Alex Michalos, Professor Emeritus
Gary Wilson, Professor and Chair
Michael Murphy, Professor
Boris DeWiel, Associate Professor
Fiona MacDonald, Associate Professor
Jason Lacharite, Senior Instructor
Website: www.unbc.ca/political-science
A Master’s degree in Political Science is designed for students who normally would have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in Political Science and want to undertake advanced training in scholarly research.
The graduate program provides students with an advanced education in the discipline of Political Science at all levels including local, regional, national and international spheres. We specialize in comparative politics, political philosophy and Aboriginal-state relations, with additional specialties in other areas. Each student’s program of study is designed individually to meet their scholarly interests.
Admission
Successful applicants to the program will hold a four-year baccalaureate in Political Science, and will have obtained a GPA of at least 3.0 (B). UNBC and the Department of Political Science are committed to interdisciplinary co-operation, so students without undergraduate majors in Political Science may be admitted with special provisions made regarding coursework and thesis research programs.
Application deadlines are found online at www.unbc.ca/admissions/graduate/graduate-application-intakes-and-deadlines.
Application deadlines can be found online at www.unbc.ca/admissions/graduate. The Political Science MA Program accepts students for the September Semester.
For additional information about graduate admissions or to download application materials, go to the Office of Graduate Administration website at www.unbc.ca/graduate-administration.
Requirements
Students may choose either a Thesis, a Project, or a Course-based Option.
Thesis Option
The requirements for the thesis option are four graduate courses, a thesis proposal, and a 12 credit-hour thesis. At least three of the four required graduate courses must be from the discipline of Political Science and must include POLS 702-3 Scope and Methods of Political Science or a suitable alternative chosen by the student’s supervisor.
Project Option
The requirements for the project option are five graduate courses and a 9 credit-hour project. At least three of the five required graduate courses must be from the discipline of Political Science and must include POLS 702-3 Scope and Methods of Political Science or a suitable alternative chosen by the student’s supervisor.
Course-based Option
The requirements for the course-base option are eight graduate courses. At least five of the eight required graduate courses must be from the discipline of Political Science and must include POLS 702-3 Scope and Methods of Political Science or a suitable alternative chosen by the student’s supervisor, and POLS 795-3 Major Research Paper, which is overseen and graded by the student’s supervisor.
Course Offerings
| POLS 603-3 | Social and Health Policy in the Context of Health and Health Care |
| POLS 613-3 | Democracy and Diversity |
| POLS 614-3 | Comparative Federalism |
| POLS 615-3 | Comparative Northern Development |
| POLS 627-3 | Ethics and Public Affairs |
| POLS 672-3 | Seminar in Political Philosophy |
| POLS 698-3 | Special Topics in Political Science |
| POLS 702-3 | Scope and Methods of Political Science |
| POLS 704-3 | Independent Study |
| POLS 795-3 | Major Research Paper |
| POLS 797-9 | Graduate Project |
| POLS 799-12 | Master's Thesis |
Research
UNBC has a number of research institutes that focus on the social, political, and economic concerns of Northern British Columbia and similar regions elsewhere. Research among faculty in Political Science includes the mapping of aboriginal land claims in Russia, local government reform in Siberia, and analyses of public services and the quality of life of northern communities. Related research from faculty in other disciplines includes resource-community sustainability, health problems of aboriginal people in Northern British Columbia and Siberia, and Northern British Columbia child welfare issues.
Updated: July 2, 2024