Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content

Minors

Shape Your Studies With A Social Sciences Minor

Adding a minor to your degree is a strategic way to personalize your education, deepen your expertise, and enhance your career prospects. It allows you to explore a subject you’re passionate about, complement your major, and develop a broader skill set that employers value.

With just 24 units – 12 of which must be above Level I and count as electives – you can gain specialized knowledge that strengthens your academic profile and sets you apart in competitive job markets.

Minors are available to students whose chosen subject is not a core part of their main degree program.

While completing a minor can enrich your university experience, it’s important to note that course availability may be limited, and enrollment is not guaranteed. If you meet all requirements, you can apply to have the minor officially recognized on your transcript at graduation.

Minors Offered By The Faculty of Social Sciences

Anthropology

Minor In Anthropology

Explore how people, cultures, and societies shape the world around us.

This minor builds strong research and analytical skills while helping you understand human behaviour across different contexts – an advantage for careers in policy, research, community work, and any field that requires working with diverse groups. 

Asian Studies

Minor In Asian Studies

Explore the histories, cultures, languages, and religions that shape diverse Asian societies. This minor helps you understand global perspectives, cultural exchange, and the forces influencing one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

It’s a strong complement to majors in social sciences, humanities, business, and global work, giving you cultural awareness and analytical skills useful in internationally focused careers.

Diversity & Equity

Minor In Diversity & Equity

Examine how power, identity, and inequality shape people’s experiences in different social and cultural contexts. This minor builds strong analytical and communication skills while helping you understand issues related to race, gender, sexuality, disability, and more.

It’s a valuable complement to programs focused on community work, policy, education, and social services, preparing you to support inclusive practices and advocate for equity in any field.

Economics

Minor In Economics

Study how people, businesses, and governments make decisions in a world shaped by scarcity and trade-offs.

This minor strengthens your ability to analyze data, understand markets, and evaluate the impact of policies. It’s a strong complement to many majors, giving you practical tools for careers in business, policy, finance, and research.

Gender, Sexualities & Families

Minor In Gender, Sexualities & Families

Examine how gender identities, sexualities, and family structures shape people’s lives across different social and cultural contexts.

This minor builds strong analytical and communication skills, preparing you to understand inequality, support inclusive practices, and work effectively with diverse communities. 

Health, Aging & Society

Minor In Health, Aging & Society

Explore how health, care, and aging are shaped by social systems, policies, and community contexts.

This minor builds strong analytical and applied skills that help you understand population aging and prepare for work in health, social services, policy, and community-focused fields. 

Health, Well-Being & Religion

Minor In Health, Well-Being & Religion

Explore how religious beliefs, practices, and traditions shape ideas about health, healing, and well‑being across cultures.

This minor strengthens your ability to analyze care systems, understand diverse approaches to wellness, and apply cross‑cultural perspectives in health, community, and social‑service settings.

Immigration, Race Relations & Indigenous-Settler Relations

Minor In Immigration, Race Relations & Indigenous-Settler Relations

Examine how migration, racism, and Indigenous‑settler relations shape communities, identities, and social systems.

This minor builds strong analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing you to understand inequality, engage with diverse perspectives, and contribute to work in policy, community services, and social change.

Indigenous Studies

Minor In Indigenous Studies

Explore the histories, cultures, and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples through community-rooted perspectives and diverse worldviews.

This minor strengthens your ability to think critically about colonialism, reconciliation, and Indigenous knowledge systems – valuable skills for work in community engagement, policy, education, and social change.

Justice, Law & Order

Minor In Justice, Law & Order

Study how legal systems, policing, and social structures shape ideas of justice and order in society.

This minor builds strong analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing you for work in policy, law, community services, and roles that require understanding fairness, accountability, and social impact.

Mental Health, Addiction & Society

Minor In Mental Health, Addiction & Society

Examine how mental health and addiction are shaped by social forces like inequality, stigma, and policy. This minor helps you understand the systems that influence well-being and prepares you to think critically about non-medical approaches to care and support.

It’s a strong complement to majors in health, social services, and community-focused fields, giving you tools to work with diverse populations and advocate for meaningful change.

Political Science

Minor In Political Science

Study how governments, institutions, and political actors shape decisions at local, national, and global levels.

This minor builds strong analytical and communication skills, helping you understand policy, power, and public debate – an asset for careers in law, public service, advocacy, and research.

Public Leadership

Minor In Public Leadership

Study how leaders, institutions, and public actors shape policy, influence communities, and drive social change.

This minor builds practical leadership and analytical skills that prepare you for roles in government, advocacy, community work, public policy, and other fields focused on collective impact.

Religion & Diversity

Minor In Religion & Diversity

Explore how religion influences everyday life, from personal identity to community values and global issues.

Graduates leave with the tools to navigate diverse perspectives in fields such as education, social work, community engagement, and interfaith initiatives.

Social Problems, Society Policy & the Law

Minor In Social Problems, Social Policy & The Law

Study how issues like inequality, discrimination, and crime intersect with policy decisions and legal systems, shaping everyday life in communities.

Coursework builds strong analytical and problem‑solving skills that support careers in public policy, law, advocacy, social services, and community development.

Society, Culture & Religion

Minor In Society, Culture & Religion

Explore how religious beliefs and practices shape identities, communities, and cultural life across different historical and global contexts.

Students develop the analytical and communication skills needed for work in education, social services, interfaith engagement, and roles that benefit from understanding diverse worldviews.

Sociology

Minor In Sociology

Study how social structures, institutions, and everyday interactions shape behaviour and influence life in communities.

Through this field of study, you’ll develop strong research and critical thinking skills that support careers in policy, social services, community work, and roles that benefit from understanding how society functions.

Work & Labour Studies

Minor In Work & Labour Studies

Explore how work shapes everyday life – from health and economic security to equity, sustainability, and community well‑being – through an interdisciplinary lens that connects economics, society, and contemporary workplace issues.

Students develop the analytical and practical skills needed for roles in policy, advocacy, human resources, community work, and fields focused on improving working conditions and advancing social change.

Interdisciplinary Minors Offered Through Social Sciences

Archaeology

Minor In Archaelogy

Explore human history through the study of artifacts, landscapes, and material remains, drawing on anthropology, history, geology, and environmental science to understand societies across time and place.

Students gain analytical, research, and communication skills that support careers in heritage work, education, cultural resource management, and fields that value insight into past human experiences.

Civic Vitality, Democracy & Electoral Management (CIVDEM)

Minor In Civic Vitality, Democracy & Electoral Management (CIVDEM)

Examine how civic participation, democratic resilience, and electoral integrity shape communities at local, national, and global levels, while gaining insight into the barriers that limit political engagement for underrepresented groups.

Through coursework and connections with advocates, practitioners, and policymakers, the program builds research, communication, and leadership skills that support meaningful. engagement in civic and democratic processes

Community Engagement

Minor In Community Engagement

Explore how meaningful collaboration, relationship-building, and community-focused problem‑solving can create positive change across local and global contexts.

Through interdisciplinary coursework and hands-on learning, the program strengthens your ability to work respectfully and effectively with diverse groups, preparing you for roles in community development, education, social services, and other fields rooted in civic responsibility.

Food, Nutrition & Environmental Health

Minor in Food, Nutrition & Environmental Health

Explore how food systems shape health, culture, and the environment by drawing on perspectives from the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.

Skills in analysis, communication, and interdisciplinary problem-solving support pathways in health, sustainability, policy, community development, and fields addressing global challenges like food insecurity and climate change.

Globalization Studies

Minor In Globalization Studies

Explore how global systems, cultural exchanges, and political and economic forces shape life across borders through coursework drawn from Social Sciences, Humanities, Health Sciences, and Science.

A flexible course selection allows you to build a personalized pathway into understanding global interdependence, preparing you to navigate and interpret the rapidly shifting dynamics of an interconnected world.

Jewish Studies

Minor In Jewish Studies

Explore the cultural, historical, and religious dimensions of Jewish life through courses that highlight the depth and diversity of Jewish civilization across time and place.

Engagement with topics such as history, literature, and philosophy builds cross-cultural understanding and analytical skills valuable in education, community work, cultural organizations, and fields that benefit from global and historical awareness.

Leadership & Civic Studies

Minor In Leadership & Civic Studies

Examine how leadership, governance, and civic action shape public life in Canada through themes that span practical leadership, institutional dynamics, and the role of human rights and social movements in driving change.

By connecting theory with real-world issues, the minor strengthens your ability to understand complex social challenges and contribute meaningfully to civic well-being and public leadership.

Muslim Studies

Minor In Muslim Studies

Explore the cultural, historical, and religious dimensions of the Muslim world through courses that highlight the depth and diversity of Islamic civilizations.

The minor builds cross‑cultural awareness and analytical skills useful in education, community work, global studies, and roles that benefit from understanding diverse worldviews. 

Social Justice & Inclusive Communities

Minor In Social Justice & Inclusive Communities

Explore how systems of marginalization shape people’s lives and learn how communities work toward equity and inclusion across different social contexts.

A flexible course selection lets you focus on the issues that matter most to you, building skills that support advocacy, community work, policy engagement, and efforts to create more just and inclusive environments.