MA Programs

Language Requirements

English is the language of communication at the University and instruction in most programs. Students whose primary language is not English must have a demonstrated command of English sufficient to pursue graduate studies.

International applicants will not be required to submit an English-language test if they have completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction and examination was in English, in a country where English is the primary language. Please see Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, International & English Language Requirements for more information. 

Please note that English-language waivers/exemptions are very rarely granted and typically only under exceptional circumstances. The applicant’s overall English-language experience must be demonstrably robust in order to be considered.

The following may be considered as valid reasons for an applicant to receive a waiver/exemption. Documentation attesting to the below should be uploaded as additional documents to the applicant's online application. Please note that documents received via email prior to an application being started through the proper channels (i.e. through the online application portal) will not be reviewed.

• Extensive experience working/volunteering/living in a predominantly English-speaking country
• Extensive post-secondary English-language schooling in an English-speaking country, but not a full degree
• Publications where the applicant is the first/primary author in peer-reviewed English-language journals
• Publications (book chapters, whole books, similar) in English where the applicant is the first/primary author
• Evidence of expired but well over-minimum English-language test results, along with any of the above (this alone cannot be used for a waiver)

Schedule

Master's programs in Sociology and Anthropology are designed to be completed within six consecutive terms (or two full academic years) commencing in the Fall of each year. Applications to start the MA program out-of-cycle (i.e. in the spring or summer terms) are not possible.

(S) denotes requirements for MA in Sociology / (A) denotes requirements for MA in Anthropology

Graduate Seminar

All graduate students must attend and actively participate in the Graduate Seminar (SA 840) during the first term of their program.

FULL VS. PART-TIME STATUS

Sociology and anthropology students are considered to be full-time students, and must pay full-time fees, regardless of the number of course units for which they are registered.

CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT

Simon Fraser University requires graduate students to be enrolled every term unless they have applied for and received authorization for a leave of absence.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The requirements for completion of the MA degree program are:

• Completion of required and elective course work:
  • One (1) term-long required professional development Graduate Seminar
  • Two (2) term-long required courses and two (2) term-long elective courses
• Completion and defence of thesis research prospectus; and
• Completion and public defence of an original MA thesis.

REQUIRED COURSES FOR SOCIOLOGY MA: 

• SA 840-2 Graduate Seminar (2 units)
• SA 850-5 Selected Topics in Social Theory (5 units)
• SA 856-5 Qualitative Sociological Research Methods (5 units)
• SA 898-10 MA Thesis (10 units)

REQUIRED COURSES FOR ANTHROPOLOGY MA:

• SA 840-2 Graduate Seminar (2 units)
• SA 870-5 Theories in Anthropology (5 units) 
• SA 875-5 Ethnographic Methodology: Social/Cultural Anthropology (5 units)
• SA 898-10 MA Thesis (10 units)

ELECTIVES

Electives (2) should be selected in consultation with the student’s supervisor.

Cost

Regular full-time tuition fees for the research-based MA program is $2,066.11 CAD per term for the 2023-2024 academic year.
International graduate students pay the same fees as domestic students.

For further details, refer to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Tuition and Fees.

FUNDING

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has a small budget of funds for entrance awards to assist students during their time in the program. Within the confines of this budget, the department is committed to providing some financial assistance to all PhD and MA students. Scholarships may be available and graduate students may apply to be a TA/TM each term.

With respect to financial support, department policy and practice is to make financial awards available to the largest number of students possible. Thus, all students who meet the eligibility criteria for an award are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants are encouraged to review the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Scholarships and Awards website for additional information.

The following sources of entrance funding are available for eligible incoming students:

SPECIAL GRADUATE ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS (SGES)

A small number of entrance scholarships are available annually for incoming students. These are competitive awards given to the best incoming graduate students for full-time graduate study.

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS (GF)

GFs are one-term grants from Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies that are awarded to qualifying students based on status in the program, availability of other funding, and merit. As a practice, the department tries to ensure that all eligible MA students receive at least one GF over the course of their studies.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS (TA)/TUTOR MARKER POSITIONS (TM)

All graduate students in the department are eligible to be employed as TAs and/or TMs. Employment as a teaching assistant is a valuable opportunity for professional development that graduate students are encouraged to take advantage of. MA students are assured of one TA/TM position during their studies. While many graduate students work as TA/TMs throughout their studies, employment during any particular term is not guaranteed. TA/TM positions are available in the fall and spring terms, however TA/TM positions are limited for summer terms.

For more information, please visit Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Entrance and Scholarships Awards.

Contacting a potential supervisor

Once you've identified one or two potential supervisors, you should contact them by email.

Here are some items to include in your initial brief contact email:

• Your name
• Ask them specifically if they are accepting new graduate students for the coming academic year
• Why you wish to pursue graduate studies
• Academic background (your CGPA must be over 3.25, or equivalent)
  
• Academic awards or highlights
• Research experience
• Why the faculty member's area of research will match with your research goals (cite the faculty member's publications if relevant)
  • Make it clear that you are familiar with their work and how their research interests mesh with your own (if there is a research idea in one of their papers that you would like to explore in your work, explain that briefly)
    
• A research proposal, if appropriate