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Family Studies

The Department of Sociology offers programs of study that lead to a Minor in Family Studies.

Undergraduate students interested in the study of the family may choose to pursue either a Major in Sociology with a focus on the sociology of family or a Family Studies Minor, or to complete both1. The latter program offers a multi-disciplinary exploration of issues pertaining to the family, including issues of child and human development, from perspectives inherent to the social sciences. More details are available from the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Sociology who has responsibility for Family Studies advising.

To pursue graduate work in this area, students are encouraged to enrol in a graduate program in Sociology or in an Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program.

Minor in Family Studies

Family Studies (Minor, Faculty of Arts) offers a life course perspective to understanding families and other intimate relationships as they develop over time. This incorporates both the study of family in diverse contexts and the predictable ways in which families change.

The Minor comprises at least 30 credits from Family Studies (FMST) and Sociology (SOCI) courses.

The program requires that students complete:

Lower-level Requirements (12 credits)

  • 3 credits of FMST 210
  • 3 credits of SOCI 200 Sociology of Family
  • 6 additional credits of FMST at the 200-level and/or SOCI 100, 101, 102, 204, 224

Upper-level Requirements (18 credits)

  • 3 credits of SOCI 320 Diversity in Family Forms
  • 3 credits of SOCI 415 Theories of Family and Kinship
  • 12 credits at the 300-level or higher and selected from FMST courses and/or SOCI 324, SOCI 369, SOCI 441, SOCI 442 and SOCI 344

1Students majoring in Sociology and minoring in Family Studies may double count a maximum of only 6 upper-level credits toward both the Major and Minor. See Arts Advising.


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