丁香园AV

Department of Political Science | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
丁香园AV Calendar 2012 Fall

丁香园AV Requirements

In addition to the graduate general regulations, the department requires written statements of the student鈥檚 current interests and proposed areas of research. Applications for graduate work will be considered with reference to the manner in which the proposed area of the candidate鈥檚 research coincides with faculty teaching and research interests. Consult the department's list of faculty for general research interests. Should additional course work be deemed necessary, the graduate studies committee will indicate the same as a prerequisite.

A written statement of current research interests, three reference letters from qualified referees, and a sample of written work are also required.

Degree Requirements

The master of arts (MA) program may be completed through an essay or project option, a thesis option, or a field exam option. Students are admitted to the essay or project option and will require approval of the graduate program chair to transfer to another stream. Except in extenuating circumstances, students may only transfer once.

In accordance with Graduate General Regulation 1.6.4, each student will be assigned a supervisory committee.

Essay or Project Option

Students who choose the essay or project option will complete a total of five courses, including

• POL 801 Theoretical Perspectives in Political Science (5)

and one of

• POL 802 Political Research: Design and Analysis (5)
• POL 803 Qualitative Research Methods in Political Science (5)

and three additional courses from at least two of the department's three fields of study.

The essay or project option also requires completion of either extended essays in two department fields of study or one research project. Students who choose the research project option will submit a maximum 12,500 word (and bibliography) project, must have substantial original content. If an extended essay is chosen instead of a project, each extended essay will elabourate upon course work research and is not to exceed 12,500 words (and bibliography). Extended essays and research projects are defended in an oral defence.

Thesis Option

For those who choose the thesis option, students must submit to the thesis supervisory committee a thesis proposal outlining a brief topic summary, its relevance, the methodology to be followed, a chapter-by-chapter outline, thesis completion timetable and a bibliography. The proposal must be approved by the thesis supervisory committee.

Students in the thesis stream complete a total of four courses, including

• POL 801 Theoretical Perspectives in Political Science (5)

and one of

• POL 802 Political Research: Design and Analysis (5)
• POL 803 Qualitative Research Methods in Political Science (5)

and two additional courses from at least two of the three fields of study.

Students also must write a thesis, normally 18,750 to 25,000 words in length (and bibliography) and defend it in an oral defence.

Field Exam Option

For those who choose the field exam option, students submit, first to the supervisory committee and then to the appropriate department field committee, a field exam proposal outlining major and minor fields of study and a timetable for field exam completion. The field exam proposal is be approved by the supervisory committee.

Students in the field exam option will complete seven courses, including

• POL 801 Theoretical Perspectives in Political Science (5)

and one of

• POL 802 Political Research: Design and Analysis (5)
• POL 803 Qualitative Research Methods in Political Science (5)

and five additional courses from at least two of the three fields of study.

Students also pass two written field exams: one in their major and one in their minor field of study. The supervisory committee serves as the nucleus of the field examination committee. With the student's consultation, the supervisory committee will be expanded to include additional examiners if necessary. Students who fail one field examination, and one only, may retake the failed field examination.

Fields of Study

The major fields of study are

• Canadian government and politics
• Comparative government and politics
• International relations

Within these three major fields of study there are three distinct thematic emphases: public policy, political economy and governance. However, the department may offer advanced study in other political science fields, subject to the availability of faculty research expertise.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations

All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the graduate general regulations (residence, course work, academic progress, supervision, research competence requirement, completion time, and degree completion), as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled, as shown above.

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