In this course a variety of classical and contemporary sociological perspectives will be deployed to understand the social context, factors and consequences of climate change. Possible topics include the political economy of the environment, environmental refugees, environmental movements, media representations of climate change, the social context and consequences of fracking, the politics of global protocols on carbon emissions, climate justice and social inequality, etc.

This is a seminar course where students work on data from the Peel Social Lab to produce various media to translate sociological findings for a broader audience.

This course examines legal careers from the sociological perspective. As one of the most elite and influential professions, lawyers are key players in economic, political, and social life. This course traces the various careers of lawyers from their experiences in law school to their jobs in law firms, courts, and other professional settings. In so doing the course will also focus on structures of inequality, such as gender, race and class.

Through a part-time, unpaid, 200-hour internship, students apply sociological knowledge gained primarily through previous coursework. Students can seek internship opportunities at municipal social service departments or non-profit agencies providing social services, social movement or community-based organizations working for social change, courts or parole offices, for-profit workplaces, or other organizations. This experiential learning course also includes class meetings, written assignments and oral presentations, as well as an assessment by the internship employer. An application/interview may be required (see Department of Sociology website for details).

Note: International students should visit the International Education Centre to ensure they have the appropriate documentation required to work in Canada well before the start of the course/internship.

An in-depth examination of selected topics in sociology as part of a UTM Study Abroad experience. Topics vary from year to year and are noted on the timetable once confirmed. During the international experience, students will collect data and observations to use as the basis for a final analytical project. As part of this course, students will have the option of participating in an international learning experience that will have an additional cost and application process. An interview may be required, with priority given to Sociology and Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors.

This course is intended for Sociology Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Sociology topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Sociology Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Sociology topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Criminology, Law and Society topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Criminology, Law and Society topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course provides a rewarding opportunity for students in their fourth year to undertake relatively advanced work in the research project of a professor in return for SOC499H5 course credit. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a rewarding opportunity for students in their fourth year to undertake relatively advanced work in the research project of a professor in return for SOC499Y5 course credit. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course brings together first-year students to explore a current topic or problem at the intersection of science and social science in a small-group environment. The focus of each section will depend on the instructor’s areas of expertise and will provide students with the opportunity to develop foundational learning strategies and sharpen their academic skills to support the transition into university. Students participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundational skills for academic success such as creating study plans, taking notes, reading critically, and developing a growth mindset.

This course brings together first-year students to explore a current topic or problem at the intersection of social science and humanities in a small-group environment. The focus of each section will depend on the instructor’s areas of expertise and will provide students with the opportunity to develop foundational learning strategies and sharpen their academic skills to support the transition into university. Students participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundational skills for academic success such as creating study plans, taking notes, reading critically, and developing a growth mindset.

This course is an introduction to the common problem-solving tools used in the sciences and social sciences. It is designed to address the fundamental skills needed for comprehension and effective communication in these areas. The skills being addressed may include critical analysis of texts (primary literature, review papers, textbooks), use of databases to gather, manipulate and visualize data; interpretation and presentation of data; information gathering and writing skills (lab reports, critical essays); and oral presentations. Specific examples will be drawn from a variety of current research topics in both the sciences and social sciences. Students participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundational skills for academic success such as creating study plans, taking notes, reading critically, and developing a growth mindset.

This course is an introduction to inter-cultural communication primarily in the areas of writing and speaking. It is designed to address fundamental skills related to language use in the academic setting by focusing on topics such as customs, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Specific examples will be drawn from real-life university situations, and multiple viewpoints on the nature of diversity in communication will be discussed. Students participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundational skills for academic success such as creating study plans, taking notes, reading critically, and developing a growth mindset.

This course investigates the concept of happiness from its earliest articulations in the ancient world to today. Drawing on a wide array of sources in disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, we will investigate "happiness" across time and place. Throughout the semester students will reflect on the concept as it relates to their own lives as well as how it shapes society as a whole. As part of this course students will participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundations for academic success (such as understanding the value of higher education, developing a growth mindset, and finding passion).

This interdisciplinary course encourages students to take ownership of their education through a focus on the process of learning how to learn and by cultivating the habits of mind for lifelong achievement and success. Students will explore theories of learning and research on the strategies students should employ to reach deep understanding. "Science of Learning" is designed to help students develop their critical thinking, university-level oral and written communication, critical reading, and other foundational academic skills. Students participate in a series of tutorials that will help them build foundational skills for academic success such as creating study plans, taking notes, reading critically, and developing a growth mindset.

This course brings together first-year students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement to explore a current topic or problem at the intersection of social science and humanities in a small-group environment. The focus of each section will depend on the instructor’s areas of expertise and will provide students with the opportunity to develop university-level research and critical thinking skills to support the transition into university.

Note: All interested students must apply and a select group of academically successful students will be accepted into utmONE Scholars. The application can be found here: https://uoft.me/utmone-scholars

This course brings together first-year students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement to explore a current topic or problem at the intersection of science and social science in a small-group environment. The focus of each section will depend on the instructor’s areas of expertise and will provide students with the opportunity to develop university-level research and critical thinking skills to support the transition into university.

Note: All interested students must apply and a select group of academically successful students will be accepted into utmONE Scholars. The application can be found here: https://uoft.me/utmone-scholars

This course investigates the complexity of our global interconnectedness through the lens of a substantive topic. Questions vary annually, but may include: Do all nations benefit equally from this increasing connectivity? How do global connections affect culture? What strategies offer long-term sustainability? What are the impacts of interconnectedness, both to individual citizens and to societies at large? Questions will be explored using a multidisciplinary approach.

Note: All interested students must apply and a select group of academically successful students will be accepted into utmONE Scholars. The application can be found here: https://uoft.me/utmone-scholars

This course aims to engage with the current political challenges that religion in its diverse manifestations poses to secular society and political systems. This seminar will encourage students to become more thoughtful and self-critical about how society responds socially and politically to these challenges in the 21st-century.

Note: All interested students must apply and a select group of academically successful students will be accepted into utmONE Scholars. The application can be found here: https://uoft.me/utmone-scholars

This course focuses on themes of social justice, global change, and conflict through the lens of multiple disciplines. Through the exploration of concepts such as class, race, gender, religion, culture, and power on a global level, students will be involved in assignments and small group activities that develop and refine key skills that contribute to student success in university courses.

Note: All interested students must apply and a select group of academically successful students will be accepted into utmONE Scholars. The application can be found here: https://uoft.me/utmone-scholars

This course will explore how humans have utilized the natural world and the impacts it has had on both the global environment and human societies. We will focus on topics such as human and natural history, conservation, sustainability, resource exploitation, domestication, GMOs, and our fascination with nature. The course will include a field walk in our campus environment.

This course covers a special topic at the intersection of the social sciences and humanities. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year. This course may satisfy either the Social Sciences or Humanities distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course covers a special topic at the intersection of the sciences and social sciences. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year. This course may satisfy either the Sciences or Social Sciences distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course offers in-depth instruction on a special topic at the intersection of the social sciences and humanities. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year, but it is designed to offer in-depth instruction in interdisciplinary research methods and writing practices. This course may satisfy either the Humanities or Social Sciences distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course offers in-depth instruction on a special topic at the intersection of the sciences and social sciences. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year, but it is designed to offer in-depth instruction in interdisciplinary research methods and writing practices. This course may satisfy either the Sciences or Social Sciences distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course offers advanced instruction on a special topic at the intersection of the social sciences and humanities. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year, but it is designed to offer in-depth instruction in interdisciplinary research methods and writing practices. This course may satisfy either the Humanities or Social Sciences distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course offers advanced instruction on a special topic at the intersection of the sciences and social sciences. Content relates to the instructor’s area of interest and varies in focus from year to year, but it is designed to offer in-depth instruction in interdisciplinary research methods and writing practices. This course may satisfy either the Sciences or Social Sciences distribution requirement, depending on the topic offered. The course may vary in terms of contact type (L, S, T, P) from year to year, but there will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course is an introduction to creative nonfiction as both a genre and a methodological tool for a variety of fields. It explores creative narrative approaches by professional writers in the form of journalism, documentary, ethnography, memoir, and narrative essay. This course also serves to begin and/or strengthen students’ own writing practice through craft-oriented workshops. Students explore ideas about product and process, form and meaning. Students will experiment with syntactic structures to explore how the form of language serves, or fails to serve, intention and the expression of meaning that may be understood and interpreted by others.