IX. Graduate Programs
Political Science
Courses
| POLS*6000 Comparative Approaches to Political Science U [0.50] |
| In this course, the students examine the main theoretical frameworks and debates in political science and the ways in which
these conceptual approaches guide empirical analysis and explain political behaviour. Examples include neo-institutionalism,
political culture, Marxism, feminist and identity based approaches.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6050 Gender and Politics U [0.50] |
| This course will survey theoretical approaches to gender, primarily feminist analysis. Through selected readings, students
will be introduced to gender as an approach to examining current political problems such as social policy, security or development.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6210 Conceptions of Canada U [0.50] |
| This course will explore evolving conceptions of Canadian identity and nationalism through consideration of political culture,
institutions and constitutional arrangements. Possible topics include: multiculturalism, aboriginal identity and community,
Quebec nationalism, social citizenship, rights and representation, as well as Canada's global role and significance.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6250 Comparative Governments in the Americas U [0.50] |
| This course provides the theoretical and methodological foundation for the analysis of Canada, the United States, and Latin
America and the Caribbean. Methodological issues in the analysis of constitutional regimes and theoretical frameworks for
the comparative analysis of political institutions are examined.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6290 The American Political System U [0.50] |
| This course examines the institutions, processes and policies of the government and politics of the United States. Seminar
discussion focuses on evaluating approaches to the study of the American system. Topics to be covered include Congress, interest
groups, executive-legislative relations and reinventing government.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6380 Democratization in Comparative Perspective U [0.50] |
| This course offers a graduate seminar in the study of democratization. Focusing primarily on the countries of the Global South,
it explores theories of democratic transition, social mobilization and the articulation of rights aimed at defending new forms
of democratic recognition.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6390 Environmental Politics and Policy U [0.50] |
| This course analyses environmental actors, movements, institutions, processes and policies across national, sub-national regional
and/or global levels of governance utilizing a range of environmental perspectives and theories. Depending on the instructor(s),
different case studies of critical and contemporary environmental policy issues will be explored.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6400 Comparative Social Policy U [0.50] |
| In this course, students will study social policy in comparative perspective. Theoretical models and various policy fields
will be examined in order to understand welfare state development and retrenchment. Policy fields may include immigration,
health, child care and income.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6450 International Political Economy U [0.50] |
| The course relies on theoretical approaches in IPE to examine the relationships between politics and economics across national
and regional levels. The evolution of the global political economy and its globalization and state and non-state actors' responses.
Issue areas may include: money and power, technology, trade, development and the environment.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6630 Approaches to Public Policy U [0.50] |
| This course introduces students to the main theoretical approaches utilized in understanding public policy making and outcomes.
Throughout the course, particular attention is paid to varying conceptions of institutions, ideas and interest and the role
of these conceptions in various explanations of policy change and stasis.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6640 Canadian Public Administration: Public Sector Management U [0.50] |
| This course examines the growth of the administrative state in Canada, especially in the post World War II period. It critically
reviews issues such as the concept of public sector management, the delegation of authority, personnel management, accountability
and the ethics of ministers and officials to Parliament and the public.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6730 The Politics of Development and Underdevelopment U [0.50] |
| This course, for MA students specializing in international and comparative development, has a primarily theoretical orientation,
focusing on the main paradigms that have evolved to explain central problems and issues of development and underdevelopment,
particularly modernization theory, dependency theory, world-systems theory and Marxist state- theory.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6750 Development in Practice U [0.50] |
| This course examines the politics of international development policy and practice. Drawing upon theories of development and
underdevelopment, it examines the role of transnational regimes, international institutions, national governments, and NGOs
in the provision of international development assistance.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6800 Public Policy and Governance - Selected Topics F [0.50] |
| This course explores concepts, theories and methods of public policy analysis and governance practices and questions; the
factors that influence a state's ability to design, coordinate, implement and learn from policy interventions; the intellectual
forces and conceptual-theoretical frameworks that underpin the literature.
|
| Restriction(s): |
Doctoral students only. |
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6900 Pro-Seminar U [0.25] |
| This course is a 0.25 credit course introducing students to graduate studies in the department and to the profession of political
science. It includes information on the following: formation of a student's faculty advisory committee; preparation of research
proposals for thesis and major papers; library orientation; research using the WWW and computers; and discussion of faculty
research. All graduate students are required to take this course. The course is graded satisfactory (SAT) or unsatisfactory
(UNS).
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6940 Qualitative Research Design and Methods U [0.50] |
| This course focuses on the elements of designing and writing a research question and proposal. It further examines a variety
of research methods, such as the case study, comparative and survey methods. Data collection techniques also are examined.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6950 Specialized Topics in Political Studies U [0.50] |
| This course is intended to be an elective course for students wishing to pursue an area of investigation not covered in the
other courses offered by the department. This course may also be chosen by students who want to further pursue a subject area
to which they were introduced in a previous course.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6960 Directed Readings U [0.50] |
| This is an elective course for students wishing to pursue an area of investigation not covered in other courses offered by
the department. This course may also be chosen by students who want to further pursue a subject area to which they were introduced
in a previous course.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
| POLS*6970 Major Paper U [1.00] |
| The major paper is an extensive research paper for those who do not elect to complete a thesis. It may be taken over two semesters.
The length of the major paper is not to exceed 10,000 words.
|
| Department(s): |
Department of Political Science |
Students should also consult the fourth year undergraduate course selection. Graduate students, with the approval of the instructor
and the Graduate Coordinator, may take a fourth year undergraduate course in the Political Science Department. This course
is taken as POLS*6950 Specialized Topics. Course requirements are modified so that they are comparable to other courses offered
at the graduate level.
Courses at McMaster University available to students in the collaborative MA program
