Undergraduate Programs

Sociology Honours

Honours is about academic excellence and personal growth, both of which you can experience as an honorus student. The opportunity to develop research expertise in an area of interest to you under the mentorship of a professor will be valuable for pursuing graduate studies or other professional pathways. In their final year, Honors students complete 6 units through registration in SOC 407 and SOC 408 where they have the opportunity for independent research and the writing of an original honours thesis under the guidance of a Faculty member.

Admission Criteria:

High School Students:

Can apply for direct entry into the Faculty of Arts BA Honours Program (Honours Foundation Year).

Post-secondary Transfer Students:

Minimum of *24 units of transferable course weight required
Minimum Admission Grade Point Average (AGPA) of 3.3
Average of 3.3 or higher in all Sociology courses taken
No grade less than B- in any Sociology course taken
SOC 100 must be completed

Transfer students can apply in any year of study, however, applying earlier (after your 1st or 2nd year) is recommended.

Application Deadline:

Students must apply online for September admission by the deadline.

Program Requirements:

Admitted to the BA PRIOR to Fall 2026

MINIMUM: 48 units in Sociology, as follows:

SOC 100 Introductory Sociology
SOC 220 (formerly SOC 315) Social Research Methods
SOC 212 Classical Social Theory
SOC 320 (formerly SOC 210) Introduction to
Social Statistics
SOC 335 Themes in Contemporary Social Theory
SOC 407 Honors Thesis I
SOC 408 Honors Thesis II
9 units at the 300- or 400-level
6 units at the 400-level
6 units in SOC at the 200-level (Effective Fall 2025: replaces the previous requirement of 2 courses from SOC 241, SOC 251, SOC 260, and SOC 269)

Plus:

6 units in SOC at any level, in order to meet the minimum credits requirements for the major

MAXIMUM: 60 units in Sociology, which includes the above courses (both junior and senior) plus an additional 12 units in optional SOC courses.

Admitted to the BA Fall 2026 ONWARDS

MINIMUM: 48 units in Sociology, as follows:

SOC 100 Introductory Sociology
SOC 220 Social Research Methods
SOC 212 Classical Social Theory
SOC 320 Introduction to Social Statistics
SOC 335 Themes in Contemporary Social Theory
SOC 407 Honors Thesis I
SOC 408 Honors Thesis II
9 units in SOC at the 300- or 400-level
6 units in SOC at the 400-level
12 units in SOC at any level

MAXIMUM: 60 units in Sociology, which includes the above courses (both junior and senior) plus an additional 12 units in optional SOC courses.

Notes:

Theory and statistics/methodology coursework should be completed within the first 75 units.
If PSYCH 213 is being used to meet the SOC 320 requirement, then additional 3 units in senior level SOC is required.
Faculty of Arts students who have already taken Stat 141 or 151 must still take SOC 210, since it is a requirement for the honors in Sociology program.
R SOC 355 and R SOC 450 have been approved for cross-listing as applicable to a major or minor in Sociology (see Cross-Listed Courses)

Promotion Requirements

Promotion from year to year requires a GPA of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 in all Sociology courses in the Fall/Winter.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation with Honours in Sociology requires a graduation average of at least 3.0 on the last 60 units completed at the University of Alberta with an average of at least 3.3 in all Sociology courses. Graduation with First Class Honors requires an average of at least 3.7 on all courses applied to the major taken in the final two years and an average of at least 3.5 on all courses in the final two years (last 60 units).

Combined Honours in Sociology

The Honours in Sociology program is also available as a Combined Honors degree, for students interested in studying Sociology alongside another Arts discipline. Visit the Calendar for more details about the Combined Honours in Sociology program.

Additional Information:

Current

Abdullah Chaudhary

Honors Thesis Topic: The Necessity of Youth Leadership: A Case Study of the Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP) and the Sociological Significance of Youth-Led Spaces

Honors Supervisors: Dr. Jana Grekul (Sociology)

Young people today are often told to “wait their turn” before taking on leadership roles, yet this delay overlooks the creativity, insight, and capacity for change that youth bring to positions of authority. Having grown up believing that meaningful impact required age, credentials, or status, I became deeply interested in how such narratives shape the way young people see themselves as leaders. My thesis explores how societal structures can constrain youth leadership and civic participation. Using the Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP) in Edmonton as a case study, I examine how youth-led organizations challenge conventional hierarchies of authority and reveal the transformative potential of youth leadership in shaping more inclusive institutions.

Baihan (Winnie) Guo

Honors Thesis Topic: Uncovering the Meaning of Multiculturalism and Community for Younger-Generation Chinese-Canadian Immigrants

Honors Supervisors: Dr. Sara Dorow (Sociology) and Dr. Yasmeen Abu-Laban (Political Science)

I first immigrated to Canada with my family when I was just two years old. I grew up in both Edmonton and Beijing, which has allowed me to experience many diverse forms of community that have shaped who I am today. I chose this topic because I am interested in hearing and learning about the experiences and perspectives of other Chinese-Canadian immigrants like me, who immigrated to Canada at a young age; specifically on how they view and understand the concepts of community and multiculturalism!

Samantha Johnston

Honors Thesis Topic: Sociological Analysis of Chronic Pain

Honors Supervisors: Dr. Lisa Strohschein

Growing up I witnessed the particular social dance that people with chronic pain were obligated to navigate, at least within my sphere. To expand beyond myself, I began researching this experience to see if there were sociological explanations. This has meant digging into the complicated history of defining what chronic pain is, as well as how this definition impacts other aspects of life. A complex layering of definitions has muddied the social understanding of what is or is not chronic pain. These misunderstandings bleed into the formation of personal identities, maintaining relationships, career development, and other aspects of individual life. My honors thesis will be focused on these social implications experienced by people with chronic pain.

Morgan Meikle

Honors Supervisor: Dr. Kevin Haggerty

I intend to explore the introduction and acceptance of killing as a professional act in certain social settings. Within this, I would like to explore the gendering of this work, its placement in the realm of care work, and its subsequent implications for women who have been predominantly responsible for care work. I believe that our conceptualization of killing is deeply impacted by this interaction and am excited to read literature in the area. "

Carina Siu

Honors Thesis Topic: BCI-for-Play: A Social Model Approach to Research the Play Experiences of Disabled Children

Honors Supervisor: Dr. Lisa Strohschein

Play exists as a fundamental element of a child’s life, not only does it support cognitive, behavioral and psychological development in children, but it also functions as one of the main occupations of childhood. However, the play of children with motor disabilities is often considerably reduced and limited. Drawing from the intersections between the social model of childhood disability and disabled children’s childhood studies, my honor’s thesis will explore the barriers and facilitators surrounding play for disabled childhoods. Descriptive qualitative methodology will be employed by conducting semi-structured interviews with children who have significant motor impairments and their families to address the following two research questions: 1) What are the lived experiences of play for disabled children? 2) What are the facilitators and barriers when using assistive technology to access play? "

Julia Kavanagh

Honors Thesis Topic: Food Security in South Sudan

Honors Supervisor: Dr. Sourayan Mookerjea

My thesis will focus on how conflict, climate change, and an unstable government impact the food security of South Sudan. More specifically, I plan on contextualizing the country's current food crisis in terms of globalization and neoliberal policies that arose after the Second World War.

Challenging Gendered Discourse in Traditionally Masculine Trades
Supervisor: Dr. Robyn Lee
Instagram: The End of Childhood?
Supervisor: Dr. Bryan Hogeveen
Health and Caregiving – A Stress Process Approach
Supervisor: Dr. Lisa Strohschein
Establishing an Affective Ecology: an Intersectional Approach to Gender, Race and the Environment
Supervisor: Dr Robyn Lee
The Role of Religion in Reducing Death Anxiety
Supervisor: Dr. Alison Dunwoody