We realize that university and departmental cultures are not always obvious.
Below are some general points about Sociology departmental culture, as well as advice for students considering graduate programs and links to relevant library resources.
Advising
Please come to see us about your program. We can check your credits, your course rotation and what you need to graduate. If you are having trouble with a specific course, please speak to the professor. Don’t be shy – we are nice people, and we want to help you succeed! The Sociology program advisor is Erin Steuter, esteuter@mta.ca
Pedagogical
We spend a lot of time thinking about how we teach. Since we are university teachers, we expect students to take responsibility for their learning. We know that students learn in different ways and we organize our classes to allow for this. You might also find it helpful to take a learning styles test to find out more about your own learning style. Generally, you can expect a lot of writing and group work in our classes.
World view
Check out the Department bulletin board outside of the Social Sciences office in the Avard-Dixon Building, this web page, and professors’ office doors to get a sense of what individual faculty members and the Department are interested in, and what things we think you should know about.
ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Allison Library Guides
You may find the following guides helpful to your coursework.
Graduate school
If you are considering graduate or professional training after completing your undergraduate degree, there are several things you can be doing now to prepare.
- Many grad programs have deadlines early in the academic year, so be sure to start applying around October. Generally, you need to begin the grad school application process a year in advance of the start date.
- Visit the websites of the departments and programs you are interested in. Usually there is an option of either downloading information about the program or requesting more detailed information on applying and admissions. (In Canada and the U.S., post-BA programs are labelled graduate; in the U.K., they are labelled postgraduate.)
- Schools and programs are different: they vary in terms of interests, ways of delivering the program, length of program, and requirements. They also vary in terms of tuition and the financial support available, such as scholarships and teaching and research assistantships.
- Try to speak to a student in the program to get the inside scoop. An admissions co-ordinator could arrange this. There may be a grad society either in the department or at the university and they may be able to arrange contact with a current grad student. Grad students also often have their own webpages with contact details. Try asking ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Allison faculty about any ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵies who went to the school you’re interested in. Chances are they’d be happy to give you the lowdown.
- Every program has specific requirements and varies in terms of the degree of competition for admittance. Remember that there are a host of factors affecting your application: GPA, references, writing samples, course preparation, extracurricular activities, goals, and interests.
- Almost all post-BA programs will require at least one, more likely two or three, letters of recommendation from faculty who know you. Start early. Take the initiative in getting to know some of your professors. You may want to have a referee write a general letter of recommendation for you while their knowledge of you is recent and more detailed, rather than waiting months or even years until you need the recommendation.
- The career services co-ordinator can also offer advice.