Undergraduate Program

Choosing A Program

There are 8 different modules of study offered by the Department of Sociology that you may enter after your first year. The prerequisite for all these modules is a minimum final grade of 60% in Sociology 1020 or 1021E Introduction to Sociology.

The modular degree structure at Western allows the flexibility to combine modules within Sociology or across different departments and faculties. For example, you could combine a Major in Sociology with a Major in Criminology (both modules from Sociology), or an Honors Specialization in Criminology with a Minor in Psychology, or a Major in Health Sciences with a Major in the Sociology of Health and Aging—the possibilities are endless!

The possible module combinations depend on the degree in which you’re enrolled. Below are links to Academic Calendar descriptions of each module as well as program checklists to download to help you plan your course selection each year.

Honors Specializations

These modules are the recommended path for students considering graduate studies in sociology or criminology. The Honors Double Major is not considered equivalent to them. Enrolment in the Honors Specialization modules is limited. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee that students wishing to transfer into these modules will be offered enrolment.

Specialization and Majors

Minors

Important Program Information

Please note that all students must successfully complete:

  1. 2.0 essay courses, 1.0 of which must be senior (#2000-4999). These essay courses must be completed through the University of Western Ontario.
  2. At least 1.0 course from each of the three categories A, B and C.

Overlapping Courses Between Sociology Modules

Sociology 2205A/B, 2206A/B and 2240E or 2270A/B and 2271A/B are required courses for all majors and specializations offered by the Department of Sociology. When students combine two majors (e.g., Major in Sociology and Major in Criminology) or a specialization and a major (Honors Specialization in Sociology and Major in Criminology), however, these courses only need to be taken once. Sociology 2205A/B and 2206A/B will be counted toward both modules. Sociology 2240E or 2270A/B and 2271A/B
will count toward one module and an additional 1.0 course at the 2200-level in Sociology must be taken for the other module.

This means that students taking two majors in Sociology have 11.0 required courses while those combining a specialization and a major have 14.0.

Please note that this is the only overlap allowed between Sociology modules. The Department does not permit any course overlap between a Minor and another module offered in Sociology.

Statistics Substitution

Students who have taken any course from the following list, will need to replace Sociology 2205A/B Statistics for Sociology with an additional 0.5 Sociology course at the 2200 level.
 
Sociology 2205A/B Antirequisites: Biology 2244A/B, Economics 2122A/B, 2222A/B, Geography 2210A/B, Health Sciences 3801A/B, MOS 2242A/B, Psychology 2810, 2820E, 2830A/B, 2885, Social Work 2205, Statistical Sciences 2035, 2037A/B if taken before Fall 2010, Statistical Sciences 2141A/B, 2143A/B, 2244A/B, 2858A/B and the former 2122A/B.

Statistics and Research Methods Substitution


Students who have completed Social Work 2205 must replace Sociology 2205A/B, Statistics for Sociology, and Sociology 2206A/B, Research Methods in Sociology, with 1.0 Sociology course at the 2200 level.

Students who take a full course (1.0 course) as a statistics substitution to satisfy the requirement for Sociology 2205A/B will have an additional 0.5 course for their module.

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Withdrawn Modules

Note: Effective September 2008, there will be no new admissions to the following modules:

  • Honors Specialization in Population Studies
  • Honors Specialization in the Sociology of Health and Aging
  • Major in Social Inequality
  • Minor in Population Studies
  • Minor in Social Inequality
  • Minor in Society and Identity
  • Minor in the Sociology of Health and Aging
  • Minor in the Sociology of Work

Note: Effective September 2009, there will be no new admissions to the following modules:

  • the Major in Population Studies.

All students currently enrolled in these modules must complete the requirements by September 1, 2012.

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