Canadian Studies

School of Canadian Studies
1206 Dunton Tower
Tel.: 613-520-2366
carleton.ca/cdnstudies

M.A. Canadian Studies
Ph.D Canadian Studies
Collaborative Ph.D. with Specialization in Political Economy (Specialization requirements listed under Political Economy)

M.A. Canadian Studies

Admission Requirements

Applicants are required to hold an Honours B.A. (or the equivalent), with at least high honours standing.

Qualifying Year

Applicants who do not qualify for direct admission to the master's program may, in exceptional cases, be admitted to a qualifying-year program. However, admission to the qualifying-year program does not imply automatic admission to the master's program. At the end of the qualifying-year program the student will be required to apply for entry into the master's program, at which time the School will determine the student's eligibility to enter the program.

Proficiency in English

Proficiency in English is necessary to pursue graduate studies at Carleton University. All applicants whose first language is not English must satisfy this requirement by presenting a TOEFL score of 600 or higher.

Language Requirement - The School requires a reading knowledge of French. This is a program requirement and not an admission requirement. This requirement may be satisfied in the following ways:

Successful completion of FINS 3105 or its equivalent (with a grade of B- or better).
Successful completion of a French language examination.
Alternatively, a student may fulfil this requirement with a demonstrated knowledge of an Aboriginal language.
The School conducts the French language examinations in September and January. Students choosing the first option should note that examination results in these courses form part of their record, although they are additional to the course requirements for the degree.

Program Requirements

The minimum requirements for the master's program are outlined in the General Regulations section of this Calendar. The School of Canadian Studies specifies that all candidates must select one of the following three program patterns:

4.0 credits of coursework
3.0 credits plus a 1.0 credit Research Essay
2.0 credits plus a 2.0 credit Thesis

Students must declare their option as coursework, thesis, or research essay no later than the end of the second term of registration for students enrolled full-time, and no later than the end of the fifth term of registration for students enrolled part-time. For students beginning their program in September the deadline is the following April 30, and for students starting in January the deadline is the following August 31.

Coursework Option

0.5 credit in CDNS 5001 M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada
1.0 credit chosen from: CDNS 5101, CDNS 5102, CDNS 5201, CDNS 5202, CDNS 5301, CDNS 5302, CDNS 5401, CDNS 5402, CDNS 5501, CDNS 5601
An additional 2.5 credits chosen from the courses listed above, or CDNS 5800, CDNS 5801, CDNS 5900, CDNS 5901, or an approved coursed listed in the Selection of Courses

Research Essay Option

1.0 credit in M.A. Research Essay CDNS 5908
0.5 credit in CDNS 5001 M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada
1.0 credit chosen from: CDNS 5101, CDNS 5102, CDNS 5201, CDNS 5202, CDNS 5301, CDNS 5302, CDNS 5401, CDNS 5402, CDNS 5501, CDNS 5601
An additional 1.5 credits chosen from the courses listed above, or CDNS 5801 or CDNS 5901, or an approved course listed in the Selection of Courses

Thesis Option

2.0 credits in M.A. Thesis CDNS 5909 [2.0 credits]
0.5 credit in CDNS 5001 M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada
1.0 credit chosen from: CDNS 5101, CDNS 5102, CDNS 5201, CDNS 5202, CDNS 5301, CDNS 5302, CDNS 5401, CDNS 5402, CDNS 5501, CDNS 5601
An additional 0.5 credit chosen from the courses listed above, or CDNS 5901, or an approved course listed in the Selection of Courses

Thesis/Research Essay Proposal

At the time of declaring their option, thesis/research essay students are encouraged to declare a preliminary topic and tentative list of potential supervisors. Thesis/research essay students must submit a research proposal to the School that has been approved by their thesis/research essay supervisor prior to registering in the M.A. Research Essay (CDNS 5908) or the M.A. Thesis (CDNS 5909).

Ph.D. Canadian Studies

About the Program

The doctoral program is offered jointly by the School of Canadian Studies at Carleton University and the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Native Studies at Trent University. The program of courses and thesis guidance, drawing upon the faculty of the two academic units and universities, will encompass course requirements, comprehensive examinations, and a thesis.

Fields of Study:

Culture, Literature, and the Arts
Environment and Heritage
Policy, Economy and Society
Identities
Women's Studies

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Academic Standing - All Ph.D. candidates must obtain at least B+ standing or better (GPA 9.0) in each course counted towards the degree. Comprehensive examinations (which will be graded on a Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory or Pass with Distinction basis) are exempted from this required standing.

Admission Requirements

Master's degree (or equivalent), with at least high honours standing in Canadian Studies or one of the disciplines represented in the School. Applicants should note, however, that meeting the admission requirement does not guarantee admission to the program.

The Ph.D. program in Canadian Studies normally will be undertaken on a full-time basis. In cases of exceptional merit, the School will accept a few candidates for the degree on a part-time basis.

Language Requirement - All doctoral students are required to pass the Ph.D. program's language test. The language test entails the translation into English of a French text (or a text in another approved language such as an Aboriginal language indigenous to Canada or another language if it is demonstrably relevant to their research interest). The language test is two hours long, and students are permitted to use a dictionary. Grades for the language test are Pass or Fail.

Students who have taken a language test as a requirement for their M.A. cannot use it to meet the Ph.D. language requirement. In order to establish equal treatment of all students, all doctoral candidates will be required to pass the Ph.D. language test.

Program Requirements

Doctoral candidates must successfully complete 10.0 credits. Candidates with deficiencies in certain areas may be admitted to the Ph.D. program, but normally will be required to complete additional work. The specific requirements are as follows:

1.0 credit for successful completion of CDNS 6900, the mandatory core seminar;
1.0 credit for successful completion of two courses or tutorials (or the equivalent) drawn from the graduate list offered by the School, below, with one 0.5-credit course drawn from each of the candidate's two major fields of study; a GPA of 9.0 or better must be obtained in these courses for students to be allowed to proceed to the comprehensive examinations;
1.0 credit for successful completion of two 0.5-credit written comprehensive examinations. Students will be examined in two fields;
Satisfactory demonstration of an understanding of a language other than English. Although French is the preferred second language, students may be permitted to substitute an Aboriginal language indigenous to Canada or another language if it is demonstrably relevant to their research interests;
A public defence, in English, of a written thesis proposal. Following the completion of their comprehensives, students will be expected to defend a proposal of the research and analysis they plan to undertake in completing their Ph.D. thesis. The thesis proposal defence should normally occur within six months after completion of a student's comprehensive examinations and within the first 27 months of registration in the program. The thesis committee will be composed of three faculty members, always including one from each university;
A 7.0-credit thesis, which must be successfully defended in English at an oral examination.
Comprehensive Examinations - Full-time students are expected to complete their comprehensive examinations within 24 months of their initial registration in the Ph.D. program. Part-time Ph.D. students should finish their comprehensive examinations within 36 months of completing course work. Both full-time and part-time students should complete their comprehensive examinations before defending their dissertation proposal.
Candidates are required to take an oral examination after each written examination.

The fields of study for the Ph.D. comprehensive examinations are to be chosen from the following list:

Culture, Literature, and the Arts

A general knowledge of theories of culture in general, Canadian theoretical discourses on cultural practices, and on the interplay among theory, art, and literature, and their social contexts.

Environment and Heritage

A general knowledge of locality, landscape, environment and region in Canada.

Policy, Economy and Society

A general knowledge of the complex web of relationships linking economy, civil society, and public policy in Canada and their interaction within social, political, and cultural life.

Identities

A general knowledge of the character and experience of individual, collective and communal identities in Canada.

Women's Studies

A general knowledge of women's experiences of the major dynamics of social, political, economic and cultural development at all levels of Canadian life.