Program Requirements

Details on all program requirements are provided in the departmental Guidelines for M.A. Candidates.

All master's candidates will fulfil a 5.0-credit program requiring departmental approval. A maximum of 1.0 credit may be taken at the 4000-level. The student may choose to take a maximum of 1.0 credit outside the Department of Political Science.

All candidates, in consultation with the Department, will pursue their degree by following one of three program patterns:

• 5.0 credits in approved courses
• Research Essay (1.0 credit) and 4.0 credits in approved courses
• Thesis (2.0 credits) and 3.0 credits in approved courses

All M.A. students must complete a language requirement prior to graduation. This language will normally be French, except where a degree of proficiency in another language is deemed appropriate in relation to the student's program of studies. The language requirement may be satisfied by passing a Departmental French language test. Departmental language tests are administered twice a year. The language requirement may also be satisfied by passing an approved language course with a grade of B- or better. This course will normally be FINS 2105. Students whose research interests require research skills skill beyond the basic methods requirement may obtain permission from the Department to substitute this advanced research skill for the language requirement.

It is anticipated that candidates will enter having taken some political theory at the undergraduate level. Those who have not will be required to take PSCI 2300, a 1.0-credit course over and above the normal M.A. program requirements.

It is anticipated that candidates will enter having taken a methods course at the undergraduate level. Those who have not may be required, depending on the course pattern chosen, to take PSCI 5700, a 0.5-credit course which can be included as part of the 5.0-credit requirement. When appropriate and related significantly to the program of study, another methods course, such as PSCI 5304, PSCI 5701 or PSCI 5702 may be substituted for PSCI 5700.

Defences

In the case of the student choosing a thesis, the thesis will be evaluated by three people: the student's thesis supervisor from the Department, a second reader from the Department, and an external third reader who is generally from another Carleton Department but may sometimes come from outside the University. A thesis must be defended orally before the three evaluators. No letter grade is assigned, but notations of Pass with Distinction, Satisfactory, and Unsatisfactory are assigned.

In the case of the student choosing a research essay, that essay will be evaluated by two of the Department's faculty members including the supervisor and a second reader, and a letter grade will be assigned. An oral defence of the essay is not required but may be requested by the supervisor or second reader.

Co-op Option

A co-op option is available to full-time students in the M.A. program. Students admitted to this option must satisfactorily complete at least two work terms in order to graduate with a co-op designation on their transcripts. These work terms are four months in duration and locate students in government departments or other organizations in order to work at a junior officer level. Students register in one of PSCI 5911, PSCI 5912 or PSCI 5913 Co-operative Work Term; however the coordination of the work terms is done by the University's Co-op office.

Washington Center Internship Program

The Washington Center Internship Program is open to full time master's students who have completed at least two terms of study at Carleton. Admission is open to students with at least a 9.5 GPA in Political Science graduate courses. Successful completion of the program satisfies the requirements for one term of full-time study (1.5 credits). Students spend one term (fall, winter or summer) in Washington, D.C. They serve four days a week as an intern in Washington, D.C. and also take two seminar courses offered by faculty of The Washington Center. The normal 1.5 credit course load for participants in the program is:

• PSCI 5904 (0.5 credit), Washington Center Internship
• PSCI 5905 (0.5 credit), Washington Center Seminar I
• PSCI 5906 (0.5 credit), Washington Center Seminar II

Full information on the program and application forms can be obtained from the Department of Political Science.

Program Requirements

Details on all program requirements are provided in the departmental Guidelines for Ph.D. Candidates.

The normal program requirements for Ph.D. candidates are outlined in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

It is anticipated that Ph.D. candidates will enter having taken some political theory at the undergraduate level, regardless of their desired field of specialization. Those who have not will be required to take PSCI 2300, a 1.0-credit course in addition to the normal Ph.D. requirements.

If statistical proficiency is needed for the preparation of the thesis, students will also be expected to take a course in research methods which can be included as part of the 10.0-credit requirement (see section titled Research Skill Requirement).

All Ph.D. candidates will fulfil a 10.0-credit program requiring departmental approval. The student may choose to take a maximum of 1.0 credit outside the Department of Political Science.

At least 1.0 credit at the graduate level in 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.

Satisfactory completion of PSCI 6900 (0.5 credit), Ph.D. Field Examination I and PSCI 6905 (0.5 credit), Ph.D. Field Examination II. Field examinations are normally written on two occasions each year, in April and August.

Proficiency in a research skill, as outlined under research skill requirement

At least 1.0 credit will normally be taken during the second year of the program in fields allied to the major topics of the thesis. This credit will normally be fulfilled through regular course work rather than tutorials.

Successful completion of PSCI 6906 (1.0 credit)

A public defence, in English, of a written thesis proposal

A 5.0-credit thesis, written in English or French, which will be defended publicly in English at an oral examination.

Full-time students are normally required to complete the comprehensive examinations within 12 months of entering the program, and must normally complete the public defence of the thesis proposal, preceded by its formal acceptance by the supervisory committee, within 24 months of entering the doctoral program.

Upon entry to the program, each Ph.D. candidate will be assigned a faculty member to advise them on their studies. Students' programs, including the choice of supervisor and the thesis committee, must be approved by the Department. The thesis supervisor will normally be chosen from among faculty members in the Department of Political Science. Upon approval of the thesis supervisor and the Department, committee members may be chosen from elsewhere within the University.

Research Skill Requirement

Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate the ability to use a research skill appropriate to their program. The research skill requirement will normally be satisfied before the defence of the thesis proposal, and will take one of the following forms:

• An ability to read and translate French or another language appropriate to their course of study; or the ability to speak a language other than English sufficient to conduct interviews in that language
• An approved political science methods course, workshop, or colloquium, equivalent to 0.5 credit; or any one of the following courses (or an approved alternative): PSCI 5700, PSCI 5701, or PSCI 5702.

Comprehensive Examinations

All Ph.D. candidates must successfully complete a written comprehensive examination in each of their two major fields. Field examinations normally take place once per year, in August. At the discretion of the Department, candidates may be required to take an oral examination following the written examination.

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

Political Theory

• Democracy in the Age of Global Technology
• Politics, Statecraft and the Common Good
• Tradition, Interpretation and Civic Hermeneutics
• Ideology, Power and Political Morality
• Politics and Statecraft in Non-Western Traditions
• Religion, Civil Association and Individualism
• Collective Identities: Gender, Race and Nation

Public Affairs and Policy Analysis

• Canadian and Comparative Public Sector Reform
• Public Policy, Public Opinion and Public Belief Systems
• Methods for Quantitative Analysis and Evaluation
• Gender and Race in Public Policy and Administration
• Socio-Technical Change and Policy Design
• Political Communication, Political Persuasion and Social Marketing
• Domestic Security Policy and Management

Canadian Government and Politics

• Federalism and the Constitution
• Political Institutions and Processes
• Political Culture and Socialization
• Political Economy
• Provincial, Territorial and Local Government and Politics
• Administration and Public Policy Analysis
• Foreign Policy and Relations
• Canadian Political Thought and Ideology
• Gender and the State
• The Politics of Identity, Difference and Movements for Change
• Communications and Media

International Relations

• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Gender and International Relations
• Global Governance and International Organization
• Global Political Economy
• International Development
• International Political Sociology
• International Relations Theory
• International Security

Comparative Government and Politics

a) Countries and Areas

• Europe and the European Union
• Russia and Soviet Successor States
• North America
• Latin America
• Africa
• Asia
• Middle East

b) Topics or Themes

• State and Civil Society
• Political Governance and Institutions
• Development
• Social Movements
• Nationalism, Citizenship, Race and Ethnicity
• Political Behavior
• Gender and Politics
• Political Economy

Thesis Proposal

All students must publicly defend a thesis proposal after completing their comprehensive examinations. Full-time students must complete this requirement within the first two years of registration in the program.