Doctorate in Philosophy Political Science Specialization in Canadian Studies

The School of Political Studies offers graduate programs leading to the Graduate Diploma in Public Management and Governance, and to the degrees of Master of Arts (MA) and PhD in Political Science. The MA program is offered both full- and part-time whereas the PhD program is offered full-time only. The programs are offered in French and English.

Two options are available for the MA: the MA with thesis and the MA with research paper.

It is possible to follow the Masters or the PhD program exclusively in French.

Students who enroll in their program in French (MA or PhD) must take the majority of their courses in French:

• Masters with Thesis: students must take at least three of their required courses in French.
• Masters with Major Research Paper: students must take at least four of their required courses in French.
• PhD: students must take at least three courses in French.

Students who enroll in their program in English (MA or PhD) must take and pass at least one of their required courses in French.

All students are permitted to hand in their assignments in French or in English. At the time of admission, students must have an active knowledge of French and a passive understanding of English. French is the working language of the Schools meetings, including those of the graduate students association, and in the Schools internal communications.

The department participates in the collaborative programs in Womens Studies (at the MA level), in Environmental Sustainability (at the MA level) and in Canadian Studies (at the PhD level). For more information on this program, see Admission Requirements.”

Because of its strength in relevant areas, its bilingual character and its location in the national capital, the University of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to offer a collaborative program leading to a specialization in Canadian Studies at the doctoral level. The program is especially designed for doctoral students in selected programs in the humanities and the social sciences who wish to enrich their training in a particular discipline by including an interdisciplinary component.

The programs are governed by the general regulations in effect for graduate studies.

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.

To be admitted to the PhD program, candidates must hold a master’s degree in political science (or the equivalent) with a minimum average of 75% (B+) calculated in accordance with graduate studies guidelines. Exceptional students in the master’s program at the University of Ottawa may, under certain conditions (see “Transfer from master’s to PhDsc_courseinline/search/?P=CDN%206520CDN 6520bubblelink codereturn showCourse(this, 'CDN 6520');sc_courseinline/search/?P=CDN%206910CDN 6910bubblelink codereturn showCourse(this, 'CDN 6910');sc_courseinline/search/?P=CDN%206520CDN 6520bubblelink codereturn showCourse(this, 'CDN 6520');sc_courseinline/search/?P=CDN%206910CDN 6910bubblelink codereturn showCourse(this, 'CDN 6910');">CDN 6910) and thesis with Canadian content, will indicate a “specialization in Canadian Studies.”

Transfer from Master's to PhD

Students in the MA program at the University of Ottawa who have performed exceptionally well academically, who have demonstrated solid research skills and who are deemed sufficiently mature, may proceed to the doctoral program without completing their master’s degree. Please note that the minimal admission average requirements for the doctoral program must also be met. The conditions for transfer are as follows:

• successful completion of at least four POL graduate courses (12 units) with an A average as well as an A+ in at least one of the courses
• approval of the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Political Studies. The committee makes its decision on the basis of written reports on the student’s maturity and research skills, from the student’s thesis supervisor and from the professors in the courses taken in the master’s program.

The request for transfer must be made during the third term of full-time enrollment (or equivalent), and the transfer must take place before the end of the fourth term. The Graduate Studies committee will take into account the student’s grades, thesis plan (or draft plan) and the reports from professors who taught the courses taken at the master’s.

Following the transfer, the student must successfully complete all the requirements of the PhD program. Students who transfer but do not complete the PhD program can however obtain the MA degree provided they meet all of its requirements.

• Apply online through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), by completing form 105.
• Declare all your current and previous postsecondary studies, completed or not, even if they are not related to your application. Failure to do so may lead to the cancellation of your application or the withdrawal of your offer of admission at any time.
• Enter your email address, making sure it is accurate. We will use this address to communicate with you for all matters. Also, check your inbox (and junk mail folder) regularly for messages from the University of Ottawa.
• Pay the application fees for all your admission applications. Applications are forwarded to the University of Ottawa only after fees are paid in full and the payment has cleared. Learn more about application fees.
• Note that OUAC is not part of the University of Ottawa. It handles applications to all Ontario universities and is responsible for transferring your application to our admission office.