Political Science
The Department of Political Science offers MA and PhD programs in the following fields:
- Rights, Justice, Citizenship, and Identity (MA)
- Comparative Politics (PhD)
- Gender, Indigeneity, Race, Disability, and Sexuality (PhD)
- International Relations (PhD)
- Law and Politics (PhD)
- Public Policy (PhD)
Administrative Staff
Chair
Troy Riddell (513 MacKinnon, Ext. 56503)
riddell@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Coordinator
Edward Koning (509 MacKinnon, Ext. 58939)
ekoning@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Program Assistant
Renee Tavascia (147 Macdonald Institute, Ext. 56973)
pols.graduate@uoguelph.ca
Graduate Faculty
This list may include Regular Graduate Faculty, Associated Graduate Faculty and/or Graduate Faculty from other universities.
Dennis Baker
BA McMaster, LLB Toronto, PhD Calgary - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Ryan C. Briggs
BSS Ottawa, PhD American - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Carol L. Dauda
BA McMaster, MA Guelph, PhD Toronto - College Professor Emeritus
Minh Do
BA Victoria, MA Waterloo, PhD Toronto - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty
Jordi Díez
BA Toronto, MA Essex, PhD Toronto - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Mark Harding
BA St. Thomas (Fredericton), MA, PhD Calgary - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty
Carmen Ho
BA Western, M.Sc. London, PhD Toronto - Assistant Professor
Graduate Faculty
Candace Johnson
BA Toronto, MA, PhD Dalhousie - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Craig A. Johnson
BA Queen's, MA Toronto, PhD School of Economics London - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Edward Koning
BA, MA Leiden, PhD Queen's - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Theresa M. L. Lee
BA Toronto, MA, PhD Princeton - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Leah Levac
BA Acadia, MA, PhD New Brunswick - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
David MacDonald
BA Carleton, MA Ottawa, PhD School of Business London - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Tim A. Mau
BA, MA Guelph, PhD Oxford - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Andrea Paras
BA British Columbia, MA, PhD Toronto - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Kate Puddister
BA, MA Guelph, PhD McGill - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Troy Riddell
BA, MA Calgary, PhD McGill - Associate Professor and Chair
Graduate Faculty
Byron M. Sheldrick
BA Carleton, LLB Toronto, MA, PhD York - Associate Professor and Associate Vice-President (Academic)
Graduate Faculty
Julie M. Simmons
BA British Columbia, MA, PhD Toronto - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Tamara Small
BA Guelph, MA Calgary, PhD Queen's - Professor
Graduate Faculty
Adam Sneyd
BA Queen's, MA York, PhD McMaster - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Dave Snow
BA St. Thomas (Fredericton), MA, PhD Calgary - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Ian S. Spears
BA Toronto, MA Queen's, PhD McGill - Associate Professor
Graduate Faculty
Deborah Stienstra
BA Alberta, MA, PhD York - Professor
Graduate Faculty
MA Program
The MA program revolves around the field of Rights, Justice, Citizenship, and Identity while allowing flexibility for students to pursue their various interests. Within the broader framework of Rights, Justice, Citizenship and Identity, the Department has particular strengths in Public Policy and Administration and Global Justice and Politics and offers a number of courses related to those topics.
Our broad range of course offerings and routes to complete the degree allow students to tailor their experience towards their future employment or academic goals. Graduates of the program are engaged in a wide range of careers with academic institutions, government and public sector agencies, non-governmental organizations, and industry.
Admission Requirements
The department requires an Honours BA degree (4 years) in political science (or its equivalent) with at least a 'B+' average for consideration for admission to the program. Completion of methodology courses equivalent to POLS*2650 Political Inquiry and Research Methods and POLS*3650 Quantitative Methods of Data Analysis, in the Department of Political Science undergraduate program, is necessary for admission to the graduate program. Students not satisfying this requirement may be admitted with the provision that it be satisfied by completing the requisite extra course(s).
Application Procedure
Program offices should be consulted for admission deadlines and required documents https://polisci.uoguelph.ca/future-students/graduate-programs/how-apply. Complete application submission instructions can be found at http://www.uoguelph.ca/graduatestudies/apply/.
Graduate students are admitted each Fall semester.
Program Requirements
Students enroll in one of three study options:
- course work only,
- course work and major research paper or
- course work and thesis.
Thesis
In order to satisfy the degree requirements, the student will complete three courses plus POLS*6900 Communications, POLS*6940 Research Design and Methods and complete a Thesis.
Three courses with at least two of them from the following core courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6050 | The Politics of Identity | 0.50 |
| POLS*6130 | Rights and Public Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6150 | Constitutionalism and Judicial Politics | 0.50 |
| POLS*6400 | Citizenship and Social Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6510 | Political Participation and Engagement | 0.50 |
| POLS*6730 | Development and Global Justice | 0.50 |
Plus:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6900 | Communications | 0.25 |
| POLS*6940 | Research Design and Methods | 0.75 |
| Or an approved equivalent from another department | ||
| Thesis 1 | ||
- 1
A thesis of approximately 10,000 to 15,000 words (approximately 80 to 100 double-spaced pages). The written thesis is defended in an oral examination.
Course Work and Major Research Paper
In order to satisfy the degree requirements, the student will complete four courses plus POLS*6940 Research Design and Methods, POLS*6900 Communications, for a total of six courses and complete POLS*6970 Major Paper.
Four courses with at least two of them from the following core courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6050 | The Politics of Identity | 0.50 |
| POLS*6130 | Rights and Public Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6150 | Constitutionalism and Judicial Politics | 0.50 |
| POLS*6400 | Citizenship and Social Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6510 | Political Participation and Engagement | 0.50 |
| POLS*6730 | Development and Global Justice | 0.50 |
Plus:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6900 | Communications | 0.25 |
| POLS*6940 | Research Design and Methods | 0.75 |
| Or an approved equivalent from another department | ||
| POLS*6970 | Major Paper 2 | 1.00 |
- 2
The research paper is approximately 10,000 to 12,500 words (approximately 40 to 50 double-spaced pages).
Course Work
In order to satisfy the degree requirements, the student will complete POLS*6940 Research Design and Methods and POLS*6900 Communications, plus five additional courses.
Five courses with at least three of them from the following core courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6050 | The Politics of Identity | 0.50 |
| POLS*6130 | Rights and Public Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6150 | Constitutionalism and Judicial Politics | 0.50 |
| POLS*6400 | Citizenship and Social Policy | 0.50 |
| POLS*6510 | Political Participation and Engagement | 0.50 |
| POLS*6730 | Development and Global Justice | 0.50 |
Plus:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6940 | Research Design and Methods | 0.75 |
| Or an approved equivalent from another department | ||
| POLS*6900 | Communications | 0.25 |
PhD Program
Admission Requirements
Students are expected to have completed an MA in Political Science with at least an A- average for consideration for admission to the program. Students with a MA in a social science other than Political Science are encouraged to apply on the condition that they take additional courses upon their entry into the program.
Application Procedure
Graduate students are admitted each Fall semester. Program offices should be consulted for admission deadlines and required documents: https://polisci.uoguelph.ca/future-students/graduate-programs/how-apply. All applications must be submitted online. Complete application submission instructions can be found at http://graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/future/applying-guelph.
Program Requirements
Students are required to major in one field of specialization. The Department has wide-ranging and various expertise in each of the fields—please consult the Department’s website for more information.
The PhD program is designed both for students interested in pursuing academic positions and also for students interested in working in research capacities in the public, non-profit or private sectors.
Students are required to successfully complete a minimum of five graduate courses, as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLS*6500 | Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis | 0.50 |
| POLS*6900 | Communications | 0.25 |
| POLS*6940 | Research Design and Methods | 0.75 |
| One of the following field courses, based on field of specialization: | ||
| POLS*6050 | The Politics of Identity | 0.50 |
| POLS*6120 | Theories of International Relations | 0.50 |
| POLS*6150 | Constitutionalism and Judicial Politics | 0.50 |
| POLS*6380 | Political Contention in a Comparative Perspective | 0.50 |
| POLS*6630 | Approaches to Public Policy Analysis | 0.50 |
| One elective | 0.50 | |
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination will take the form of a written take-home examination followed by an oral examination and will be based on the material of the designated course in the student's field of specialization as well as a supplementary reading list. Normally the examination will involve four questions about the student's field of specialization.
Thesis
Each candidate will be required to write and submit a thesis on the research carried out by the candidate on a topic approved by the Advisory Committee. The thesis is expected to be a significant contribution to knowledge in its field and the candidate must indicate in what ways it is a contribution. A thesis is expected to be no less than 200 double-spaced pages in length. The thesis must demonstrate mature scholarship and critical judgement on the part of the candidate, and it must indicate an ability to express oneself in a satisfactory literary style. Approval of the thesis is taken to imply that it is judged to be sufficiently meritorious to warrant publication in reputable scholarly media in the field.
Collaborative Specializations
International Development Studies
The Department of Political Science participates in the MA in International Development Studies (IDS) collaborative specialization. Please consult the International Development Studies listing for a detailed description of the MA collaborative specialization including the special additional requirements for each of the participating departments.
IDS graduates hold positions in government in Canada and abroad with NGOs, international organizations and private consultancies. Many also enter PhD programs.
The Department of Political Science also participates in the PhD collaborative specialization in International Development Studies (IDS), which provides an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary study of international development issues. Applications are part of the general PhD application, and go directly to the Political Science Department. In addition to the Political Science PhD requirements, IDS applicants are expected to have a strong background in the social sciences, a demonstrable track record of experience in the course-based study of development issues, development research and/or development practice and a stated research interest relating to international development. The IDS designation also requires two core courses in international development theory and research methods. Please consult the International Development Studies listing for more information about the requirements and expectations of the PhD collaborative specialization in IDS.
One Health
The Department of Political Science participates in the collaborative specialization in One Health. Master’s and Doctoral students wishing to undertake thesis research or their major research paper/project with an emphasis on one health are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Political Science and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the One Health listing for more information.
Sexualities, Genders and Bodies
The Political Science program participates in the collaborative specialization in Sexualities, Genders and Bodies. MA and PhD students wishing to undertake thesis research or write their major research paper in the area of sexualities, genders and bodies are eligible to apply to register concurrently in Political Science and the collaborative specialization. Students should consult the Sexualities, Genders and Bodies listing for more information.
Courses
A number of graduate courses are cross-listed with intensive, senior undergraduate seminars. In these cross-listed offerings, which are identified as such in the course descriptions, course and grading expectations will be tailored to graduate students.
Students should also consult the fourth year undergraduate course selection. Graduate students, with the approval of the instructor and the Graduate Program Coordinator, may take a fourth year undergraduate course in the Political Science Department. This course is taken as POLS*6950 Specialized Topics in Political Studies. Course requirements are modified so that they are comparable to other courses offered at the graduate level.