Choosing your program

SJS offers four program streams:

  • coursework 
  • research project
  • creative project 
  • practicum

All students are initially admitted into the coursework stream of the program and must apply for admission into the other streams following the successful completion of the first semester of the program. It is in the students’ best interests to begin discussing their research and program interests with the Program Advisor as soon as possible. Students are expected to submit a research and/or creative proposal to the Social Justice Graduate Committee for approval prior to beginning their project. Those students remaining in the coursework stream need only inform the program coordinator through the Stream Selection Online Form.

In order to enter into the research project, creative project, and practicum streams students must have their projects/practicums and supervisors approved by the SJS Graduate Committee.

Regardless of which stream students pursue they must complete 4 FCEs in order to graduate from the program. A list of standing courses can be found in the Academic Calendar. Each semester, the program also offers a number of special topics classes. 

Students will normally complete 2 FCEs per year, with the research project, creative project or practicum being completed in the second year of study. The research/creative projects and practicums are worth 1FCE. Therefore, students will also need to take one FCE of course work in their second year in order to complete the four full FCEs required to graduate.

The following Graduate Social Justice Studies programs are offered:
Each program is marked with a TB, O or W designation to distinguish where each program is available.
(TB = Thunder Bay campus, O = Orillia campus, W = online)

Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Course Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Creative Project Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Practicum Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Research Project Option) TB

Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies) (Course Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies) (Creative Project Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies) (Practicum Option) TB
Master of Arts in Social Justice Studies (Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies) (Research Option) TB

Master of Arts in Sociology (Specialization in Social Justice Studies) (Course Option) TB
Master of Arts in Sociology (Specialization in Social Justice Studies) (Thesis Option) TB 

Master of Arts in English and Cultural Studies (Specialization in Social Justice Studies) (Course-Work Option) TB
Master of Arts in English and Cultural Studies (Specialization in Social Justice Studies) (Creative-Project Option) TB
Master of Arts in English and Cultural Studies (Specialization in Social Justice Studies) (Research-Project Option) TB