Social and Cultural Analysis (PhD)
Doctorate (PhD)
Program overview
The PhD in Social and Cultural Analysis combines elements of anthropology and sociology to examine a range of social questions. The program has a unique bi-disciplinary structure that allows you to carry out independent research projects on issues related to topics such as social inequality, gender, technology, food, environment, urban development and the politics of representation.. Our large faculty is active in multiple research centres and groups, such as the Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology and Quebec’s first-ever Research Chair on Gambling. Our faculty and students conduct research around the world, as well as at home in Montreal's diverse communities, neighbourhoods, and orgnaizations.
Program Details
Admission Requirements
- MA in sociology or in anthropology, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, from a recognized university.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.
Degree Requirements
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
Please see the Sociology and Anthropology Courses page for course descriptions.
Social and Cultural Analysis PhD (90 credits)
| 12 | credits of Required Courses: |
| 6 | credits of Elective Courses, chosen from two courses from the lists below: |
Anthropology: Note: The subject matter for ANTH 640 and ANTH 641 varies from term to term and from year to year. Students may re-register for these courses provided that the course content has changed. | |
Sociology Note: Doctoral students are asked to perform at a higher level as leaders in class discussions and are given more in-depth work in the form of papers and oral presentations. | |
| 12 | credits: |
| 3 | credits: |
| 57 | credits: |
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and Fee
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form
- Statement of Purpose (five pages double spaced plus bibliography) should include:
- Your subject of interest,
- The question which you will pose,
- The methods that you will use,
- A short presentation of relevant debates and theoretical engagements with which your work will correspond and use,
- The name of a potential supervisor whose research area complements your own, and with whom you have communicated and would like to work
- Sample of writing
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Applicants whose primary language is not English, are required to submit official language test scores, unless exempted.
Please apply online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Social and Cultural Analysis | PhD | Feb. 1 | n/a | n/a |
All doctoral students will be considered for a teaching assistantship, valued at approximately $3,200 per semester. Research assistant positions also exist for funded research but cannot be guaranteed. Individual faculty members determine if work opportunities are available based on their own research initiatives.
Doctoral students who have completed their comprehensive exams and defended their thesis proposal are also eligible to teach undergraduate courses in their area(s) of expertise.
The Cary Boucock Memorial Award provides financial support for students engaged in research travel. Conference travel funding is also available through the department and faculty.
Successful applicants are automatically considered for Entrance Awards and Open Competition Awards. Please consult Concordia’s graduate funding page, specific funding provided by the department and Financial Aid and Awards.
Faculty members are involved with research initiatives at the local, national and international levels. As world experts in a variety of emerging and established fields, their findings are well represented in a number of recent book publications.
Their research interests include:
- Community, Migration, Travel, Transnational links, Elites, Youth
- Feminisms, Ethnography, Histories of Anthropology
- Imperialism, Neoliberalism, Political Anthropology
- Environment and Infrastructure, Politics, Bureaucracy
- Legal Anthropology, Muslim Feminisms
- The Body and Senses, Law and Society, Culture and Commerce, Art and Aesthetics
- Creolization, Language and Culture, Food
- Indigenous studies, ethnography, participatory research
- State Violence, Racialization, Citizenship
- Political Economy, Marxist Theory, Cultural and Critical Theory
- Family, Suicide, Sociological Theory, Modernity
- Emotions, morality, suffering and wellbeing, culture
- Risk, Surveillance, Social Justice
- Demography, History of Quebec/Canadian Population, Family
- Food and Sustainability, Social Economy, World-System Studies
- Youth, Addictive Behaviours, Population Health
- Self, Body, Gender, Sexuality, Popular Media, Cultural Theory
- Environmental governance and neoliberalism; Eco-citizenry; Post-humanism
- Social and cultural theory, Journalism and media studies
- Medicine, Gender, Racialization
- Sex Industry, Mixed Methodologies, Social Justice, Policy Research
- Digital Culture, Science and Technology, Social Theory
- Social theory, Deviance, Sociology of Law
- Men, Bodies, Senses
- Quebec, Social Movements, Political Sociology,
- Sociology of the economy, social and alternative economies
Review an inspiring list of thesis topics and read about some of our exceptional graduate students.
Doctoral students have also been published in a multitude of peer-reviewed journals, including Anthropology in Action, Anthropologica, Anthropologie et Sociétés, and Social Anthropology.
The Sociology and Anthropology Graduate Students’ Association (SAGSA) represents the collective interests and promotes the general welfare of graduate students in the department.
SAGSA also hosts an annual interdisciplinary student conference in March. Previous editions have seen students from across Quebec and Canada present their research and foster dialogue across disciplines. Keynote speakers from past conferences have included Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson, Dr. Alexandrine Boudreault-Fournier and Dr. Daniel Dagenais.
Our alumni are well positioned to find success in a wide range of professional careers in government statistics, human resources, development work, international relations, media and research.
Recent graduates have received prestigious postdoctoral fellowships from institutions around the world. Their research areas include:
- Social, political and cultural impact of globalization
- Sex work
- Comparative urban cultures
- Men and masculinities
- Digital culture and video games
- Citizenship and transculturalism
