Admission requirements
To be admitted to the graduate diploma program, candidates must:
- Have obtained an honours bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, in philosophy, ethics, political science, governance studies, public policy, or in another discipline judged relevant, with a minimum average of 70% (B);
- Be proficient in at least one of Canada’s two official languages and have a good enough reading knowledge of the other language to be able to read texts in that language.
In exceptional cases, candidates who do not hold the equivalent of an honours bachelor’s degree as defined above may be admitted to the graduate diploma program, provided they can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Admissions Committee, that they possess adequate knowledge and professional experience (for example, experience as a policy analyst in the public sector). In some cases, such candidates may be required to complete qualifying courses in pertinent disciplines prior to admission.
A maximum of three units in equivalencies or advanced standing may be granted. To be eligible, the units in question must not have counted towards the requirements of a previous diploma, certificate, or degree. Candidates who have already successfully completed some of the compulsory units may be allowed to replace those units with elective units.
Transfer from Graduate Diploma to Master’s
Students registered in the graduate diploma program can request to transfer to a related master’s program.
Language of instruction
The program is offered in French and in English. In accordance with Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa regulations, examinations, assignments and the research paper or thesis may be written in either one of the two official languages (English or French).