Program Requirements
The European Studies Option (ESO) is an option offered within existing M.A. programs in the Departments of Political Science, History, and Sociology, as well as in the Faculty of Law. This option is open to students whose work is focused on Europe, in particular on issues relating to European integration, broadly understood. Students take an interdisciplinary capstone seminar and two other courses on European themes and issues as part of their M.A. program. They write an M.A. thesis on a topic relating to European Studies, approved by the ESO Coordinating Committee
Thesis Courses (24 credits)
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POLI 697 M.A. Thesis Proposal (12 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Preparatory work towards the Master's research project.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Summer 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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POLI 698 Master's Thesis Submission (12 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A thesis to demonstrate proficiency in research. The thesis is normally about 100 pages long, and is subject to evaluation by one examiner internal to the Department and one examiner external to the Department.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Summer 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Required Courses (6 credits)
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POLI 659 The European Union and Europe
(3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Political developments in European states as well as the European Union (EU) from a comparative politics perspective. Exploration of political institutions, political economy, state building, identity and nationalism, civil society and social movements, party politics, EU enlargement, and EU-level political processes.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Johnson, Juliet; Popova, Maria (Winter)
Note: The field is Comparative Politics.
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POLI 694 Research Preparation 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Preparatory work towards the Master's research project, or the Master's thesis.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3-6 credits, either of the following 3-credit options, or preferably both:
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POLI 612 Research Methods in Political Science (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : This seminar offers an overview of the fundamental principles of political science research. Emphasis is placed on acquainting students with the methods and techniques most commonly used by political scientists. Topics include research project design, procedures for carrying out research, as well as both qualitatively- and quantitatively-oriented methods of data collection, processing, and analysis.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Bélanger, Éric (Fall)
or a more suitable more advanced 500- or 600-level course.
or one of the following courses:
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POLI 561 Seminar: Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A topic in political philosophy such as democracy, liberty, property or nationalism, or a political philosopher, is studied to enable students to research a topic in depth, to present their papers to the seminar, and to engage in and profit from discussion and debate.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Lu, Catherine (Fall) Berry, Aberdeen (Winter)
Prerequisite: At least one upper-level course in political philosophy
Restriction: Open to graduate students, final year Honours students, and other advanced undergraduates with the permission of the instructor
Note: The field is Political Theory.
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POLI 613 Selected Themes: Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A seminar on a theme in contemporary political theory or in the history of political theory.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Cere, Daniel M; Muniz-Fraticelli, Victor (Winter)
Note: The field is Political Theory.
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POLI 614 Proseminar in Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A broad survey of major works in the history of political thought, mostly or entirely drawn from the reading list for the Ph.D. comprehensive exam in political theory.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Levy, Jacob (Fall)
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POLI 616 Modern Political Analysis (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : An introduction to the concepts underlying modern approaches to the study of politics. The scope of the discipline will be delineated and the foundations of empirical research, including the philosophy and methodology of science especially as these apply to social science, will be considered. Various alternatives and critiques will be presented and evaluated.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Note: The field is Political Theory.
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POLI 617 Problems in Political Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : An introduction to central normative issues in the study of politics. The seminar consists of lectures, oral presentations, discussion and research papers.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: Abizadeh, Arash (Fall) Winter, Yves (Winter)
Note: The field is Political Theory.
3-6 credits from the following group of courses on European politics:
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POLI 619 Race, Ethnicity, and Politics
(3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A consideration of the different dimensions of politics associated with race, ethnicity, diversity, and inequality, emphasizing the Canadian case in comparative perspective.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Note: The field is Comparative Politics; and also Canadian Politics.
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POLI 628 Comparative Politics (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : An introduction for graduate students to the sub-discipline of comparative politics. The logic of comparative analysis as well as a number of alternative paradigms for analyzing and comparing political systems and processes.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Wang, Juan (Fall)
Note: The field is Comparative Politics.
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POLI 629 Politics of Eurasia (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Political developments in the Russian Federation, Belarus, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Exploration of formal and informal political institutions, political economy, identity and nationalism, civil society and social movements, conflict and cooperation, and geopolitical relationships across the region in comparative perspective.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Popova, Maria; Johnson, Juliet (Fall)
Note: The field is Comparative Politics
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POLI 630 Topics in European Politics (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Examination of recent trends and current debates in the electoral politics, political economy and political sociology of Europe. The course will focus on developments at two levels: that of national political systems and that of the region as a whole, particularly as embodied in the European Union.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Note: The field is Comparative Politics.
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POLI 639 Themes in Comparative Politics 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : A specific problem area in comparative politics.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Note: The field is Comparative Politics.
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POLI 680 Social Change/Advanced Industrialized Democracies (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Introduction to the theories, concepts and empirical work on advanced democracies with a focus on issues of social change. Theories of the welfare states, social capital, postmaterialism, political participation, social movements and issues of diversity are studied from a variety of methodological perspectives.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Stolle, Dietlind (Winter)
Note: The field is Comparative Politics
6-9 credits at the 500, 600, or 700 level in courses in political science. A course list is available from the Department.
Of the 15 credits of complementary courses, up to 3 credits at the 500 level or higher may be taken outside the Department.
Candidates for the M.A. degree follow an individual program approved by the Department.
