The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

Paterson Hall, Level 2A
Telephone: 788-6655
Fax: 788-2889

The School

Director of the School:
M.A. Molot

Associate Director:
Martin Rudner

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, established in 1965 with the generous support of the late Senator Norman M. Paterson, offers a program of studies leading to the M.A. degree.

The program focuses on three themes:

The program affords students the opportunity to focus on Canada in international affairs through specialized courses related to each of these themes. The program also allows students to focus on international management issues relevant to governmental and non-governmental organizations and international enterprise. Attention is also paid to the role of international institutions, the foreign policies of other countries, and to selected regional studies. The School maintains close cooperation with the Institute of Central/East European and Russian-Area Studies, and with committees designed to encourage and coordinate faculty and student interests in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

A specialized resource centre is located in the School and is staffed by a full-time information specialist. Students and faculty have access to a broad range of current bibliographic materials, using the resources of the national capital area as well as on-line computerized bibliographic services in foreign policy and international affairs. The School also participates in the Social Science Data Archives at Carleton, and students have access to a full range of data sets available from the Inter-University Consortium for Political Research, as well as the Canadian Institute of Public Opinion poll data and the Human Relations Area Files.

Qualifying-Year Program

Admission Requirements

The qualifying-year program is designed to enable students with at least high honours standing, but with an inadequate background in the disciplines relevant to the M.A. program, to make up deficiencies. Candidates with a high standing in a general (pass) bachelor's degree, in a discipline closely related to international affairs, will be required to take five qualifying-year courses before being eligible to enter the master's program. Those with an honours bachelor's degree in an unrelated discipline may be required to take at least three qualifying-year courses before being eligible to enter the master's program.

Students in the qualifying year are encouraged to select a core theme. They may also wish to select an area emphasis and to take courses that will enable them, in the M.A. year, to engage in specialized study in the problems of a region having particular relevance to the core theme they have elected. Students should also take appropriate courses in order to prepare them to fulfil the language requirements of the M.A. program.

Admission to the qualifying year does not guarantee admission to the M.A. program. To be considered for admission to the M.A. program, students in the qualifying year are expected to achieve the equivalent of high honours standing. Students in the qualifying year are considered for admission to the M.A. program at the same time as other applicants; if qualifying-year students are not admitted to the M.A. program in the first round of admissions, subsequent decisions on their admission will depend on performance and the availability of space in the M.A. program.

Guidelines for Completion of Qualifying Year

Candidates admitted to the qualifying-year program on a full-time basis must complete all requirements during the fall and winter terms after initial registration.

Program Requirements

Conflict Analysis

Students will normally enroll in Political Science 47.361 and 47.365, or 47.460. Students who have not already taken an introductory course in international politics should enroll in Political Science 47.260. Courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, and sociology, among other disciplines, are recommended as well as courses concerned with alternative approaches to conflict and conflict resolution, and area studies.

Development Studies

Students will normally enroll in Economics 43.363. Students who have not already taken an introductory economics course should enroll in Economics 43.100. Courses related to development studies in anthropology, geography, history, law, political science, and sociology, among other disciplines, are recommended as well as courses concerned with international economics and politics, and comparative and area studies.

International Political Economy

Students will normally enroll in Political Science 47.361 and 47.365, or 47.460, and Economics 43.360, or 43.361 and 43.362. Students who have not already taken an introductory economics course should enroll in Economics 43.100. Courses in anthropology, geography, history, law, and sociology, among other disciplines, are recommended as well as courses concerned with political economy, the state, economic history, and comparative and area studies.

Master of Arts

Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission into the master's program is an honours bachelor's degree in a discipline related to international affairs. Under current practice, at least a high honours standing is normally required for consideration for admission to the program.

Applicants are encouraged to submit Graduate Record Examination aptitude test scores; in some circumstances, students may be required to submit GRE scores.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research requires applicants whose native tongue is not English to be tested for proficiency in English, as described in the application for admission section, page 18 of the General Regulations of this calendar.

Candidates who lack the required background in international affairs will be expected to complete a maximum of two additional courses. Core seminar requirements are listed under program requirements for qualifying year.

In order to be considered for financial assistance, applications for admission to the School of International Affairs must be postmarked by January 15. Deadline for receipt of supporting documentation, i.e., letters of reference and transcripts, is February 15. Applications will be accepted after the January 15 deadline; however, such applications will not meet the financial aid deadline.

Students admitted to the conflict analysis core are strongly encouraged to complete a senior undergraduate course in conflict theory as well as courses in the social sciences, history, and law before beginning their programs. Students who have not completed a senior undergraduate half-course in conflict theory will be required to take such a course as part of their program requirements.

Students admitted to the development studies core must have completed an introductory economics course prior to entry into the M.A. program. Students are also strongly encouraged to complete an undergraduate half course in development economics before beginning the M.A. program. Otherwise, this requirement (additional to the M.A.) will have to be taken simultaneously with the M.A. program, and may result in some delay in its completion.

Students admitted to the international political economy core must complete an introductory economics course prior to entry in the M.A. program. Students are also strongly encouraged to complete undergraduate courses in political economy, international economics, and international politics, as well as courses in geography, history, law and sociology before beginning their programs. Students who have not completed a course in international economics will be required to take International Affairs 46.538 as part of their program requirements.

Program Requirements

The normal program requirements for M.A. students in international affairs are:

International Affairs

46.500 Theories and Approaches to International Political Economy

46.504 Development Studies

46.515 Conflict Analysis

Concentrations

Students in all three core seminars may, if they wish, choose to focus their studies on one of five concentrations as part of their overall program. The concentrations, designed to permit some specialization within the context of the M.A. degree, will be structured around particular sets of courses selected in consultation with a faculty adviser.

Canadian Concentration

This concentration focuses on Canadian policies and activities in international affairs. It will be of interest to students wishing to focus their studies on the formulation and implementation of Canadian foreign policy in the areas of international security, trade and investment, or development assistance. The concentration will include:

Environment Concentration

This concentration focuses on international aspects of the natural environment, including the relationship of the environment to development, environmental concerns of higher-income countries, and global or planetary issues. The concentration will include:

International Management Concentration

Students may elect to include international management as part of their program in the School. This concentration will emphasize aspects of the international environment in which managers in the public and private sectors make decisions. It will be of particular interest to students who wish to pursue careers in international government and non-governmental organizations, international banking, and multinational enterprises. The concentration will be designed in consultation with a faculty coordinator and will include:

Students who have not completed a course in international economics will be required to take International Affairs 46.538 as part of their program requirements.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Concentration

This concentration focuses on the new trade, investment, and political relationships that are developing in North America with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the processes and implications of accession of other countries. The concentration will include:

Trade Policy Concentration

This concentration emphasizes the formulation, administration, and consequences of trade and trade-related policies. It will be of interest to those who wish to pursue careers in the trade policy area. The concentration will include:

Students will require International Affairs 46.538 or equivalent as a prerequisite for 46.540.

Academic Standing

A grade of B- or better must be obtained in each course credited towards the master's degree. The School does not permit exceptions to this rule.

Career Planning

Students interested in continuing to doctoral programs should plan their programs to include courses in their discipline, if other than international affairs, which may be deemed necessary for their admission to doctoral programs. Interdisciplinary doctoral programs in international affairs are given in a number of institutions, and the faculty can provide guidance in planning for these programs.

Recent experiences of students show that a strong background in research methods and economics enhances job placement, and students may wish to take this into account in planning their course program.

School faculty can provide advice on careers in government, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, and in the private sector.

Guidelines for the Completion of the Master's Degree

Candidates can complete the M.A. program in twelve months of full-time study. However, most students require an additional one or two terms to complete the research essay or thesis requirement. Full-time master's students must complete all degree requirements within six terms of registered full-time study.

Part-time master's students must complete degree requirements within an elapsed period of six calendar years after the date of initial registration.

Students who elect to complete the program by a combination of full-time and part-time study are governed by the following elapsed time limitations: five calendar years if the candidate is registered as a full-time student for two or three terms and part-time for the balance; four calendar years if the candidate is registered four or five terms as a full-time student and part-time for the balance.

These limitations are calculated from the date of initial registration in the master's program.

Master of Arts/Bachelor of Laws

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and the Common Law Section of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa offer a joint Master of Arts in International Affairs and Bachelor of Laws degree (M.A./LL.B.).

Admission Requirements

A student must make separate applications to the School of International Affairs at Carleton University and to the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa and be accepted by both institutions in accordance with the normal admission requirements of each program. Interest in pursuing the joint program must be specified in each application, and a joint committee will make a decision on admission to the joint program.

Program Requirements

A student will complete both the M.A. and the LL.B. programs over four calendar years. Students will be expected to fulfil the normal requirements of both the M.A. and LL.B. programs. In addition, students in the joint program will be required to complete courses in international law to be specified by the Faculty of Law. The normal sequence of courses for the two degrees is as follows:

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

** These two half courses in the School of International Affairs taken as credit toward the LL.B. will be additional to those required for the M.A. degree.

Graduate Courses*

Part-time students are permitted to enrol in a maximum of two half courses per term.

Core Seminars

Canadian Concentration

Other Courses

Selection of Courses

In addition to the graduate courses offered in the school, qualified students may choose from among courses in international affairs offered by related departments, schools, and institutes.