Political Science

The Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary is among the strongest in Canada. Our scholars are pivotal in shaping political discourse in Canada and around the world, through their research and publishing in major scholarly journals, through training graduate students to become leaders in academic, public and private sector careers, and through their active participation in public debates about politics in Canada and international affairs.

Our program covers the traditional fields of political science and offers unparalleled strengths in the areas of Canadian politics, elections and voting behaviour, international law, political violence, history of political thought, gender and politics, and indigenous politics.

Students are given the tools and guidance needed to work at a high level on theoretical and practical problems of crucial political importance, domestically and globally.

Completing this program

• Core Courses: Two or three courses in a primary field: Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations or political thought.

• Research Methods: Students demonstrate knowledge of research methods or complete a course on quantitative analysis in political science.

• Additional Courses: Topics may include history of political thought, political theory, Canadian political process, foreign policy and more.

• Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.

Outcomes

Government policy analyst, researcher, consultant, non-governmental organizations, international organizations.

A master’s degree in political science will give you the pre-requisite for a PhD.