Political Science Courses
Political Science MA Courses
Description:
The course is designed to familiarize students with the structures and processes of policy-making in Canadian government. Particular attention is given to theories of public policy, the role of key institutions and agencies in the formulation and analysis of policy, and recent organizational developments in the executive-bureaucratic arena.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course explores differing research philosophies, the principles of research design and research strategies. It also considers philosophical critiques of different approaches and practical aspects of conducting research.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 685 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
Students choose from several pre-selected workshops which help prepare them for their professional careers. These may include soft skills, teamwork, leadership, interviewing, communications, French language training, data management and analytics, professional ethics, and gender analysis.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 683 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course explores the major theories, approaches and contemporary debates within international relations theory. Topics include the development of realism, liberalism, constructivism and critical approaches. Major aspects of international relations theory, such as security, political economy, and international organization, are also explored.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 8040)
Description:
This course analyses policy development in industrialized countries. It focuses on various areas such as economic, education, fiscal and social policies. Moreover, this course examines contributions that address methodological issues related to comparative research.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 8050)
Description:
This course uses alternative theoretical perspectives to examine the actors and institutions governing global environmental politics and climate change. Students explore why effective cooperation has been challenging and assess the prospects of various proposals for future global environmental governance.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 687 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course focuses upon the American challenge to Canadian independence in the economic, cultural, defence and other spheres, and examines policy initiatives taken by Canadian governments and the various proposals advanced by nationalist groups to meet this challenge.Component(s):
Lecture (also listed as POLI 807)
Description:
The object of this course is to analyze demographic shifts towards ageing populations from a comparative perspective. Students examine the multiple policy and political consequences across industrialized countries related to improvements in health, hygiene and working conditions combined with declining fertility rates.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course provides students with a thorough understanding of the development and the requirements for writing and presenting policy ideas through government communication vehicles including Question Period notes, Briefing Notes, Memorandums to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions, and oral and written presentations to senior management.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 8110)
Description:
This course considers the increased policy-making functions of Supreme Courts in systems that have statutory and entrenched bills of rights. By focusing on the interaction between courts and legislatures, and the increasing use of litigation strategies by interest groups, the implications of public policy in a rights context are examined.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course explores the public policy of managing the business cycle. The emphasis is on both the theoretical literature associated with modern notions of managing the economic cycle and on applied case studies. The focus is both Canadian and comparative.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course examines key debates in the study and practice of citizenship in Canada. It explores the different forces which are transforming our understanding of citizenship, including globalization, nationalism, welfare state reform, international migration, and multiculturalism. Topics include citizenship and social exclusion; social rights and the welfare state; and economic citizenship, employment and social identity.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under POLI 685 may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course explores the major international and domestic determinants of foreign policy. Principal topics include the influence of the international system, geography, leadership, regime-type, transnationalism and non-governmental organizations on foreign policy. Rather than focusing on any particular country, the course draws upon the experiences of a variety of Western democratic states utilizing case studies of American, British, French and Canadian foreign policy to illustrate and evaluate course themes.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 818)
Description:
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the major issues in Canadian public administration today, with particular reference to the federal level. These issues are placed in theoretical and historic perspective, followed by an in-depth examination of current developments using a thematic approach. Reference is also made where possible to relevant provincial developments.
Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 821)
Description:
This course examines the ways political actors attempt policy and institutional changes through an examination of leadership skills and decision-making styles. It focuses on the philosophical treatments by Plato and Machiavelli and the relationship between morality and leadership by analyzing modern leadership within a constrained constitutional context.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 687 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 822)
Description:
This course introduces students to the comparative study of the public administration systems in various western countries with emphasis on a comparison vis-à-vis the Canadian federal system. Students learn how and why public administration systems differ, common issues among western democracies, and challenges unique to the Canadian context. Countries examined may include Britain, Australia, the United States, France and Germany.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 823)
Description:
This course focuses on the essential political concepts of ethics, justice and morality which underlie and motivate almost all political activity. Students explore both ancient and contemporary perspectives on the meaning of these concepts and examine the problems and theoretical challenges that arise when a definitive notion of justice is used to assess or generate public policy.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 685 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 824)
Description:
This course deals with intergovernmental affairs that have become a significant part of the policy process in many countries. An analysis of power relations in the federal state, both in institutional and societal terms, is a primary focus of this course. The Canadian case serves as the main area of inquiry.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course examines the philosophical, political, and theoretical counsel to policymakers and broader public discourse surrounding the development and implementation of new laws and regulations pertaining to issues in advanced biotechnology, such as cloning, stem cell research, and psychopharmacology.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 685 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course is a survey of the field of comparative politics. It examines major theories, concepts and methods of comparative political analysis.Component(s):
Lecture; SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 828)
Description:
The goal of this course is to ensure students have a solid grounding in the main philosophical approaches to ethical theory, are able to address personal ethical challenges, and are positioned to promote an ethical public service which is essential to democratic governance. Students learn critical thinking skills in order to examine value judgements underlying public administration practices and apply practical measures to promote integrity in public institutions.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 829)
Description:
This course examines key debates surrounding the concept and the politics of development in the ‘less developed’ world with a particular emphasis on institutional structures, such as the state, the market and non-governmental organizations, through which development has been pursued.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under POLI 687 may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This is a seminar in organization theory, an interdisciplinary field concerned with the sources, determinants, functions, and effects of complex organizations. The course focuses on political organizations and the political effects of organizations by reviewing the historical development of organization theory and considering how current debates help us understand the nature and functions of organizations in the twenty-first century. Topics include the nature and sources of formal organizations; organizational structure; organizational decision-making; organizational culture; organizational reliability and failure; and the interaction between organizations and their environments.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 831)
Description:
The course is an intensive study of a text by a major author such as Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, or Nietzsche. Students systematically explore the issues and problems raised by the text and the interpretive traditions that follow from it.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 685 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course is a survey of leading research in and approaches to political theory and political philosophy, including the history of political thought, normative political theory and contemporary political thought.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 685 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 833)
Description:
This course provides students with a broad knowledge of central concepts, analytical tools, and theoretical approaches for the study of immigration and politics, with a specific focus on the Canadian case as well as global trends in immigration policy.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 683 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 834)
Description:
This course focuses on methods of assessing consequences of public policies. The main purpose of the course is to allow students to survey evaluation research in political science and to present research designs that enable them to make plausible assumptions about the outcome of governmental programs in the absence of experimental control.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
The course explores the diverse intellectual and ideological origins of Public Administration and Public Policy. The focus is on the comparative and critical analysis of the theoretical models under study. Students are encouraged to think analytically and to apply theoretical frameworks to their own empirical enquiries.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course is a survey of the field at an advanced level. It presents a discussion of contemporary issues and controversies in Canadian and Quebec Politics.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 683 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 839)
Description:
This course provides an introduction to development policy and administration by focusing on a changing set of substantive issues, such as corruption, social protection, natural resources, and commodity exports. For purposes of this course, development policy and administration refers both public policy and administration to promote social, economic, and administrative development and to policy and administration in low and middle-income countries, commonly designated as developing countries.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 840)
Description:
This course discusses questions related to politics and policies of immigration in Canada and other Western democracies. It examines the question of immigration from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, including political science, history, economics, demography, public policy, public opinion, sociology, and psychology.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 683 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course deals with understanding the micro-analytical foundations of individual and group behaviour in political life. It introduces students to the main concepts, theorems and their applications in positive analytical politics including game theory, spatial modeling and institutional analysis.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under POLI 687 may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 8440)
Description:
In this course, students learn about quantitative analysis in political science. The course introduces ideas of the scientific method; concept definition and operationalization; sampling; univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis; hypothesis testing; measures of association; inferential statistics; and graphing. The emphasis is on familiarity and critical engagement with core ideas within quantitative analysis.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 845)
Description:
This course examines and analyzes the policies and practices of the Canadian state in its dealing with Indigenous peoples, the claims and strategies of political mobilization of Indigenous peoples in reaction to the Canadian state, and evaluate the impact of the collective action of Indigenous peoples on state policies aimed at them. In addition, the course brings into focus the politics and institutional configurations of state/Indigenous peoples' relations and proposes conceptual frameworks to analyze identity claims and the modern dynamics of intercultural and interethnic relations in a liberal democracy like Canada.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under POLI 683 may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 848)
Description:
This course provides an in-depth examination of feminist and critical perspectives of public policy and administration. Students examine the ways in which social location is implicated in (and mediated by) public policy theory and practice by introducing students to feminist approaches to policy analysis. Specific topics may include feminist state and bureaucratic theory, gender equality measurement, and state-society relations.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 683 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This seminar focuses on the intersection of the global and the local through different methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of gender. Drawing from texts from the fields of comparative politics, international relations and sociology, the course exposes class participants to different scholarly treatments of gender and politics especially as these treatments have evolved in a post-Cold War era of increasing globalization.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 850)
Description:
This course examines key concepts of contentious politics, informality, and violence, with a particular emphasis on collective and individual actions. It draws on competing theoretical frameworks—such as neoinstitutionalism, historical structuralism, political culture, and rational choice—to explain contentious actions, using case studies from around the world, with emphasis on Latin America.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 851)
Description:
This course examines the political, economic, and socio-cultural factors underlying violence and crime in Latin America and the Caribbean. Students examine the impacts of democratization including governmental, non-governmental, and civil society responses with a focus on the methods and theories used by researchers and policy practitioners to collect and interpret data.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 852)
Description:
This course introduces students to the growing field of science policy analysis. It provides an overview of the theoretical approaches and analytical tools used in the area and critically discusses various policy mechanisms now in place as well as current and emerging issues.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course examines several of the most significant attempts made by modern political thinkers to answer the question, “What is the modern state?” It addresses both the historical emergence of the modern state and the various ways that this emergence has been theorized. Special emphasis is placed on the differences and interconnections between historical, theoretical, and practical questions.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 857)
Description:
In this course, students discuss the nature, dynamics and consequences of nationalism. Emphasis is placed on presenting and discussing various theoretical understandings of identity and nationalist mobilization. It examines conceptual issues relating to the study of nationalism, namely the nature, origins and characterizations of nations and nationalism and the strategies for regulation of nationalist conflict.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under POLI 687 may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 858)
Description:
This course examines a broad range of literary and non-literary genres for their potential to inform and redirect the political imagination. The seminar adopts a broadly comparative perspective on literature, culture, politics and individual motivation.Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 859)
Description:
This course explores the role of international organizations, institutions and regimes in world politics. Intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as informal institutional arrangements are covered. It surveys theoretical debates regarding the origins, dynamics, and significance of international organizations, and examines their role in areas such as international security, international political economy, and regional integration. The course also considers debates over democratic accountability within international organizations and the efficacy of global governance.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 687 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 860)
Description:
The course explores the historical development of the institutions and policies of European integration from the beginnings to the present day as well as theories to explain how the bloc advances and the roles of political elites and citizens. The outlook for the future of the European Union and the ability to navigate periodic crisis is also considered.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 862)
Description:
This course covers theories from macroeconomics and international relations and their application to major historical and contemporary events in the evolution of the global political economy. Topics may include international trade and finance, economic development, regional integration and globalization, North-South relations, the emergence of multinational corporations, and international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).Component(s):
Seminar(also listed as POLI 865)
Description:
This course investigates how actors and institutions govern human rights beyond the state. It examines the development and operation of global and regional human rights norms, law, institutions, and organizations, as well as debate and controversies surrounding them. The course also explores how human rights governance can involve a substantial gap between aspiration and reality, commitment and compliance, and future opportunities and challenges in international human rights.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 687 number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 870)
Description:
This course critically analyzes the main political, social, and economic dynamics that characterize contemporary Latin America. Students examine political regime types and transitions; the configuration of civil society organizations and social movements; patterns of marginalization, inequality, and precarity; forms of oppression and resistance; as well as transformations in economic development models.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681number may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 871)
Description:
Students are required to participate in graduate research workshops throughout the year, including student presentations of research in progress, draft conference papers, and grant proposals, in order to observe and practice preparing, presenting, and discussing core types of academic writing.Component(s):
ResearchNotes:
(also listed as POLI 874)
Description:
This course introduces students to the main areas of comparative legislative studies scholarship from alternative theoretical and methodological perspectives that define the field. Students learn about the development and operation of legislative institutions around the world. The central objective of the course is to equip students with the conceptual and analytical tools to study the development and operation of legislative institutions from a comparative perspective.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for this topic under a POLI 681 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course is a directed study supervised by a faculty member with whom the student completed a course and wrote a graduate level term paper in their area of concentration. The course prepares the student to write an Extended Research Essay based on the term paper by developing an understanding of the scholarly literature beyond the initial term paper and preparing a plan for significantly revising that term paper under the supervision of the faculty member.Component(s):
Independent StudyNotes:
- This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
- Students who received credit for POLI 691 may not take this course for credit.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLI 675Description:
The Extended Research Essay is a directed study supervised by a faculty member with whom the student completed a course in their area of concentration. Requiring additional research, this degree requirement builds on a term paper submitted at the graduate level in a concentration course and on the work completed in POLI 675 Research Essay Proposal. It is considered to be a significant revision and extension of the term paper, with an extensive bibliography.Component(s):
Independent StudyNotes:
- This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
Students who received credit for POLI 691 may not take this course for credit.
Description:
Students attend departmental workshops to prepare and apply for internships in the public and private sector. These workshops may include CV and letter writing, interviewing, teamwork, soft skills, communications, and fundamentals of the public service organization in Canada.Component(s):
WorkshopNotes:
- This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously: POLI 686 . If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the department is required.Description:
The internship is a four-month full-time job placement in either the public or private sector arranged and approved by the Political Science Internship Coordinator and MPPPA Director.Component(s):
Practicum/Internship/Work TermNotes:
- This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: POLI 686 , POLI 688 . If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the department is required.Description:
Under the direction of a faculty supervisor, the student prepares an original report that applies a theoretical framework to their internship experience and includes policy recommendations that contribute to the policy process in Canada or abroad.Component(s):
ResearchNotes:
- This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.
Description:
This course is a directed study involving a comprehensive understanding of the literature in the area of research directly relevant to the thesis topic under the direction of a faculty supervisor. The written assignments involve a comprehensive literature review, annotated bibliography and research design that culminate in a thesis proposal presented in an oral defence before the thesis supervisor and two faculty members in the graduate program.Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
Description:
Students are required to demonstrate their ability to carry out original, independent research. The thesis, which is researched and written under the direction of a supervisor and thesis committee, is defended before the student’s thesis committee.Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is marked on a pass/fail basis.
Political Science PhD Courses
The Department offers graduate courses in the following five core fields:
Comparative Politics
International Politics
Canadian and Québec Politics
Political Theory
Public Policy and Administration
Core Courses
Description:
This course is a survey of the field of comparative politics at an advanced level. It examines major theories, concepts and methods of comparative political analysis.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course is a survey of core concepts of international politics at an advanced level. It examines major theoretical perspectives and their application to historical and contemporary international issues.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course is a survey of the field at an advanced level. It presents a discussion of contemporary issues and controversies in Canadian and Quebec politics.Component(s):
SeminarDescription:
This course is a survey of leading research in political theory and political philosophy, including the history of political thought, normative political theory and contemporary political thought.Component(s):
SeminarElective Courses
(also listed as POLI 604)
Description:
This course analyses policy development in industrialized countries. It focuses on various areas such as economic, education, fiscal and social policies. Moreover, this course examines contributions that address methodological issues related to comparative research.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 605)
Description:
This course uses alternative theoretical perspectives to examine the actors and institutions governing global environmental politics and climate change. Students explore why effective cooperation has been challenging and assess the prospects of various proposals for future global environmental governance.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 607)
Description:
The object of this course is to analyze demographic shifts towards ageing populations from a comparative perspective. Students examine the multiple policy and political consequences across industrialized countries related to improvements in health, hygiene and working conditions combined with declining fertility rates.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 611)
Description:
This course considers the increased policy-making functions of Supreme Courts in systems that have statutory and entrenched bills of rights. By focusing on the interaction between courts and legislatures, and the increasing use of litigation strategies by interest groups, the implications of public policy in a rights context are examined.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 618)
Description:
The objective of this course is to familiarize students with the major issues in Canadian public administration today, with particular reference to the federal level. These issues are placed in theoretical and historic perspective, followed by an in-depth examination of current developments using a thematic approach. Reference is also made where possible to relevant provincial developments.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 621)
Description:
This course examines the ways political actors attempt policy and institutional changes through an examination of leadership skills and decision-making styles. It focuses on the philosophical treatments by Plato and Machiavelli and the relationship between morality and leadership by analyzing modern leadership within a constrained constitutional context.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 622)
Description:
This course introduces students to the comparative study of the public administration systems in various western countries with emphasis on a comparison vis-à-vis the Canadian federal system. Students learn how and why public administration systems differ, common issues among western democracies, and challenges unique to the Canadian context. Countries examined may include Britain, Australia, the United States, France and Germany.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 623)
Description:
This course focuses on the essential political concepts of ethics, justice and morality which underlie and motivate almost all political activity. Students explore both ancient and contemporary perspectives on the meaning of these concepts and examines the problems and theoretical challenges that arise when a definitive notion of justice is used to assess or generate public policy.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 624)
Description:
This course deals with intergovernmental affairs that have become a significant part of the policy process in many countries. An analysis of power relations in the federal state, both in institutional and societal terms, is a primary focus of this course. The Canadian case serves as the main area of inquiry.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 628)
Description:
The goal of this course is to ensure students have a solid grounding in the main philosophical approaches to ethical theory, are able to address personal ethical challenges, and are positioned to promote an ethical public service which is essential to democratic governance. Students learn critical thinking skills in order to examine value judgements underlying public administration practices and apply practical measures to promote integrity in public institutions.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 629)
Description:
This course examines key debates surrounding the concept and politics of development with particular emphasis on the institutional structures, such as the state, the market, and non-governmental organizations, through which development has been pursued. Empirical examples are drawn from different parts of the developing world.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 631)
Description:
The course is an intensive study of a text by a major author such as Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, or Nietzsche. Students systematically explore the issues and problems raised by the text and the interpretive traditions that follow from it.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 633)
Description:
This course provides students with a broad knowledge of central concepts, analytical tools, and theoretical approaches for the study of immigration and politics, with a specific focus on the Canadian case as well as global trends in immigration policy.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 634)
Description:
This course focuses on methods of assessing consequences of public policies. The main purpose of the course is to allow students to survey evaluation research in political science and to present research designs that enables them to make plausible assumptions about the outcome of governmental programs in the absence of experimental control.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 639)
Description:
This course provides an introduction to development policy and administration by focusing on a changing set of substantive issues, such as corruption, social protection, natural resources, and commodity exports. For purposes of this course, development policy and administration refers to both public policy and administration to promote social, economic, and administrative development and to policy and administration in low and middle-income countries, commonly designated as developing countries.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 640)
Description:
This course discusses questions related to politics and policies of immigration in Canada and other Western democracies. It examines the question of immigration from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, including political science, history, economics, demography, public policy, public opinion, sociology, and psychology.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 644)
Description:
In this course, students learn about quantitative analysis in political science. The course introduces ideas of the scientific method; concept definition and operationalization; sampling; univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis; hypothesis testing; measures of association; inferential statistics; and graphing. The emphasis is on familiarity and critical engagement with core ideas within quantitative analysis.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
- Students who have received credit for POLI 644 may not take this course for credit.
(also listed as POLI 645)
Description:
This course examines and analyzes the policies and practices of the Canadian state in its dealing with Indigenous peoples, the claims and strategies of political mobilization of Indigenous peoples in reaction to the Canadian state, and evaluate the impact of the collective action of Indigenous peoples on state policies aimed at them. In addition, the course brings into focus the politics and institutional configurations of state/Indigenous peoples' relations and proposes conceptual frameworks to analyze identity claims and the modern dynamics of intercultural and interethnic relations in a liberal democracy like Canada.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 648)
Description:
This course provides an in-depth examination of feminist and critical perspectives of public policy and administration. Students examine the ways in which social location is implicated in (and mediated by) public policy theory and practice by introducing students to feminist approaches to policy analysis. Specific topics may include feminist state and bureaucratic theory, gender equality measurement, and state-society relations.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 650)
Description:
This course examines key concepts of contentious politics, informality, and violence, with a particular emphasis on collective and individual actions. It draws on competing theoretical frameworks—such as neoinstitutionalism, historical structuralism, political culture, and rational choice—to explain contentious actions, using case studies from around the world, with emphasis on Latin America.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 651)
Description:
This course examines the political, economic, and socio-cultural factors underlying violence and crime in Latin America and the Caribbean. Students examine the impacts of democratization including governmental, non-governmental, and civil society responses with a focus on the methods and theories used by researchers and policy practitioners to collect and interpret data.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 652)
Description:
This course introduces students to the growing field of science policy analysis. It provides an overview of the theoretical approaches and analytical tools used in the area and critically discusses various policy mechanisms now in place as well as current and emerging issues.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 657)
Description:
In this course, students discuss the nature, dynamics, and consequences of nationalism. Emphasis is placed on presenting and discussing various theoretical understandings of identity and nationalist mobilization. It examines conceptual issues relating to the study of nationalism, namely the nature, origins and characterizations of nations and nationalism, and the strategies for regulation of nationalist conflict.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 658)
Description:
This course examines a broad range of literary and non-literary genres for their potential to inform and redirect the political imagination. The seminar adopts a broadly comparative perspective on literature, culture, politics, and individual motivation.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 659)
Description:
This course explores the role of international organizations, institutions, and regimes in world politics. Intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as informal institutional arrangements are covered. It surveys theoretical debates regarding the origins, dynamics, and significance of international organizations, and examines their role in areas such as international security, international political economy, and regional integration. The course also considers debates over democratic accountability within international organizations and the efficacy of global governance.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 660)
Description:
The course explores the historical development of the institutions and policies of European integration from the beginnings to the present day as well as theories to explain how the bloc advances and the roles of political elites and citizens. The outlook for the future of the European Union and the ability to navigate periodic crises is also considered.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 662)
Description:
This course covers theories from macroeconomics and international relations and their application to major historical and contemporary events in the evolution of the global political economy. Topics may include international trade and finance, economic development, regional integration and globalization, North-South relations, the emergence of multinational corporations, and international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 665)
Description:
This course investigates how actors and institutions govern human rights beyond the state. It examines the development and operation of global and regional human rights norms, law, institutions, and organizations, as well as debate and controversies surrounding them. The course also explores how human rights governance can involve a substantial gap between aspiration and reality, commitment and compliance, and future opportunities and challenges in international human rights.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 670)
Description:
This course critically analyzes the main political, social, and economic dynamics that characterize contemporary Latin America. Students examine political regime types and transitions; the configuration of civil society organizations and social movements; patterns of marginalization, inequality, and precarity; forms of oppression and resistance; as well as transformations in economic development models.
Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
(also listed as POLI 671)
Description:
Students are required to participate in graduate research workshops throughout the year, including student presentations of research in progress, draft conference papers, and grant proposals, in order to observe and practice preparing, presenting, and discussing core types of academic writing.Component(s):
ResearchNotes:
(also listed as POLI 674)
Description:
This course introduces students to the main areas of comparative legislative studies scholarship from alternative theoretical and methodological perspectives that define the field. Students learn about the development and operation of legislative institutions around the world. The central objective of the course is to equip students with the conceptual and analytical tools to study the development and operation of legislative institutions from a comparative perspective.Component(s):
SeminarNotes:
Comprehensive Examination Courses
Description:
All candidates are required to write one 6-credit comprehensive exam in their primary area of specialization. For the primary area of specialization there will be a written exam and an oral defense of the exam within three weeks of writing the former. Students must pass the written exam to move forward to the oral exam, but can still fail an exam with an incompetent oral performance. If either part (written or oral) is failed, the student will be permitted one re-take of the entire exam both oral and written. If the student then fails either the written or oral part, the second failure will result in the student being withdrawn from the program.Comprehensive exams are to be offered three times per year, in Summer, Fall, and Winter, based upon student demand. Students may take one or both field exams in a given exam period, if they choose; however, the written and the oral exams must be successfully completed in the same exam period.
Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is marked on a pass/fail basis.
Description:
All candidates are required to write one 6-credit comprehensive exam in their secondary of specialization. For the secondary area of specialization there will be a written exam.
An oral defense of the written exam will only occur in the case of a marginal pass as determined by the examining committee. A marginal pass is given when at least two members of this committee assign a Pass (Marginal) or if any assessor assigns a failing grade on a comp. The oral defense will occur within three weeks of writing the former. Students that move forward to the oral defense can still fail an exam with an unsatisfactory oral performance. If either part (written or oral) is failed, the student will be permitted one re-take of the entire exam. If the student then fails either the written or oral part, the second failure will result in the student being withdrawn from the program.
Comprehensive exams are to be offered three times per year, in Summer, Fall, and Winter, based upon student demand. Students may take one or both field exams in a given exam period, if they choose; however, the written and the oral exams must be successfully completed in the same exam period.
Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is marked on a pass/fail basis.
Thesis Courses
Description:
After completion of the course work and comprehensive exams, the candidate with the concurrence and assistance of the Graduate Program Director finalizes the supervisory committee, consisting of the principal supervisor(s) and at least two other members of the department. Students are required to complete and defend their thesis proposal before the supervisory committee in a meeting chaired by the Graduate Program Director. The thesis proposal will include a literature review and a fully justified research agenda. In cases where the supervisory committee is not satisfied with the proposal, the student can resubmit and re-defend. A second unsatisfactory proposal would result in the student being withdrawn from the program.Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is marked on a pass/fail basis.
Description:
Doctoral students must submit a thesis based on their research and defend it in an oral examination. A doctoral thesis should be based on extensive research in primary sources, make an original contribution to knowledge, and be presented in acceptable scholarly form.Component(s):
Thesis ResearchNotes:
- This course is marked on a pass/fail basis.