Sociology (Non-Thesis): Population Dynamics (M.A.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The Population Dynamics Option (PDO) is open to Masters (non-thesis) students in Sociology specializing in Population Dynamics. The purpose of this program is to provide graduate training in demographic methods (including life table analyses) and enhance students’ knowledge of critical population issues. As such, students will be required to take a course on demographic methods and an overview substantive course on the key population issues facing societies today. In addition, students will take one complementary course in Sociology; Economics; or Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, which focusses on a particular population issue such as population health, migration, aging, family dynamics, and labour markets and skills acquisition. Students will attend at least five of the seminars given in the Social Statistics and Population Dynamics Seminar series. Research projects must be on a topic relating to population dynamics, approved by the PDO coordinating committee.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Research Project (18 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 696 | Research Paper 1. | 3 |
Research Paper 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploratory research for the selection of a research topic. | ||
| SOCI 697 | Research Paper 2. | 3 |
Research Paper 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Preparation, submission and approval of the proposal by the student to his/her supervisor. | ||
| SOCI 699 | Research Paper 4. | 12 |
Research Paper 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Completion, submission and approval of the research paper by the committee. | ||
Required Courses (24 credits)
All students must have taken these courses or take them during the first year of the program. Students granted an exemption from any one or more of these courses by the Graduate Studies Committee must substitute another substantive seminar at the 500 level or higher in its place.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOCI 504 | Quantitative Methods 1. | 3 |
Quantitative Methods 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to basic regression techniques commonly used in the social sciences. Covers the least squares linear regression model in depth and may introduce models for discrete dependent variables as well as the maximum-likelihood approach to statistical inference. Emphasis on the assumptions behind regression models and correct interpretation of results. Assignments will emphasize practical aspects of quantitative analysis. | ||
| SOCI 545 | Sociology of Population. | 3 |
Sociology of Population. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The classic literature of sociology of population. Drawing reciprocal linkages between social and population processes: Historical, family and labour force demography, demographic and fertility transitions, mortality, ethnic and race relations, gender, macro-structural interaction theory, and the relation of population and the environment. | ||
| SOCI 580 | Social Research Design and Practice. | 3 |
Social Research Design and Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Asking researchable sociological questions and evaluation of different research designs used to answer such questions. Development of cogent research proposals, including data collection procedures. Principles, dynamics, strengths and practical limitations of research designs. Examples from recent publications. | ||
| SOCI 600 | Qualitative Research Methods 1. | 3 |
Qualitative Research Methods 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of qualitative research design and modes of data collection, particularly observation, interviewing and focus groups. Students are required to design and undertake their own qualitative research project. Introduction to computerized tools for qualitative data management, transcription and analysis. | ||
| SOCI 603 | Bibliographic Methods 1. | 3 |
Bibliographic Methods 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Research-related skills for the production of a research bibliography under the supervision of a faculty member. | ||
| SOCI 604 | Bibliographic Methods 2. | 3 |
Bibliographic Methods 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced research-related skills for the production of a research bibliography under the supervision of a faculty member. | ||
| SOCI 625D1 | Professional Development Seminar in Sociology. | 0 |
Professional Development Seminar in Sociology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Professional development of incoming graduate students in sociology. | ||
| SOCI 625D2 | Professional Development Seminar in Sociology. | 0 |
Professional Development Seminar in Sociology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Professional development of incoming graduate students in sociology. | ||
| SOCI 626 | Demographic Methods. | 3 |
Demographic Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to demographic measurement and modeling. Course covers direct and indirect estimation, standardization, life table construction, and population projections. | ||
| SOCI 652 | Current Sociological Theory. | 3 |
Current Sociological Theory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of works in some major areas of Sociology with a focus on: antecedent thought and research in the area; the internal structure and consistency of these works; the validity of the major claims made; and the implications for future theoretical development and research. | ||
Complementary Course (3 credits)
- 3 credits at the 500 level or higher related to population dynamics selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECON 634 | Economic Development 3. | 3 |
Economic Development 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A systematic treatment of the characteristics and problems of economic development in underdeveloped countries. | ||
| ECON 641 | Labour Economics. | 3 |
Labour Economics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A synthesis of theoretical developments in the area of labour economics with stress upon problems of empirical testing. | ||
| ECON 734 | Economic Development 4. | 3 |
Economic Development 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Problems of economic growth and planning in selected underdeveloped countries. Topics covered vary from year to year in response to student interests; growth, poverty and income distribution, LDC labour markets and institutions, trade and development, international debt problems, issues in trade policy. | ||
| ECON 741 | Advanced Labour Economics. | 3 |
Advanced Labour Economics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected theoretical and policy issues in labour economics. | ||
| ECON 742 | Empirical Microeconomics. | 3 |
Empirical Microeconomics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Surveys the empirical techniques used in applied microeconomic fields, particularly development and labour economics. Focus is on the formulation of empirical models derived from economic theory, and on various estimation methodologies, including panel data econometrics, limited dependent variable models, and duration analysis. A "hands on" approach is emphasized. | ||
| ECON 744 | Health Economics. | 3 |
Health Economics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The emphasis will be on describing and analyzing the structure and performance of the Canadian health system, though some attention will be given to recent attempts by the federal and provincial governments to deal with current problems in this field. Readings will be selected from the economics and health literature. | ||
| EPIB 648 | Methods in Social Epidemiology. | 3 |
Methods in Social Epidemiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methods for conducting studies in social epidemiology and population health will be covered. Topics will include causal inference; measurement and concepts of social exposures; methods for study design and analysis. Techniques for descriptive and etiologic investigations of socioeconomic position, gender, race and ethnicity, geography, and social policies will be discussed. | ||
| EPIB 681 | Global Health: Epidemiological Research. | 3 |
Global Health: Epidemiological Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A review of selected epidemiological research focussing on global health and disease topics. Research will be mostly from developing countries and research methods will be highlighted. Case studies will be used to illustrate specific applications and challenges. | ||
| PPHS 501 | Population Health and Epidemiology. | 3 |
Population Health and Epidemiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course presents concepts and methods of epidemiology at the introductory level. The use of epidemiologic methods for population and public health research and practice will be illustrated. A review of selected population health questions such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the cardiovascular disease epidemic, cigarette smoking, or screening for disease will be presented. | ||
| PPHS 527 | Economics for Health Services Research and Policy. | 3 |
Economics for Health Services Research and Policy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key health policy topics in developed economies using analytic frameworks and tools from economics. Major topics include health insurance, health care financing, and the roles of individuals and public and private institutions in the health care system. | ||
| PPHS 528 | Economic Evaluation of Health Programs. | 3 |
Economic Evaluation of Health Programs. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Concepts and methods used to carry out economic evaluations of health programs and interventions, including public health interventions, pharmaceuticals, and other health care interventions. Includes topics such as calculation of unit costs, measurement of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and assessment of uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis. | ||
| PPHS 529 | Global Environmental Health and Burden of Disease. | 3 |
Global Environmental Health and Burden of Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course presents the grand challenges in global health from environmental and occupational risks along with the multi-disciplinary methods used to identify, control, and prevent them. It will introduce students to knowledge and skills in core disciplines of environmental health and approaches to environmental risk recognition, control and prevention in a global context. | ||
| PPHS 615 | Introduction to Infectious Disease Epidemiology. | 3 |
Introduction to Infectious Disease Epidemiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the field of infectious disease epidemiology taught from a public health perspective. Topics include analytic methods, study design, outbreak investigations, surveillance, vaccine development and evaluations, screening, modelling, and infectious causes of cancer or chronic diseases. | ||
| SOCI 502 | Sociology of Fertility. | 3 |
Sociology of Fertility. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An upper-level course that will cover the major theories and findings from the social scientific study of fertility behavior. Readings and discussion will focus on the causal linkages between social change and transitions in fertility behavior. We will examine contemporary and historical fertility behavior and transitions across the globe. | ||
| SOCI 512 | Ethnicity and Public Policy. | 3 |
Ethnicity and Public Policy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major themes in the theoretical literature on ethnicity. Public policies with direct and indirect implications for inter-ethnic relations will be studied. Policies affecting areas such as language, education, immigration, employment and promotion, multiculturalism and welfare. Examples drawn from several multi-ethnic societies. Political, constitutional, and economic problems associated with these policy initiatives. | ||
| SOCI 513 | Social Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa. | 3 |
Social Aspects HIV/AIDS in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of the social causes and consequences of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Gender inequality, sexual behaviours, marriage systems, migration, and poverty are shaping the pandemic as well as how the pandemic is altering social, demographic and economic conditions across Africa. | ||
| SOCI 520 | Migration and Immigrant Groups. | 3 |
Migration and Immigrant Groups. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of the major demographic, economic and sociological theories of internal and international migration. The main emphasis will be on empirical research on migration and immigrant groups. | ||
| SOCI 525 | Health Care Systems in Comparative Perspective. | 3 |
Health Care Systems in Comparative Perspective. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Comparative perspective to illustrate processes involved in the development and evolution of health care systems around the world. Countries examined will represent different welfare state regimes, health care system typologies, levels of development and wealth. | ||
| SOCI 526 | Indigenous Women's Health and Healthcare . | 3 |
Indigenous Women's Health and Healthcare . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines (i) the health status of Indigenous women in Canada, (ii) Indigenous ways of knowing about health, (iii) healthcare services, delivery, and access for Indigenous women in rural and remote areas as well as in urban centres, (iv) and participatory health research with Indigenous communities. | ||
| SOCI 535 | Sociology of the Family. | 3 |
Sociology of the Family. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This seminar reviews literature on major research areas in family. The course examines families in the past, the study of family using a life course approach, and considers selective areas which may have had significant influences on contemporary family such as work and family, family violence, and cultural variation in families. | ||
| SOCI 588 | Biosociology/Biodemography. | 3 |
Biosociology/Biodemography. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will explore linkages between social and biological systems, their influence on health and well-being over the life course, and on health disparities. Topics include classical sociological approaches to biosocial processes, sociobiology (reductionist, but population-based), and newer demographic studies on gen-environment, epigenetic, and stress-metabolic/allostatic processes. | ||