Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Honours
Sociology helps explain people’s behaviour, beliefs and identities. It helps us understand organizations, economies and communities. Perhaps most importantly, sociology helps us understand ourselves.
In our program, you’ll explore a range of social dynamics and problems. Learn more about the organization of cities, the impact of new technologies, and how consumption, racism, gender identities, migration and conflict shape social structures. Using interviews, surveys, maps and observation, you will learn to analyze and explain how people adopt roles in society, how inequality persists and how power operates.
Our vibrant faculty are experts in their fields, and our staff are committed to excellence in student support and academic advising. York offers one of the largest, most productive and innovative communities of scholars engaged in interdisciplinary research and teaching in sociology.
With this diverse education, our graduates have gone on to careers in community work, social services, law enforcement, social research, education and more.
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OUAC Code: YUG
What you’ll learn
- Develop excellent reading, writing, and critical and analytical reasoning skills.
- Gain skills to work effectively in group situations, participate in decision-making, lead and contribute to the ultimate success of a team and task.
- Learn practical research skills such as in-depth interviewing and focus groups, statistical survey methods, archival research and content analysis.
Hands-on experiences
- Apply your learning and build networks with a placement in a community organization, government or not-for-profit space.
- Engage with the Resource Centre for Public Sociology, a hub for high-quality public research that organizes methodology and research workshops.
- Get opportunities to do research with faculty and collaborate with local community partners.
QS University Rankings
In the 2024 Quacquerelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings by Subject report, Sociology ranked in the top 150 in the world and #5 in Canada.
What I liked best about studying Sociology was that it helped me to understand the social interactions among people on a micro and macro level. It also helped me to understand various social issues (such as poverty) and why it has an impact on society as a whole. The education I've received here at York has helped me to open up new perspectives and opportunities grow as an individual. It also helped me to connect with what I have learned from my Sociology classes to various disciplines such as Humanities, History, Natural Sciences, and even Music!
— Julia Rao
Alumna, Sociology '17
