Political Science: Bachelor of Arts Major

Description

The B.A. Major in Political Science offers a chance to explore their political world through an innovative suite of offerings that combines a solid foundation in scholarship with 'hands-on' learning opportunities in debate, diplomacy, and policy. The Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science is designed with a special focus on emerging power dynamics at the national, trans-national, and global levels, and is therefore an ideal choice for students with a serious interest in engaging with the many dimensions of power in the modern world.

Students in the Political Science B.A. Major begin their studies with a broad range of introductory courses that expose them to the key sub-fields within the discipline (Canadian and comparative politics, international relations, and political thought), before gradually transitioning to more specialized courses in the second- and third-year levels, and advanced-level seminar work in the fourth year of study. Students will also take at least one 'experiential' course instilling hands-on skills in debate, diplomacy, and policy, as well as one upper-level course on emerging trans-national sites of power.

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in Political Science must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

Note: A first-year English course, ENGL 1100, is a requirement of this program. This course has prerequisites that may require a student to complete additional preparatory courses.

Students must complete a total of 48 specified credits for the BA Major in Political Science. These include a minimum of 30 credits in POLI courses at the 3000 or 4000 levels, of which at least 9 credits must be at the 4000 level.

1100 Level

Required:
	9 credits of any 1100-level POLI courses.	9 credits
Please see the Course Descriptions section of the Calendar for a full listing of 1100-level POLI Courses.

2000 Level

Required:
	SOCI 2260	Research Methods in Sociology	3 credits
And:
	6 credits of any 2000-level POLI courses.		6 credits
Please see the Course Descriptions section of the Calendar for a full listing of 2000-level POLI Courses.

3000 and 4000 Level

Required:
	A minimum of 30 credits of POLI courses at the 3000 or 4000 level, including the following. At least 9 credits of POLI courses must be at the 4000 level.		30 credits
At least 3 credits chosen from:
	POLI 3131	The Politics of Continental Integration	3 credits
	POLI 3160	International Organization	3 credits
	POLI 4225	Nationhood, Nationalism and Beyond (under development)	3 credits
And: At least 3 credits chosen from the following applied courses:
	POLI 3500	Public Debates in Politics	3 credits
	POLI 4110	Applied Policy Seminar II	3 credits
	POLI 4500	Model United Nations	3 credits
	POLI 4510	Practicum in Political Science (under development)	3 credits
And:
	24 further credits of any 3000- or 4000-level POLI courses. Students must complete at least 9 credits of POLI courses at the 4000 level; these may include courses from the above groups.		24 credits
Please see the Course Descriptions section of the Calendar for a full listing of 3000- and 4000-level POLI Courses.

Streams

Students can choose to focus their studies within Political Science in different ways. There are courses that fit into the International Studies "stream" and the North American Studies "stream." These streams are not separate credentials or noted on your official transcript, but can indicate to possible graduate programs or employers your area of interest.

International Studies stream	North American Studies stream
POLI 1150 POLI 2130 POLI 2140 POLI 2150 POLI 2155 POLI 3131 POLI 3160 POLI 3147 POLI 3199 POLI 4145 POLI 4330 POLI 4340 POLI 4500	POLI 1120 POLI 1123 POLI 2100 POLI 2121 POLI 2235 POLI 3100 POLI 3122 POLI 3125 POLI 3131 POLI 3150 POLI 3190 POLI 4125 POLI 4420

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in Political Science.