International Affairs

5306 River Building
Tel.: 613-520-6655
carleton.ca/npsia

M.A. International Affairs

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.

Top of page

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.

Top of page

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 and Postdoctoral Affairs 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.

Top of page

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 Policy and Methods for International Affairs

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

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:
Global Political Economy

Designated economics course: INAF 5309

Designated Courses:
Conflict Analysis and Conflict Resolution

Designated economics course: INAF 5205

Designated Courses:
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:
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 Social Theory and International Development
  • 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:
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.

Top of page

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.

Top of page

M.A. International Affairs/LL.B.

About the Program

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.).The benefit of the joint program is the integration of students, legal training and graduate studies in international affairs.

Admission Requirements

Please Note: Students must apply separately to the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, at the University of Ottawa and to the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, 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.

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.

Of the 5.0 credits completed for the M.A. degree, up to 1.5 credits may be applied to the Bachelor of Laws degree.

In undertaking the M.A./LL.B. research essay, students will be expected to integrate both components of the joint program into their work.

The normal sequence of courses for the two degrees is as follows:

First Year

Normal LL.B. first year (required course work to include a 0.5-credit course in international law)

Second Year

Normal M.A. first year (as described in full-time M.A. program requirements)

Third and Fourth Year

Students will make up any additional M.A. credit requirements. These could include an M.A./LL.B. research essay (INAF 5906) or M.A./LL.B. research thesis (INAF 5919). M.A./LLB research essays and theses will have at least one supervisor from NPSIA and one supervisor from the Law School.

Top of page

Ph.D. International Affairs

About the Program

NPSIA's Ph.D. program is interdisciplinary and focuses on international policymaking processes and institutions. Its objective is to provide students with advanced training and research skills suitable for both an academic career, or for more senior policy analysis and research positions in government and non-governmental institutions.

International Conflict Management and Resolution

Interdisciplinary and policy-oriented research on international and intrastate conflict management and resolution. Sources of and responses to conflict, drawing from traditional and non-traditional frameworks with an emphasis on diagnostic and analytic skills. Topics include conflict management, peacekeeping, crisis decision-making, the management of terrorism, arms control, concepts of security, peace-building, and conflict prevention.

International Development Policy

Interdisciplinary and policy-oriented research on international development. Global, regional, community and institutional dimensions of development as a social, economic and political process. Topics include the linkages between development and trade, finance, regional integration, technology transfer and transnational enterprises, the environment and natural recourses, health, education, labour, and institutions.

International Economic Policy

Interdisciplinary and policy-oriented research on the relationship between the global markets, civil society, and states. Theories and policy approaches to international political economy, drawn from economics, political science and other disciplines. Topics include trade, finance, multinational corporations, international migration, and a critical analysis of the issues surrounding the phenomenon of global integration.

Top of page

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

To successfully complete the doctoral program, students must obtain a grade of B- or better in each course credit, and Satisfactory or Distinction in the field seminars, comprehensive examinations, doctoral research seminar, the research prospectus defence, and the Ph.D. thesis and its oral defence.

Top of page

Admission Requirements

Admission into the Ph.D. program will be judged primarily on the applicant's ability to undertake research successfully and his/her prospects for completion of the program. Admission to the Ph.D. program is governed by the requirements stated in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

The normal requirement for admission to the doctoral program in International Affairs is a Master's degree in a social science with at least an A- average.

Relevant work experience is also considered. Students who lack sufficient background at the graduate level in international affairs will be required to take supplementary courses extra to degree prior to admission.

Students with no formal training in economics must complete a 1.0 credit (or equivalent) course in introductory economics (introductory microeconomics and introductory macroeconomics for economics majors) plus at least 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) at the advanced undergraduate (typically third or fourth year) or intermediate theory level to be considered for admission.

Students who are admitted to the doctoral program but lack sufficient specialization in their fields of study may be required to take additional courses at the graduate level in preparation for their field seminars.

All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to obtain an overall score of 70 or over on the Canadian Academic English Language Assessment with a minimum score of 70 for the writing section or a TOEFL score of 250 computer-based, 100 iBT (minimum score of 25) in each of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Top of page

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. in International Affairs is a 10.0 credit program. The specific requirements are:

  • A thesis [5.0 credits]
  • Two field seminars [0.5 credit each] in the area of declared fields
  • Two field comprehensive examinations [0.5 credit each] in the area of declared fields
  • A doctoral research seminar [0.5 credit] which requires public defence of a research prospectus
  • 1.5 credits of compulsory courses in research methods and policy analysis
  • 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) of compulsory economics courses
  • A demonstrated ability in a second language

Detailed Program Requirements

Residence Requirement

All Ph.D. candidates must be registered full time for a minimum of six terms to satisfy the residence requirement.

Courses

The following 2.5 credits of compulsory courses must be completed within the first two years of initial registration.

  • 0.5 credit in INAF 6001: Qualitative Research Methods
  • 0.5 credit in INAF 6002: Quantitative Research Methods
  • 0.5 credit in INAF 6003: Advanced International Policy Analysis
  • An additional 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) selected from the economics courses offered by the School, related to the chosen comprehensive examination field and selected with permission of the Associate Director. Candidates with sufficient economics training may be permitted to substitute other courses.
Field Seminars
  • Two field seminars (0.5 credits each) must be completed within the first two years of initial registration. At least one of these will be in a field offered by NSPIA faculty (INAF 6100, INAF 6200, INAF 6300). The field seminars provide a venue for doctoral students to explore the literature that serves as the foundation for the comprehensive examinations and some students may be advised to take additional courses.
Field Comprehensives

Two field comprehensives (0.5 credit each) must be completed with grade of Satisfactory or Distinction within the first two years of initial registration. Failure to complete this requirement within the time limit may result in withdrawal from the program.

The comprehensive examination is based on a set of readings provided at the beginning of the academic year (Fall term) and may be completed through a combination of self-directed study, M.A. courses, the Field Seminar and consultation with faculty members. A candidate whose performance is not satisfactory may, at the discretion of the examining board, be required to submit to either an oral or written examination.

Students may, with the School's permission, apply to complete a field and an associated comprehensive examination in another discipline. The field must be in a discipline related to the student's program of study, and requires the approval of the host department. The student is required to fulfil all of the host department's requirements for the equivalence of a field designation, including any course work and the associated comprehensive examination.

Doctoral Research Seminar

A seminar where research issues are discussed. Satisfactory completion of the seminar requires the successful public defence of a research prospectus that will be the basis for the dissertation.

Thesis (5.0 credits)

All Ph.D. candidates are required to successfully complete and defend a thesis equivalent to 5.0 credits on a topic approved by the School.

Language Requirement

All students must demonstrate an ability to read academic material in a language other than English sufficient to conduct doctoral research in international affairs. This requirement will be fulfilled before the defence of the research prospectus. To fulfil the language requirement, a student must pass a written examination administered by the School, or meet the equivalent standard as determined by the School.

Top of page