Entrance to the MacKinnon Building

Sociology and Anthropology

Welcome to SOAN

Join us in the pursuit of knowledge and the acquisition of the critical analytical skills needed to understand our complex world.

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology's undergraduate and graduate programs offer solid foundations for a wide variety of careers, from public service employment to international development work, as well as preparation for academic careers.

Our faculty use sociological and anthropological lenses to explore contemporary questions and debates within Canadian and international contexts, including environment and resource use, food, agriculture, labour and work, youth and homelessness, Indigenous issues, police and society, and social movements in developing countries.


Undergraduate Programs

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Anthropology

Students explore global cultures and delve into the complexities of human existence. The anthropology program equips our students with the tools to critically analyze human behaviour and cultural dynamics, fostering a profound understanding of the intricate challenges facing modern societies.

scales of justice in a courtroom

Criminal Justice and Public Policy

Students discover the inner workings of criminal justice institutions and governmental processes, including policymaking, civic engagement, and the legal system through the program's unique blend of sociology and political science courses.

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Sociology

We train our sociology students to critically analyze and evaluate information, empowering them to confront diverse social and political issues with insight and empathy. As students explore institutions and the forces that shape society, we prepare them to navigate and improve our interconnected world.

Graduate Programs

Supreme Court of Canada building

Criminal Justice and Public Policy MA

The CJPP MA program blends academic theory and methods with applied experiential learning opportunities to equip students with the skills required to pursue further graduate studies in criminology, sociology, or political science or to pursue opportunities for advancement in the criminal justice sector.

A grad student working in a community garden

Public Issues Anthropology MA

This MA program emphasizes sociocultural anthropology, focusing on the interface between anthropological knowledge and issues crucial to governance, public discourse, livelihoods, civil society and contemporary public issues. Students can also choose a specialization in International Development Studies or One Health.

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Sociology MA/PhD

This program is designed so that students will deepen and broaden their knowledge in sociological theory and methodology as well as in one of the four specializations offered. Students will also become highly independent sociological thinkers and skilled researchers capable of pushing the boundaries of knowledge in their chosen field.

SOAN Seminar Series | Upcoming Event

Mediating dance instructions in hybrid settings for people living with dementia

Dr. An Kosurko (PhD, Helsinki) will share the results of her dissertation, which respecifies social inclusion in practical action for people living with dementia in online dance classes. The focus is on the novelty of the ethnomethodological approach using multimodal conversation analysis and the implications of using technology in arts-based research and activities.

An is an interdisciplinary interaction researcher and MITACS Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation. An takes an ethnomethodological approach to understanding what kinds of creative resources are available in the moment to facilitate interaction in reconnecting the disconnected.

When: September 17, 2025 | 12-1 PM
Where: MacKinnon Building, Room 621