Admission requirements
To be admitted to the master’s 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 grade point 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 official language to be able to read texts in that language.
In exceptional cases, candidates who do not meet the first two criteria as defined above may be admitted to the master’s 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). Depending on the case, such candidates may be required to complete qualifying courses in pertinent disciplines prior to admission.
Qualifying Program
- Candidates may enroll in a qualifying program on the recommendation of the Admission Committee (it is not possible to apply directly to a qualifying program).
- The number of units taken in a qualifying program may not exceed 36.
- The qualifying program must be completed within three consecutive sessions or less.
- The student must obtain a minimum grade of C+ in each course, and have an overall B average.
- Students wishing to complete their qualifying courses at another university are advised to have their course of studies approved in advance by the program coordinator.
Some additional documents, and in some cases specific forms, are required. For more information, please see the page Step 4: Gather the documents needed for the assessment of your application.