• About the Program
• Academic Regulations
• Admission Requirements
• Program Requirements - Full-time M.A.
• Program Requirements - Part-time M.A.
• Clusters

About the Program

The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) was established in the mid-1960s with the generous support of the late Senator Norman M. Paterson to encourage and promote graduate study and professional research and publications in the field of international affairs. The NPSIA program is interdisciplinary, reflecting the philosophy that exposure to a range of disciplines is necessary to develop an understanding of our complex global environment.

Academic Regulations

• See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

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

• Students will be required to withdraw from the program if their grade point average falls below 7.0 (B-), or if they receive a grade of less than B- in any two courses that are eligible to be counted toward the Master's degree.

Admission Requirements

• The minimum requirement for admission into the master's program is a B.A. (Honours) degree in a discipline related to international affairs.
• Under current practice, at least a high honours standing (B+ minimum) is normally required to be considered for admission to the program.
• Applicants may 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. NPSIA applicants must submit a CAEL Assessment™score of a minimum of 70 or a TOEFL score of 250 computer-based or 600 regular 100 iBT (minimum score of 25 in each of reading, writing, speaking and listening).
• Students admitted to the NPSIA M.A. program must have successfully completed a 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) course in introductory economics (introductory microeconomics and introductory macroeconomics for economics majors) before starting the program.
• Students who have not completed one credit of introductory economics at the time of their application will have their admission into the program made conditional upon its successful completion prior to registration. In some cases where the student is deemed by the admissions committee to have an insufficient background in international affairs they may be required to complete up to two additional courses as part of their M.A. program. Students who are uncertain about whether they meet the background requirements are encouraged to contact the School of International Affairs.

Qualifying Year

• 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. The qualifying year program is not intended as a grade raising opportunity. Candidates with a high standing in a general (3-year) bachelor's degree, in a discipline closely related to international affairs, will be required to take five full qualifying-year credits before being eligible to enter the master's program. Those with a B.A.(Honours) degree in an unrelated discipline may be required to take at least three full qualifying-year credits before being eligible to enter the master's program.
• Students in the qualifying year are encouraged to select a cluster or clusters in which they are interested and to take courses that will prepare them for graduate work in that cluster. Courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, political science, and sociology, among other disciplines, are recommended. Students 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 of a region having particular relevance to the cluster(s) they have identified. Students should also be cognizant of the language requirement at the M.A. level and, if necessary, take the appropriate courses to enable them to fulfil that requirement.
• Students who have not previously completed a 1.0-credit (or equivalent) course in introductory economics (introductory microeconomics and introductory macroeconomics for economics majors) must do so as part of their Qualifying Year program.
• Other courses will be selected in consultation with the Associate Director.
• 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 - Full-time M.A.

The Master of Arts in International Affairs is a 5.0 credit program and students must select one of three program patterns:

• 2.0 credits in Thesis plus 3.0 credits course work
• 1.0 credit in Research Essay plus 4.0 credits course work
• 5.0 credits in Course Work

Most students are admitted to the full-time program and must complete all of the degree requirements within two calendar years or six terms of full-time study. In exceptional cases, students may complete the program within one calendar year.

All courses used for credit in the degree must be approved in advance by the Associate Director of the School.

The specific requirements are:

• INAF 5001: Policy and Methods [0.5 credit] which must be completed by the end of the second term.
• Successful completion, by the end of the second term, of one of the following 0.5 credit economics courses associated with the cluster selected: INAF 5009, INAF 5214, INAF 5205, INAF 5308, INAF 5309, INAF 5600, or INAF 5703. If the required course is not offered in a given year, or the student is deemed to have fulfilled the requirement by successfully completing an equivalent course, another economics course may be approved as a substitute.
• A compulsory 0.5-credit course associated with the cluster selected which must be completed by the end of the second term.
• An additional 3.5 credits (or the equivalent) which may be completed in one of the following ways: 3.5 credits of courses; 2.5 credits of courses plus a 1.0 credit research essay (INAF 5908); 1.5 credits of courses plus a 2.0 credit master's thesis (INAF 5909).
• 1.5 credits of the total required 5.0 credits may be selected from courses offered in other departments, with a maximum of 1.0 credit from a single department and a maximum of 1.0 credit selected from fourth year undergraduate courses. A minimum of 1.5 credits must be completed in each of the first two terms.
• A demonstrated ability to read a second major international language, or one appropriate to the primary research interests. Typically, for most English-speaking domestic students, the ability to read French will satisfy this requirement.

Required Courses

All students must complete:

• INAF 5001 [0.5 credit]  Policy and Methods for International Affairs

In addition, one of the following seven designated economics courses must be selected:

• INAF 5009 [0.5 credit] International Aspects of Economic ­Development
• INAF 5205 [0.5 credit] Economics of Conflict
• INAF 5214 [0.5 credit] Economics for Defence and Security
• INAF 5308 [0.5 credit] International Trade: Theory and Policy
• INAF 5309 [0.5 credit] International Finance: Theory and Policy
• INAF 5600 [0.5 credit] Human Resource Development
• INAF 5703 [0.5 credit] Economics of Institutions and Global Governance
  

Note: students are required to take the economics course associated with their ­cluster as noted below. Candidates with sufficient economics training may be permitted to substitute other courses.

Clusters

NPSIA's M.A. program is organized around seven clusters. Each student must select a cluster and enrol in one of the designated cluster courses.

International Trade Policy

Designated economics course: INAF 5308

Designated Courses:

INAF 5101 The Politics and Institutions of International Trade

INAF 5306 Trade Policy in North America

INAF 5400 Trade Policy Analysis

INAF 5500 Comparative Trade Policy

INAF 5507 International Economic Law

INAF 5508 Law, Politics, and Economics in International Affairs

Global Political Economy

Designated economics course: INAF 5309

Designated Courses:

INAF 5300 The Political Economy of Multinational Enterprises

INAF 5401 International Financial Institutions and Policy

INAF 5407 International Relations Theory

INAF 5501 Global Political Economy

INAF 5502 State Sovereignty and Globalization

Conflict Analysis and Conflict Resolution

Designated economics course: INAF 5205

Designated Courses:

INAF 5108 Conflict Analysis

INAF 5109 Conflict Management: Theory and Evidence

INAF 5200 Peacebuilding and Reconstruction: Theory and Practice

INAF 5202 International Security after the Cold War

INAF 5203 International Mediation and Conflict Resolution

INAF 5506 International Law: Use of Force

Intelligence and National Security

Designated economics course: INAF 5214

Designated Courses:

INAF 5201 Disarmament, Arms Control and Nonproliferation

INAF 5202 International Security after the Cold War

INAF 5204 Intelligence, Statecraft, and International Affairs

INAF 5224 Intelligence and National Security: Policies and Operations

INAF 5234 National Security Policy and Law

INAF 5244 Terrorism and International Security

International Institutions and Global Governance

Designated economics course: INAF 5703

Designated Courses:

INAF 5405 International Organizations

INAF 5505 International Law: Theory and Practice

INAF 5701 Global Environmental Change: Human Implications

INAF 5702 International Environmental Affairs

INAF 5705 International Social Policy

INAF 5805 The EU in International Affairs

International Dimensions of Development

Designated economics course: INAF 5009

Designated Courses:

INAF 5002 Issues in International Development

INAF 5303 Science, Technology and International Affairs: The Third World

INAF 5601 Historical Dimensions of Development and Underdevelopment

INAF 5602 Development Assistance: Theory and Practice

INAF 5609 Development Project Evaluation and Analysis

INAF 5801 Regional Integration Among Developing Countries

Human Security and Development

Designated economics course: INAF 5600

Designated Courses:

INAF 5003 National and Domestic Dimensions of Development

INAF 5006 Agriculture and Rural Development

INAF 5209 Conflict and Development

INAF 5408 Gender in International Affairs

INAF 5704 Human Security: From Policy to Practice

INAF 5706 Global Health Policy

 

Transfer from the Master's to the Ph.D. Program

 

• Students in the full-time M.A. program who demonstrate outstanding academic performance and research potential may, with permission of the Associate Director, be admitted to the Ph.D. program after two terms of registration.
• Students considering this option will be advised, when selecting courses for their M.A. program, to choose those courses at the master's level which are open to doctoral students and which may assist them in the doctoral comprehensive examinations.

Co-op Option

• Full-time M.A.students who have completed 3.0 credits in the program may select a co-op option. The co-op program provides opportunities to integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of international affairs.
• The 0.0 credit co-op is in addition to the 5.0 credits required for the M.A., and a minimum of two co-op terms must be successfully completed before the student is eligible to receive a co-op designation on their academic transcript. Students register in one of the co-op courses (INAF 5911, INAF 5912 or INAF 5913) and are restricted from taking more than 0.5 credit at the same time.
• Work terms are four months in duration, and typically students are employed at the junior officer level in government departments or other organizations. Information and procedures can be obtained from the Carleton University Co-op Office.

Program Requirements - Part-time M.A.

• In some cases, an applicant with relevant full-time employment experience may be admitted to a part-time M.A. program. While the program requirements are the same as those for full-time students, part-time students may take up to six calendar years from the date of initial registration to complete the program.
• Part-time students must register for a minimum of one term in three, and must successfully complete INAF 5001: Policy and Methods for International Affairs [0.5 credit] by the end of the Winter term following the first Fall registration. In addition, the economics and compulsory cluster course requirements must be included in the first 2.5 credits completed.
• Students enrolled in the full-time master's program may only request a transfer to the part-time program:
  • once they have completed two terms of full-time study
  • if they are employed 35 hours or more per week
  • if they are medically unable to attend the program on a full-time basis
• Students who elect to complete the program by a combination of full- and part-time study are governed by the following time limits: five calendar years if the candidate is registered full-time for two or three terms and part-time for the balance; four calendar years if the candidate is registered full-time for four or five terms and part-time for the balance.