology of Education (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7190: Seminar in Selected Topics in Sociological Theory (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7280: Seminar in Theoretical Criminology (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7300: Seminar in the Sociology of Law and Social Control (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7320: Seminar in Political Sociology (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7340: Seminar in the Sociology of the Family (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7370: Issues in Health Care Seminar (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7390: Survey Research Methods (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7400: Advanced Quantitative Research Methods (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7440: Seminar in Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 credit hours)
- SOC 7480: Social Inequality (3 credit hours)
For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar.
Admission requirements
The following are minimum requirements to be considered for entry into the program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Admission decisions are based on the qualifications of the applicant as well as the ability of the Department of Sociology and Criminology and the University of Manitoba to serve the applicant’s intended program of study and area of specialization.
In addition to the admission requirements described here, all applicants must meet the minimum admission and English language proficiency requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
To be considered for admission to the PhD in Sociology program, you must have:
- A Master's degree in Sociology or a closely related cognate field that includes substantial sociological content
- A minimum GPA of 3.5 (or the equivalent) based on the last 60 credit hours (or two full years or equivalent) of university study
- A strong foundation in sociological research methods and theory
Sociology uses the FGS English Language Test requirements, with the following exceptions:
- IELTS: The minimum score must be 6.5 in each of the test bands
- TOEFL: Minimum thresholds must be 600 on the paper test and 100 overall on the internet-based test (with a minimum speaking/writing of 22)
How to apply
The PhD in Sociology program accepts applications for the Fall term. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:
- Application fee (non-refundable)
- Unofficial copies of transcripts and degree certificates
- Statement of intent (Guidelines for Writing a Statement of Intent)
- Three letters of recommendation (must be requested from within the application)
- Proof of English language proficiency, if required
Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.
Application deadlines
Learn more
Contact us
Admission and application inquiries
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Room 500 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
graduate.admissions@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9377
Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Program inquiries
Department of Sociology and Criminology, Faculty of Arts
318 Isbister Building
183 Dafoe Road
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
sociology@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9260
Fax: 204-261-1216