First-Year Student Course Selection

Students must complete SY101 in their first year, and usually take SY103 as well. You may defer SY103 until the fall term of your second year, however. Your other first-year courses will be drawn from other departments and courses across the university, and we recommend that you take a wide range of courses from different disciplines.  The maximum number of credits you may take at first-year level is 7.

A course you take as part of a second major can count towards your Sociology degree. This is called "double counting" and you may do this with any course that is approved for Sociology. You are advised to check with your other department/program to make sure you have their approval as well.

Note: You only receive credit for the course once, even when it “counts” towards two program’s requirements.

Courses at Other Universities

You can take a course at another university with what is called a “Letter of Permission,” and you must seek permission in advance from the Sociology undergraduate advisor and the Office of Enrolment Services. Courses you take at other universities must not overlap with something you have taken here at Laurier, and there is a minimum acceptable grade to transfer credits to Laurier. The applicable forms and instructions are available from the Office of Enrolment Services.

Undergraduate Course Offerings

The course list can be found in LORIS Browse Classes, and a description of courses can be found in the Sociology area of the undergraduate academic calendar.  Please note: not all courses listed in the calendar are offered each year and courses offered may be subject to change.

Spring 2026 Sociology Courses

• SY101: Introduction to Sociology: Foundations (Online)
• SY215: Health and Illness (Online)
• SY224: Sociology of Work (Online)
• SY242: Sociology of Crime: Interpretive Perspective (Online)
• SY281: Qualitative Methods (Virtual Synchronous)

2025-2026 Course Offerings

Fall 2026 Sociology Courses

• SY101: Introduction to Sociology: Foundations
• SY103: Introduction to Sociology: Social Life
• SY201: Sociology of Families (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY207: Social Theory I (Lecture and Virtual Asynchronous options)
• SY210: Social Inequality (Virtual Synchronous = scheduled day and time online)
• SY213: Sociology of Globalization
• SY216: Aging in Social Context
• SY218: Constructions of Deviance
• SY224: Sociology of Work
• SY232: Sociology of Mental Illness
• SY242: Sociology of Crime: Interpretive Perspective (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY280: Quantitative Methods
• SY281: Qualitative Methods
• SY305: Sociology & Cultural Forms
• SY306: Environmental Sociology
• SY314: Time Diary & Content Analysis
• SY316: Sociology of Education
• SY321: Sociology of Medicine 
• SY327: Interviews and Focus Groups
• SY338: Women & Development
• SY339: Disability & Abnormality
• SY382: Social Statistics
• SY389: Contemporary Social Theory
• SY405: Poverty
• SY408: Sociology of Sexualities
• SY412: Constructions of Parenthood
• SY423: Children, Parents & Schools
• SY425: Aging and the Life Course
• SY489: Advanced Qualitative Methods

Winter 2027 Sociology Courses

• SY101: Introduction to Sociology: Foundations (Waterloo and Milton campus options)
• SY103: Introduction to Sociology: Social Life
• SY201: Sociology of Families 
• SY207: Social Theory I 
• SY208: Social Theory II (Lecture and Virtual Asynchronous options)
• SY210: Social Inequality
• SY211: Sociology Of Sport
• SY213: Sociology of Globalization
• SY215: Health and Illness
• SY216: Aging in the Social Context
• SY218: Constructions of Deviance
• SY224: Sociology of Work
• SY231: Sociology of Suicide
• SY241: Sociology of Crime: Structural Perspectives (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY242: Sociology of Crime: Interpretive Perspective (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY280: Quantitative Methods
• SY281: Qualitative Methods
• SY303: Sociology of Youth
• SY312: Conversation Analysis
• SY317: Social Policy Analysis
• SY321: Sociology of Medicine (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY324: Sociology of Food & Culture
• SY332: Sociology of Race & Ethnicity (Virtual Asynchronous)
• SY334: Sociology of Gender
• SY382: Social Statistics 
• SY389: Contemporary Social Theory
• SY409: Sociology of Men & Masculinities
• SY414: Social Movements
• SY417: Social Inequality in Canada
• SY421: Advanced Sociology of Mental Health
• SY452L: Research Ethics