Political science

Memorial University of Newfoundland is a public university located in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields such as business, education, engineering, sciences, and humanities. The university is known for its research excellence, particularly in areas such as ocean sciences, environmental sustainability, and indigenous studies. It also has a strong focus on community engagement and offers a range of programs and services to support its students and the local community.

Memorial University's Department of Political Science offers graduate courses, a graduate diploma and supervises MA students in all the major subfields of the discipline, including international relations, comparative politics, Canadian politics, public policy, and political theory. Our faculty’s research interests cover a wide range: election campaigns and voting behaviour; ethnic conflict within and between states; public administration; provincial politics; aboriginal law and politics; gender and politics; the politics of financial regulation; health care policy and governance; foreign policy; international peace building; the history of international thought; and identity and political theory. We also have special area expertise in Western and Southern Europe (particularly Italy, Spain and the Balkan states); the United States; and Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, our MA program offers high-quality training in the methodology of political research. The quality of our research and teaching is reflected in our programs and our students' successes. Our Graduate Diploma in Political Science provides an opportunity to acquire additional academic credentials at the graduate level without committing to a full master’s program. The program provides students with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of politics and may also be used for professional career development (e.g. public servants; individuals in the private sector with links to policy and politics; and individuals in non-governmental or voluntary organizations). Students can take classes in any of the four major subfields of political science (Canadian Politics, Public Policy, Political Theory, International Relations, Comparative Politics). Our Department has particular strengths in areas such as political behaviour, research methods, public policy, and international political economy. Graduate students can complete a research or internship-focused master's degree. Our MA program prepares students for both academic and professional careers. It attracts students from universities across Canada and around the world. While many of our students go on to professional positions in the civil service, our graduate students regularly receive admission to leading PhD programs, including, in recent years, McGill, UBC, Toronto, Alberta, the London School of Economics and others. Over the last several years, 12 students from the Department have been awarded prestigious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) fellowships. Description of program Graduate diploma - Disciplinary graduate diplomas provide an opportunity to acquire additional academic credentials at the graduate level without committing to a full master’s program. These programs allow students to expand on their knowledge of a particular discipline and may also be used for professional development within their careers. Students are required to take 9 credit hours in Political Science in order to qualify for the Diploma. MA – The MA program offers internship, research paper, and thesis options. The internship option, completed in one year of full-time study, involves courses and a one-semester internship with a political organization, government agency, or voluntary agency. The research paper option, completed in one year of full-time study, involves courses and a research paper. The thesis option involves courses and a thesis, and can be completed in two years of full-time study.