X. Degree Programs
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Political Science (POLS)
Department of Political Science, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences
The Department of Political Science offers courses in the following areas: Political Thought; Canadian Politics; Public Policy, Governance, and Law; Comparative Politics; and International Relations and Global Studies. The Department of Political Science also participates in several interdisciplinary programs, including Criminal Justice and Public Policy, International Development Studies, Environmental Governance, and European Studies.
Students taking courses in Political Science may enrol initially in POLS*1150, POLS*1400, POLS*1500, the latter 2 courses providing overview and introductory treatments of particular interest to students who wish to take higher level courses in the department but who do not intend to specialize in the discipline. For students intending to pursue a general or honours specialization in Political Science, however, POLS*1150 is required.
Courses at the 2000 level provide students with essential grounding in specific areas of the discipline and are normally prerequisite for enrolment in 3000 and 4000 level courses. Students in the honours program major are required to take POLS*3180 and POLS*3650. Students in the honours program minor are required to take POLS*3180.
In addition to the requirements set out in the B.A. Program Regulations, the Department of Political Science requires that students pursuing general and honours programs successfully complete a core requirement of 2.50 credits and meet specific distribution requirements as follows:
Area of Concentration (General Program)
A minimum of 5.00 credits in Political Science is required, including:
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the Political Science core
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2.50 additional credits, at least 1.50 of which must be at the 3000 level or above
Major (Honours Program)
A minimum of 9.00 credits in Political Science is required, including:
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the Political Science core
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at least 0.50 credits at the 3000 level in three of the five fields in the department
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1.50 credits at the 4000 level, two of which may include the POLS*4970/POLS*4980 Honours Thesis **
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an additional 2.50 credits from courses in Political Science
** Students interested in pursuing graduate or professional studies related to Political Science are encouraged to consider taking the POLS*4970/POLS*4980 Honours Thesis sequence. Interested students must obtain instructor consent in order to register for this option.
Minor (Honours Program)
A minimum of 5.00 credits in Political Science is required, including:
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the Political Science core
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0.50 credits at the 4000 level
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1.50 additional credits from courses in Political Science
Choices for fulfillment of prerequisites for 4000 level courses (see course descriptions for corresponding requirements).
Canadian Politics
Public Policy, Governance and Law
| POLS*3130 | [0.50] | Law, Politics and Judicial Process |
| POLS*3210 | [0.50] | The Constitution and Canadian Federalism |
| POLS*3250 | [0.50] | Public Policy: Challenges and Prospects |
| POLS*3300 | [0.50] | Governing Criminal Justice |
| POLS*3370 | [0.50] | Environmental Politics and Governance |
| POLS*3440 | [0.50] | Corruption, Scandal and Political Ethics |
| POLS*3470 | [0.50] | Business-Government Relations in Canada |
| POLS*3670 | [0.50] | Comparative Public Policy and Administration |
| POLS*3940 | [0.50] | Accountability and Canadian Government |
Comparative Politics
| POLS*3000 | [0.50] | Politics of Africa |
| POLS*3060 | [0.50] | Politics of the Middle East and North Africa |
| POLS*3080 | [0.50] | Politics of Latin America |
| POLS*3160 | [0.50] | Women and Politics in the Third World |
| POLS*3320 | [0.50] | Politics of Aid & Development |
| POLS*3410 | [0.50] | U.S. Politics and Government |
| POLS*3440 | [0.50] | Corruption, Scandal and Political Ethics |
| POLS*3450 | [0.50] | European Governments and Politics |
| POLS*3670 | [0.50] | Comparative Public Policy and Administration |
| POLS*3890 | [0.50] | Government and Politics of India |
| POLS*3920 | [0.50] | Modern China |
International Relations and Global Studies
| POLS*3070 | [0.50] | Comparative Politics of Asia Pacific |
| POLS*3160 | [0.50] | Women and Politics in the Third World |
| POLS*3320 | [0.50] | Politics of Aid & Development |
| POLS*3330 | [0.50] | Politics and Trade Liberalization in the Americas |
| POLS*3490 | [0.50] | Conflict and Conflict Resolution |
| POLS*3790 | [0.50] | The Political Economy of International Relations |
The Department of Political Science offers a comprehensive counselling service for students in Political Science. As part of their program, the department also permits students to include 0.50 credits towards the general degree and 1.00 credits towards the honours degree from an approved list of courses offered by other departments.
Students are encouraged to consult with the departmental advisor for either of these programs about course selection, substitution of courses offered by other departments, or other matters.