ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Sociology — Environment

Note: This is the 2013–2014 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.

Offered by: Sociology     Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Program Requirements

This program is currently under review and is not offered in 2013-2014.

Thesis

A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
An environmental component is required in the thesis.

Required Courses (9 credits)

Ph.D. candidates must take examinations in two subfields of sociology. These fields will be chosen from the Department's areas of specialization.

  • ENVR 610 Foundations of Environmental Policy (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: Brown, Peter Gilbert; Naylor, Robin Thomas; Goldberg, Mark (Fall)

    • Restriction: Enrolment in the Graduate Environment Option or enrolment in the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor.

  • ENVR 650 Environmental Seminar 1 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Interdisciplinary environmental research seminars with the goals of appreciating both the breadth and interconnectedness of environmental research questions.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Fall)

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in Environment Option.

  • ENVR 651 Environmental Seminar 2 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Environmental seminars and workshops focused on critical thinking, critical review of articles, team work, effective public speaking, grantmanship.

    Terms: Winter 2014

    Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Winter)

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in the Environment Option.

  • ENVR 652 Environmental Seminar 3 (1 credit)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Final research seminar.

    Terms: Fall 2013, Winter 2014

    Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Fall) Badami, Madhav Govind (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: ENVR 650.

    • Restriction: Open to students registered in Environment Option.

  • SOCI 505 Quantitative Methods 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : Topics include: problems - and solutions - in regression analysis, models for categorical dependent variables, including logic, log-linear, and linear probability models, measurement models, structural equation models with latent variables (LISREL), and time series and panel analysis.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: Rytina, Steven (Fall)

  • SOCI 700 Ph.D. Area Examination 1

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : The examination assesses the student's breadth of knowledge in one substantive area. This is the first of two required comprehensive examinations for the Ph.D. Program.

    Terms: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Summer 2014

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restriction: Only open to Ph.D. students in the Sociology Department

  • SOCI 701 Ph.D. Area Examination 2

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : The examination assesses the student's breadth of knowledge in one substantive area. This is the second of two required comprehensive examinations for the Ph.D. Program.

    Terms: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Summer 2014

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restriction: Only open to Ph.D. students in the Sociology Department

  • SOCI 702 Ph.D. Proposal Approval

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : Presentation and acceptance of the Ph.D. Proposal Defense by the student to the Department Proposal Committee.

    Terms: Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Summer 2014

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restriction: Only open to Ph.D. students in the Sociology Department

Complementary Courses (9 credits)

One course selected from the following:

  • ENVR 519 Global Environmental Politics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Faculty of Science

    Overview

    Environment : How the problem of environmental degradation is dealt with at the international level. The scope and nature of global environmental protection issues that cross boundaries, both physical and conceptual. Actors, structures and processes of international society. Consideration of global commons and transnational resources and of environmental externalities.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: Ellis, Jaye Dana (Fall)

    • Prerequisite: ENVR 201 or ENVR 203 or permission of instructor

    • Restrictions: Open to students in the Environment Graduate Option (available to other students with permission of instructor). (Not open to students who have taken ENVR 580 -- section 001 -- in Winter 2002, Fall 2003, or Fall 2004

    • Note: This course has been offered three times as a Topics in Environment Course

  • ENVR 544 Environmental Measurement and Modelling (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Faculty of Science

    Overview

    Environment : Utility of geographic information systems, remote sensing and spatially-explicit modelling for environmental planning in conjunction with analytical frameworks used in the decision-making process (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, life-cycle analysis and multi-criteria decision making).

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Prerequisites: NRSC 430 or GEOG201 or URBP 505 or permission of instructor

    • Restriction: Students registered in Environment Graduate Option (or permission of instructor)

  • ENVR 620 Environment and Health of Species (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : How major environmental problems affect the health of human and non-human species, and how environment and health interact at different spatial and temporal scales and with different components of the ecosystem. Immediate, chronic and evolutionary consequences on health. Uncertainty and causation.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restriction: Open to students in the Environment Option (available to other students with permission of instructor).

  • ENVR 622 Sustainable Landscapes (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Tools and knowledge needed to evaluate landscapes for sustainable management. Processes that shape landscapes, consequences of alternate landscape patterns on ecological flows, implications of management choices on biodiversity and sustainability, and need for social innovations.

    Terms: Winter 2014

    Instructors: Rhemtulla, Jeanine (Winter)

    • Restriction: Students registered in Environment Option, or permission of instructor.

    • Note: An understanding of ecological principles is required to take this course. Comparative case studies will be used.

  • ENVR 630 Civilization and Environment (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Considers ways to reduce the human impact on Earth's life support systems through variables such as population size, wealth, technology, and conduct. Critically describes ethical frameworks for judging personal and policy choices, including post-collapse scenarios.

    Terms: Winter 2014

    Instructors: Brown, Peter Gilbert; Goldberg, Mark (Winter)

    • Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

  • ENVR 680 Topics in Environment 4 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Bieler School of Environment (School of Environment)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Environment : Seminars and discussion of advanced, interdisciplinary aspects of current problems in environment led by staff and/or special guests.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restriction: students taking the Neotropical Environment Option.

    • Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor

or another course at the 500, 600, or 700 level recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the Environment Option Committee.

Two courses at the 500, 600, or 700 level chosen from among the elective courses listed in the Sociology Department course offerings.

Students who have not taken the following courses must make up the deficiencies in addition to the regular coursework:

  • SOCI 504 Quantitative Methods 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : Analysis of quantitative information, especially in large, survey-type, data sets. Use of computer programs such as SPSS and SAS. Topics include: cross tabulations with an emphasis on multi-dimensional tables, multiple correlation and regression, and, the relationship between individual and aggregate level statistical analyses. Special reference to demographic techniques.

    Terms: Winter 2014

    Instructors: Clark, Shelley (Winter)

  • SOCI 540 Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : Qualitative methodology, mainly participant observation, structured and unstructured interviewing. Students begin a research project using these techniques and submit field notes once a week.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2013-2014 academic year.

    • Restrictions: open to Sociology Honours students, and Sociology Major Concentration students with the instructor's permission

  • SOCI 580 Social Research Design and Practice (3 credits)

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : 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.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: Shor, Eran (Fall)

    • Restriction: Open to U3 and graduate students

  • SOCI 652 Current Sociological Theory (3 credits)

    Offered by: Sociology (Faculty of Arts)

    Administered by: Graduate Studies

    Overview

    Sociology (Arts) : 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.

    Terms: Fall 2013

    Instructors: Van den Berg, Axel (Fall)

If you are admitted at the Ph.D. 1 level and an exemption is obtained for one or more of the four courses above or SOCI 505, another one must then be substituted in its place. If you are admitted at the Ph.D. 2 level a substitution will only be required in the case of an exemption from SOCI 505.

Faculty of Arts—2013-2014 (last updated Aug. 21, 2013) (disclaimer)
Back to top