Sociology is the study of social life, inequality, and social change. It helps us understand how relationships, institutions, culture, and power structures shape our lives, from everyday interactions to global systems. In our sociology programs, you'll learn to question taken-for-granted assumptions and apply diverse theories and research methods to better understand how people live, think, feel, and believe. In our courses, you'll engage with issues such as social inequalities, climate change and environmental justice, criminalization and social control, precarious work, cultural diversity and change, gender-based and sexual violence, food insecurity, and the social impacts of Artificial Intelligence.

Read about our minor, major, and honours programs in sociology

Similarly, our approach to criminology emphasizes the social, political, and institutional forces that shape how we label and respond to deviance and "crime." Our curriculum is rooted in sociological approaches to understanding power, deviance, justice, and social control, while also drawing on perspectives from fields like law and public policy, political science, gender studies, network science, and psychology. In our criminology programs, you'll develop a strong foundation in theory, methods, and applied work while exploring issues such as policing and incarceration, inequality, homeslessness, surveillance, borders, criminal networks, abuse, violence, and mental health and wellbeing.

Read about our certificate, minor, and major programs in criminology

Studying sociology and/or criminology at Memorial will prepare you for different futures by developing your critical thinking, research, and communication skills. You'll also have opportunities to contribute to our department's long history of applied and community-engaged research in Newfoundland & Labrador. We offer Minor, Major, Joint Major, and Honours programs at the undergraduate level in sociology, and Certificate, Minor, and Major programs at the undergraduate level criminology. At the graduate level, we offer Master's and Doctoral degrees in Sociology.

People in our department work across many areas in sociology, criminology, and related fields, including the following clusters of research expertise: 

• Culture, Networks, and Identity
• Social Inequalities, Work and Labour, Health and Wellbeing
• Deviance, Criminology, and Social Control
• Environment, Climate Change, and Marine Sociology
• Science, Technology, and Society
• Theory and Methodology