Research Assistantships and SOC 497

Fall 2025 opportunities and applications will open onÌý Friday, August 22, 2025. Undergraduate Research AssistantshipsÌýare offered through unpaid course credit via SOC 497 (Honours Research Practicum). The department does not have any paid positions at this time.

SOC 497 Honours Research Practicum

Description:ÌýDenoting a preprofessionalization experience, this course provides selected students with an opportunity to work (to a maximum of 8 hours per week over one term)Ìýas an apprentice with a specific instructor on a research project in which the instructor is currently engaged.ÌýNote: This is an unpaid position and may not be combined with sponsored research positions. Earlier or outside research involvements will not meet the criteria for this course. Also, this course cannot beÌýused to fulfill any plan requirements, like the 400-level course requirements for the Sociology major. Rather, it is a Sociology elective only. It can however count towards the courses you need to fulfill the BA degree requirements (40 courses for Honours and 4-year general Arts, 30 courses for 3-year general Arts). This course is not repeatable; it can only be taken once.

Eligibility: You must beÌýin level at least 3A. Preference will be given to level at least 4AÌýSociology and/or Legal Studies students.

Grading basis: Credit/no credit.ÌýYouÌýwill be assigned a CR grade at the end of term by your supervisorÌýupon satisfactory completion of the assigned research work.

Course requirements: You must complete up to 8 hours of research work per week with your supervisor over the course of a term. Your supervisor must be a Department of Sociology and Legal Studies faculty member.

Benefits:ÌýCompletion of the course will appear onÌýyourÌýtranscript, andÌýyou can indicate completion of the course as well as research tasks completed and skills developed in your resume.ÌýThis is a great opportunity for you to further develop your research skills and resume, and get to learn what real social scientific research looks like at UÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵ!

Application instructions

Deadline:ÌýStudent applications, which include the online application form and CV, must be received by Friday, August 29th, 2025Ìýat 11:59 pm.

±õ²Ô²õ³Ù°ù³Ü³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô²õ:ÌýPlease review the SOC 497 information above (if you want to receive course credit for the undergraduate research assistantship work) and the research projects below. Afterwards, please fill out the webform and indicate your preference for the projectsÌý(first choice = highest preference). Please do not contactÌýthe supervisors regarding the status of your application. If you submitted the webform and saw a confirmation message, then we received your application. You will be notified at the start of the term if you are a successful candidate. If you have any questions, please contact the undergraduate advisor.

°¿³Ü³Ù³¦´Ç³¾±ð:ÌýDepending on the number of student applications received, faculty members will select the most qualified available candidate for their research assistant position, and not all students in the end may be able to enrol in SOC 497. You will be notified by email of whether or not you have been acceptedÌýinto SOC 497Ìýat the latest by Friday, September 12th, 2025. Ìý

Fall 2025 Research Projects

Digital Societies, Work Orientations and Religion

Project description:

This project involves preparing a results report and infographics on the themes of digital societies and work orientations, as well as assisting for a few hours a week at the Institute for Religion, Culture and Societal Futures (IRCSF), based at St. Jerome’s University and the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ in À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, Ontario. The IRCSF is Canada’s hub for social scientific and empirical research related to religion, spirituality, and emerging forms of communities of belief and practice. The IRCSF is non-partisan, and brings together both resident and visiting scholars working in the fields of sociology of religion and the social scientific study of religion to support undergraduate and graduate students, community organizations, faith groups, schools, the media, and the general public in better understanding the religious landscape of Canada and connections between religion, spirituality, secularity and other aspects of public and social life. The IRCSF hosts talks and workshops, publishes reports, media releases and social media posts, and provides consulting services.

Instructor / supervisor:ÌýSarah Wilkins-Laflamme, Associate Professor | Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Sociology

Research tasks:

  • Cleaning statistical results on the themes of digital societies and workÌýorientations, in table format, in preparation for their inclusion in a co-authored report.

  • Creating a series of infographics with key results on digital societies andÌýwork orientations, using Canva software.

  • Attending the IRCSF seminars and webinars throughout Fall 2025, andcreating social media posts summarizing key ideas and findings shared during these research events.

Apply Here!

Have you taken SOC 497 before?
SOC 497 Application
Please upload your resume in PDF or DOC format.
One file only.
2 MB limit.
Allowed types: txt, pdf, doc, docx, odt.
Please provide a rationale for applying for this undergraduate research assistantship position.

If you have already received credit for SOC 497, unfortunately, you will not be able to reapply as SOC 497 is not a repeatable course.

I encourage you to explore other research opportunities at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ. 

Please note: if you have applied before but have not obtained an assistantship and have therefore not received credit for the course, you are free to apply as many times as you like. 

Thank you for your interest in SOC 497!