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Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully, the answer to your questions can be found in our FAQ section. If you don't see the answer you need, please reach out to our Undergraduate Program Assistant: socugrad@uwo.ca

Course Registration

  • 1-1 Course Advising (Formerly SAO) - appointments are available June 16 – August 7 2025.
  • Overnight Experience – stay in residence, meet other first year students, connect with upper year student leaders and learn what campus supports are available on campus. Registration will open in early June for overnight experiences scheduled for July 11-12 2025 and August 8-9 2025.
  • SmartStart: Learning- self-guided series to help you develop learning skills and strategies (available anytime).
  • SmartStart: Academics - Prepare for the academic demands of your first year courses with this self-study course (running throughout August 2025).
  • SmartStart: Writing for International Students - supports incoming international students become university level writers and achieve academic success (July 15-16 2025).
  • Launch Peer Mentorship Program – request an upper-year peer mentor from your faculty/program to provide academic and social support (continued support throughout first year and beyond).
  • Faculty Fridays - Faculty specific orientation days focused on supporting you in your academic transition to University life. Get to know your faculty supports, meet other first year students from your program and learn more about what to expect when classes begin in the fall (Social Science - July 11th 2025).
  • Review the information available on the Sociology Course Enrollment PowerPoint.
  • Attend a Group drop-in Information Session on Zoom hosted by the Sociology Undergraduate Coordinator. Ask questions about module requirements and Sociology course enrollment:
    • Thursday July 3rd 2025 at 2:00-3:00pm
    • Monday July 7th 2025 at 12:00-1:00pm
    • Monday July 14th 2025 at 11:00am-12:00pm
    • Monday July 21st 2025 at 10:00am-11:00am
  • Attend a One-On-One drop-in appointment via Zoom. Appointments are 5-10 minutes on a first come, first serve basis. Appointments are intended for quick questions. Appointments are available throughout July:
    • Mondays (July 7, 14, 21, 28) from 2:00-3:00pm
    • Wednesdays (July 9, 16, 23, 30) from 10:00-11:00am
    • Fridays (July 11, 18, 25) from 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Email socugrad@uwo.ca to ask specific questions about the module, course enrollment or to confirm your module/graduation progress. Attach a copy of your completed checklist, draft schedule and a list of your questions.
  • The Registrar's office assigns registration appointment times for all students based on Intent to Register. Your appointment is the first time that you are granted access to online course registration. Students are encouraged to register in courses at the start of their enrollment appointment as courses can fill quickly. Login to Student Center and select "Open Enrolment Dates" to find your enrolment date. Registration appointments begin early July, and start with 4th year students, then 3rd year, and finally 2nd year. The Academic Calendar outlines the start and end dates for course registration.
  • You cannot declare a module until you've successfully completed the admission requirement. Once your final grade is available, contact your Home Faculty Academic Advising office to change your program or wait until the next Intent to Register date.
  • As of mid-July, you will be able to register for most sociology courses because the registration system will see that you are currently completing the prerequisite.
  • A special permission is used by a student when they need to receive approval from their home faculty for something that would not be allowed under usual circumstances. An example is when a student wants to take a course without the stated prerequisite(s). Contact socugrad@uwo.ca to discuss special permission requests. During busy enrolment periods, special permission requests may take up to 5-10 business days to be processed. If your special permission request is approved, you will be provided with instructions on how to enrol in the course.
  • Waitlists are used for all courses above the 1000-level. If you wish to register in a class and the course is full, you should enrol in a backup course first. You can then add yourself to the waitlist of the desired course. Please be sure to indicate a "swap" option. This allows the registration system to automatically remove you from the specified backup course if space in the desired full course becomes available. Adding your name to the waitlist does not guarantee that you will be enrolled in the course. Special permission cannot be granted to bypass a waitlist or enrol above the course capacity. Further information on waitlists can be found on the Registrar's Register in Courses page.
  • No, the Sociology Department will not allow enrollment above the course capacity. Please continue to check frequently for availability during Online Course Registration.
Contact socugrad@uwo.ca to discuss possible solutions.
  • Please review the course prerequisites and constraints to determine if you are eligible to enrol. Your enrolment appointment, module or year of study may limit your eligibility to enrol in some courses.
  • You need special permission from your Home Faculty Academic Advising Office for a course overload. For Social Science students, please review the course overload eligibility requirements and submit a request through the Social Science Help Portal.
  • Students enrolled in modules in the Department of Sociology on main campus must complete all 2000-4999 level module courses on main campus. Sociology courses completed at an Affiliate college can only be used as electives and not toward the fulfillment of a main campus Sociology or Criminology module requirements. Transfer students must contact socugrad@uwo.ca for additional information.
  • Students interested in taking a course at another University should first contact their Home Faculty Academic Advising office to inquire about a Letter of Permission. Sociology courses as part of a Letter of Permission must be approved by the Sociology Department to determine equivalency. Social Science students should review the information available on the Social Science Academic Advising website for further information regarding eligibility and procedure. Do not pay tuition or arrange travel/accommodations until your Letter of Permission has been approved by Western University.
  • Students in years 3 or 4 in the Honours Specialization module are eligible to complete an Independent Study course (Soc 3398F/G, 3399F/G, 4498F/G, 4499F/G). Independent study courses provide the student with an opportunity to (a) explore in more depth or detail an area which a student has encountered in a previous course or (b) explore an area which is not part of the curriculum in sociology. More information is available here.

Modules

  • Students who intend on pursuing a graduate degree should choose the Honours Specialization in Sociology. This module offers the most access to upper level courses where advanced methods, writing, communication, and research skills are taught.
  • If you have completed a statistics course that is anti-requisite to SOC 2205A/B, then you will substitute the statistics requirement by taking an additional main campus 0.5 credit Sociology course at the senior level (2000-4999).
  • If you have completed a research methods course that is anti-requisite to SOC 2206A/B, then you will substitute the research methods requirement by taking an additional main campus 0.5 credit Sociology course at the senior level (2000-4999).
  • Students are required to take both Soc 2205A/B and 2206A/B. These courses will count toward both module requirements. This is the only overlap approved by the Sociology Department. It applies only to module combinations including the Honours specialization. specialization and Majors, not the minor modules.
  • Students are required to complete the module requirements with different courses. An Honours Specialization and Specialization consists of 9.0 different credits, the Major consists of 6.0 different credits and a minor consists of 4.0 different credits. Double counting is not permitted within the module. A course can only be used to fulfill ONE module requirement. More information is available on the module checklists.
  • Students who combine modules (ex: Major + Minor, Double Major etc) between two departments also cannot double count courses. If a course is used toward one module, it cannot be used toward another to complete module requirements. For example: Psychology 2032B can be used toward the Criminology Major OR Psychology Major, but not toward both modules.
  • The only overlap permitted is in regards to Soc 2205A/B and Soc 2206A/B when combining two modules within the Sociology department (ex: Sociology + Criminology Double Major). More information is available on the module checklist.
  • Students who are following the 2022-Present module requirements are required to complete 0.5 credits of theory. Students who are following the 2021 module requirements are required to complete 1.0 credits of theory. The Sociology Department no longer offers Sociology 2240E, Sociology 2270A/B or Sociology 2271A/B. Only Sociology 2263A/B will be offered as the theory course starting in Summer 2022. Students following the 2021 module requirements may need to substitute part of the requirement. Please review the steps on the module checklist for more information. Students who have completed a former theory course (Soc 2240E, 2270A/B, 2271A/B) should NOT take Sociology 2263A/B. These courses are anti-requisite.
  • Admission to the Criminology Major will be discontinued effective September 2026. Students enrolled in the Criminology major prior to September 2026 will be permitted to complete the module requirements no later than August 31st 2030 to graduate with the degree. For more information, please review the Criminology FAQ document.
  • The Department of Sociology has grade distribution guidelines that all instructors are expected to follow. Generally, and with few exceptions, this means that the number of A’s in a course cannot exceed the number of B's, and class means are expected to fall within a prescribed percentage range. This means that your final grade depends on your ranking relative to your peers. Courses with grades falling outside this range may be adjusted, up or down. These guidelines do not prohibit a student achieving 95% or higher in all their courses, but it does mean that an entire course cannot be made up of students receiving 95%. This policy combats grade inflation, contributing to higher standards, and ensuring uniformity across all courses of the same level. Motivated and hard working students receive grades well above the course averages. The use of grade guidelines, including any adjustments of grades, either up or down for this purpose, cannot be used as the basis of an appeal.
  • Guidelines for Grades/Marks
Sociology 1000-Level
  • A’s not to exceed B’s
  • Means in the range of 68-72%
Sociology 2000-Level
  • A’s not to exceed B’s
  • Means in the range of 70-75%
Sociology 3000-Level
  • Means in the range of 73-80%
Sociology 4000-Level
  • Means in the range of 78-82%

Intent to Register

  • Intent to Register (ITR) is the opportunity for students to notify Western of their preferred module. ITR is available on Student Center each year during the month of March.
  • Review the Sociology department specific Intent to Register Information Guide.
  • A Step-By-Step guide to submit an ITR on student centre is available.
  • Attend an ITR Information session hosted by Social Science Academic Advising.
  • Minimum 60% in 1.0 1000-level Sociology course(s) to enter the Minor, Major or Specialization.
  • Minimum 70% average in 3.0 principal courses. Principal courses include 1.0 1000-level Sociology course(s) and 2.0 additional 1000-level courses. Individual grades in principal courses must be 60% or higher with no failures in order to enter and progress in the Honours Specialization and Honours Double Major.
  • For more information on module requirements, please visit the Academic Calendar.