Sociology | PhD
Degree
- PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Program Type
- Thesis
Delivery
- On-campus
Entry Terms & Deadlines
- Fall (September): January 20
Push the Boundaries of Sociological Knowledge
Prepare for a career in academia, research, teaching, government, policy, and beyond with advanced training in sociology.
The University of Guelph's PhD program trains you to become an independent sociological thinker and skilled researcher capable of designing and conducting original research in an area you are passionate about.
You will gain extensive theoretical and methodological expertise and develop the intellectual independence to create knowledge at the cutting edge of your area of interest. Working closely with renowned faculty, you will also build leadership, communication, and professional skills that will help you share your ideas with precision and confidence and pursue opportunities within and beyond academia.
Faculty and Program Format
Our PhD program is full-time and delivered in-person at the University of Guelph's main campus.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph is home is 25+ sociologists who are active in the Canadian sociological community, regularly securing competitive grants, publishing in leading journals, and presenting at national and international conferences. The faculty's expertise includes:
- Criminology and socio-legal studies
- Intersectionality and inequality
- Environments, livelihoods, and healthy communities
- Culture and institutions
- Media, technology, and digital society
Use our search tool to explore faculty specialties. If you're ready to take the next step and apply, contact the faculty member you would like to work with and tell them about your research interests.
Four Specialty Fields to Choose From
Crime and Social Control
This field reflects sociological interests in how crime is defined, measured, explained and reacted to by society. You'll be exposed to a range of topics, including the social construction of crime, victimization, homelessness, intimate partner violence, drug policy, feminist criminology, critical criminology, restorative justice, policing, corrections, wrongful convictions, and life course criminology.
Environment, Food, and Communities
This field reflects sociological interests in broad societal-ecological interactions, drawing on established methodologies in the field, including the comparative and historical approach, to examine them. Study the ways in which structure, power, culture, gender, race, and class play out in areas like natural resources, food systems, environmental justice, and community sustainability.
Identities and Social Inclusion
This field reflects sociological interests in intergroup relations, with emphasis on struggles over influence and power. You'll study the complex intersection of forms of identity and group mobilization based on ethnic, linguistic, regional, class, gender, racial and other forms of social division. The field also looks at Indigenous issues and policies related to multiculturalism, equity and regional autonomy.
Work and Organization
This field reflects sociological interests in changing patterns of work in comparative contexts, including labour markets, industrial change, organizations and protest, and the regulation of work. Study the relationship between gender, class, ethnicity, and the transformation and reorganization of work, locating trends within the broader processes of globalization, economic restructuring, and shifts in public policy.
Extend Your Learning with a Collaborative Specialization
In addition to the four fields available to sociology PhD students, you can choose one of the following add-ons to give your research an interdisciplinary edge:
Meet our Alumni
Dr. Dylan Reynolds completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Ryan Broll. He is currently Assistant Professor in Sociology at Cape Breton University, with a specialization in quantitative methods. During his doctoral program, Dylan regularly presented his work at leading national and international conferences as well as to policy makers and ministry officials.
Dr. Sarah Cahill is the Associate Director of Graduate Studies in U of G's College of Social and Applied Human Sciences. While completing her doctorate, she was hired to research the professional development needs of grad students. Sarah loves her current role developing curriculum, coordinating funding, and improving the overall graduate student experience.
Dr. Laura MacDiarmid is an assistant professor in Justice Studies at the University of Guelph-Humber. Throughout her doctoral studies, Laura published research related to the experience of bail and the role of apology in restorative justice. Prior to her PhD, Laura worked in the youth justice sector and managed a research hub at Western University.
Dr. Danielle Sutton is an analyst with the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics. Her PhD thesis examined how accounts of police use of deadly force are constructed in Canadian news media and whether such constructions legitimate the force used. She has published works on intimate partner violence, homicide, and sociological theory.
Dr. Jess Notwell currently holds a tenure track position in the Department of Sociology at King's University College, affiliated with Western University. While completing their PhD, Jess spent two years in Palestine doing research for their dissertation and volunteering with the Al Quds University Community Action Centre in Jerusalem.
A research analyst at Statistics Canada, Dr. Danielle Bader conducts quantitative analyses on child maltreatment and women's health as part of a vulnerable populations research team. While completing her PhD under the supervision of Prof. Myrna Dawson, Danielle worked as a research assistant at the Centre for Social and Legal Responses to Violence.
Applying to Grad Studies in Sociology
Get in Touch
Questions about the PhD in sociology? Contact the Graduate Program Team at csahs.admissions@uoguelph.ca.