political science phd toronto

Department of Political Science

Welcome to the department of political science at u of t.

The Department of Political Science at U of T ranks among the world’s best!

We provide an ideal setting for students and learners at all levels to engage with novel ideas, thorough scholarship and creative research in all of the discipline’s subfields, as well as in an array of interdisciplinary areas of inquiry. As a community of established and emerging scholars — teachers and students — we are uniquely positioned to draw upon a Canadian perspective as well as the university’s intellectual buzz and the city’s cultural diversity, to address the most enduring questions of politics, locally and internationally.

More than ever, our mission is to encourage our students to think broadly, critically, and internationally about the core features of democratic and global citizenship. We do this with a faculty that includes award-wining teachers, building on a legacy of famously gifted instructors — the likes of Harold Innis and C.B. Macpherson, Alan Bloom, Tom Pangle, and Janice Stein. With a history going back to the 1880s, the department now has a total faculty complement of over sixty across the three campuses of the University of Toronto.

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Our mission is to encourage our students to think broadly, critically, and internationally about the core features of democratic and global citizenship.

APSA Honorable Mention

CPSA Shortlists

Teaching Award

100ABC Award

McArthur Fellowship

Distinguished Professor

Elite Africa Project

Undergraduate.

The study of Political Science can illuminate an important dimension of human experience and makes graduates better prepared for intelligent participation in the political community.

Each year about 25 to 30 students register in the PhD program and 45 to 50 in the various MA programs. Students come to the Department from all over Canada and from other countries.

Our faculty strive for excellence in teaching and research. They are among the best in the world, featuring a unique blend of preeminent scholars alongside up and coming bright minds.

News & Announcements

Congratulations to Filiz Kahraman whose article “What makes an international institution work for labor activists? Shaping international law through strategic litigation” has received an Honorable Mention for the 2023 Best Article...

CPSA (Canadian Political Science Association) Prize shortlists

Congratulations to Alison Smith on being shortlisted for the 2024 CPSA prize for teaching excellence and to Lynette Ong on being shortlisted for the 2024 CPSA prize in comparative politics!...

2024 100ABC Award

Congratulations to Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein who has been honoured with a 2024 100ABC (Accomplished Black Canadian) Women Award! The 100ABC Award celebrates excellence and innovation highlighting individuals and organizations...

Congratulations to Ziibiing Lab director and Professor Uahikea Maile, who has received the 2023-24 Terry Buckland Award for Diversity and Equity in Education from the Arts and Science Students’ Union...

ASIL Certificate of Merit

Congratulations to Tommaso Pavone whose book The Ghostwriters: Lawyers and the Politics Behind the Judicial Construction of Europe (Cambridge University Press, 2022), has received a certificate of merit in a specialized area...

In Tribute to Peter H. Russell (1932 – 2024)

The department was very sad to learn of the recent death of Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Peter Russell. To remember him, his colleagues, former students and friends share their...

Undergraduate Awards – celebrating academic success at its finest

The winners of the 2022-2023 undergraduate awards were announced at the annual celebration, held this year on the evening of January 25. Presiding over the award ceremony were Undergraduate Director...

New Appointment

Professor Louis W. Pauly will serve as the Acting Chair of the Department of Political Science effective July 1, 2024 until June 30, 2025. He is the J. Stefan Dupré Distinguished Professor...

Remembering Peter H. Russell (1932-2024)

Brilliant political scientist Peter Russell explored the intersection of politics and law SEAN FINE JUSTICE WRITER, THE GLOBE AND MAIL PUBLISHED JANUARY 24, 2024 - UPDATED JANUARY 25, 2024 There was just...

Research Fellowship

Congratulations to Ato Onoma who has received a Chancellor Jackman Faculty Research Fellowship in the Humanities (2024-2025). Twelve-month Faculty Research Fellows hold an office on the 10th floor of the Jackman Humanities...

Recent Publications

Lectures on the Philosophy of Right, 1819–1820

Two Cheers for Minority Government: The Evolution of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, Second Edition

Going to Seed: Questions of Idleness, Nature, and Sustainable Work

Transformative Politics of Nature: Overcoming Barriers to Conservation in Canada

Protecting the Prairies: Lorne Scott and the Politics of Conservation

The Quantum Revolution: Art, Technology, Culture

Deciphering the Genome of Constitutionalism: The Foundations and Future of Constitutional Identity

The Judicial System of Russia

The Liberalism Trap: John Stuart Mill and Customs of Interpretation

We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age

War, Work, and Want: How the OPEC Oil Crisis Caused Mass Migration and Revolution

Sleeping Dogs: Quebec and the Stabilization of Canadian Federalism after 1995

“We Are in Charge Here”: Inuit Self-Government and the Nunatsiavut Assembly

Infrastructuring Urban Futures: The Politics of Remaking Cities

Beyond Racial Capitalism: Co-operatives in the African Diaspora

Biopolitics, Geopolitics, Life: Settler States and Indigenous Presence

Plutarch’s Prism: Classical Reception and Public Humanism in France and England, 1500–1800

1950s Canada: Politics and Public Affairs

Political Ethics: A Handbook

Reconfiguring the Global Governance of Climate Change

The New Nationalism in America and Beyond: The Deep Roots of Ethnic Nationalism in the Digital Age

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism

Innovations in Tax Compliance : Building Trust, Navigating Politics, and Tailoring Reform

From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia

Multiple Barriers: The Multilevel Governance of Homelessness in Canada

Winning by Process: The State and Neutralization of Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar

Populist Moments and Extractivist States in Venezuela and Ecuador: The People’s Oil?

The Street and the Ballot Box: Interactions Between Social Movements and Electoral Politics in Authoritarian Contexts

Community Economies in the Global South: Case Studies of Rotating Savings, Credit Associations, and Economic Cooperation

Outsourcing Repression: Everyday State Power in Contemporary China

The Daily Plebiscite: Federalism, Nationalism, and Canada

Provincial Policy Laboratories: Policy Diffusion and Transfer in Canada’s Federal System

Show Time: The Logic and Power of Violent Display

Women, Power, and Political Representation: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives

Group Interests, Individual Attitudes: How Group Memberships Shape Attitudes Towards the Welfare State

Democracy and Nationalism in Southeast Asia: From Secessionist Mobilization to Conflict Resolution

Colonial Institutions and Civil War: Indirect Rule and Maoist Insurgency in India

Slow Anti-Americanism – Social Movements and Symbolic Politics in Central Asia

Innovation in Real Places – Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World

The Political Economy of the Abe Government and Abenomics Reforms

Fueling Resistance: The Contentious Political Economy of Biofuels and Fracking

Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy (Fourth Edition)

Joseph Carens: Between Aliens and Citizens

Advising Governments in the Westminster Tradition: Policy Advisory Systems in Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand

Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society

City, State: Constitutionalism and the Megacity

Partisan Odysseys: Canada’s Political Parties

Private Governance and Public Authority: Regulating Sustainability in a Global Economy

Identities and Interests Race: Ethnicity, and Affinity Voting

The Shifting Border: Legal Cartographies of Migration and Mobility

Business and Social Crisis in Africa

Taxing Africa: Coercion, Reform, and Development

Indigenous Empowerment through Co-management – Land Claims Boards, Wildlife Management, and Environmental Regulation

Multiculturalism in Canada: Constructing a Model Multiculture with Multicultural Values

Absent Mandate: Strategies and Choices in Canadian Elections

Women, Politics, and Public Policy: The Political Struggles of Canadian Women

Doing Politics Differently? Women Premiers in Canada’s Provinces and Territories

World Ordering – A Social Theory of Cognitive Evolution

Wirtschaftsgeographie (Economic Geography)

Business and Politics in India

Judicial Independence in the Age of Democracy: Critical Perspectives from around the World

The Book of the City of Ladies and Other Writings

Women as Foreign Policy Leaders: National Security and Gender Politics in Superpower America

Remaking Policy: Scale, Pace, and Political Strategy in Health Care Reform

The Price of Prestige: Conspicuous Consumption in International Relations

Dangerous Minds: Nietzsche, Heidegger, and the Return of the Far Right

The Elgar Companion to Innovation and Knowledge Creation

The Urban Political: Ambivalent Spaces of Late Neoliberalism

Responses to Marx’s Capital

Climate Change in Cities: Innovations in Multi-Level Governance

The Oxford Handbook of Citizenship

Jihad & Co. – Black Markets and Islamist Power

Mobilizing Without the Masses – Control and Contention in China

Interviewing in Social Science Research: A Relational Approach

The Authority Trap – Strategic Choices of International NGOs

The Oxford Handbook of Thucydides

Constructing Policy Change: Early Childhood Education and Care in Liberal Welfare States

Canada’s Odyssey: A Country Based on Incomplete Conquests

Religion and Canadian Party Politics

Policy Work in Canada: Professional Practices and Analytical Capacities

Making a Global City: How One Toronto School Embraced Diversity

Aftershocks: Great Powers and Domestic Reforms in the Twentieth Century

Caste, Class, and Capital – The Social and Political Origins of Economic Policy in India

Dynasties and Interludes: Past and Present in Canadian Electoral Politics

Emotions, Community and Citizenship: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives

The Death and Life of the Urban Commonwealth

The Consolations of Mortality – Making Sense of Death

The Making of Grand Paris – Metropolitan Urbanism in the Twenty-First Century

China’s G20 Leadership

Growing Urban Economies: Innovation, Creativity, and Governance in Canadian City Regions

The Judicial Role in A Diverse Federation: Lessons from the Supreme Court of Canada

Backrooms and Beyond: Partisan Advisors and the Politics of Policy Work in Canada

Made in Nunavut

Pluralism by Default

The Politics of Inclusive Development

The Canadian Environment in Political Context

Lactivism – How Feminists and Fundamentalists, Hippies and Yuppies, and Physicians and Politicians Made Breastfeeding Big Business and Bad Policy

Left and Right

Taxation, Responsiveness and Accountability in Sub-Saharan Africa – The Dynamics of Tax Bargaining

The Global Governance of Climate Change: G7, G20 and UN Leadership

The G8-G20 Relationship in Global Governance

Framed: Media and the Coverage of Race in Canadian Politics

Temporary Knowledge Ecologies The Rise of Trade Fairs in the Asia-Pacific Region

Disobeying Hitler: German Resistance after Valkyrie

Comparing Quebec and Ontario: Political Economy and Public Policy at the Turn of the Millennium

The Ethics of Immigration

Power In A Complex Global System

LAND, STEWARDSHIP, AND LEGITIMACY: ENDANGERED SPECIES POLICY IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

Innovating in Urban Economies: Economic Transformation in Canadian City-Regions

Reinventing the Left in the Global South: The Politics of the Possible

Courage in the Democratic Polis: Ideology and Critique in Classical Athens

Political Philosophy: What It Is and Why It Matters

Comparative Matters: The Renaissance of Comparative Constitutional Law

The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality

A Companion to Greek and Roman Political Thought

Comparing Democracies 3

In Search of Canadian Political Culture

The Comparative Turn in Canadian Political Science

The Unexpected War: Canada in Afghanistan

Social Democracy in the Global Periphery: Origins, Challenges, Prospects

Queer Inclusions, Continental Divisions: Public Recognition of Sexual Diversity in Canada and the United States

Montesquieu and His Legacy

Growing Apart? America and Europe in the 21st Century

Bringing the Passions Back In: The Emotions in Political Philosophy

The Moral Force of Indigenous Politics

Business and the State in Africa: Economic Policy-Making in the Neo-Liberal Era

Women, Power, Politics: The Hidden Story of Canada’s Unfinished Democracy

Internationalization and Canadian Agriculture: Policy and Governing Paradigms

Opening Doors Wider: Women’s Political Engagement in Canada

Language Matters: How Canadian Voluntary Associations Manage French and English

Does North America Exist? Governing the Continent After NAFTA and 9/11

Fire and Fury: The Allied Bombing of Germany 1942-1945

Comparative Politics: Interests, Identities, and Institutions in a Changing Global Order (3rd Edition)

Direct Democracy: The International IDEA Handbook

Boaris dego eana. Eamiálbmogiid diehtu, filosofiijat ja dutkan (As Old as the Earth. Indigenous Knowledge, Philosophies and Research)

Political Transitions in Dominant Party Systems: Learning to Lose

America’s Global Advantage: US Hegemony and International Cooperation

Constitutional Theocracy

Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the Cold War

Multination States in Asia: Accommodation or Resistance

Civil Religion: A Dialogue in the History of Political Philosophy

Immigrants and the Right to Stay

Policy Paradigms, Transnationalism, and Domestic Politics

Climate Governance at the Crossroads Experimenting with a Global Response after Kyoto

The Encyclopedia of Political Science

Political Theories of Decolonization Postcolonialism and the Problem of Foundations

Betting on Biotech: Innovation and the Limits of Asia’s Developmental State

Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy, Third Edition

The Relational Economy: Geographies of Knowing and Learning

Beyond Territory: Dynamic Geographies of Knowledge Creation, Diffusion and Innovation

Wirtschaftsgeographie

Women, Politics, and Public Policy: The Political Struggles of Canadian Women, Second Edition

Becoming Multicultural: Immigration and the Politics of Membership in Canada and Germany

Internal Affairs: How the Structure of NGOs Transforms Human Rights

Prosper or Perish: Credit and Fiscal Systems in Rural China

Social Forces and States: Poverty and Distributional Outcomes in South Korea, Chile, and Mexico

Overpromising and Underperforming?: Understanding and Evaluating New Intergovernmental Accountability Regimes

Political change in southeast asia.

Democratization and Ethnic Minorities

Trade Shows in the Globalizing Knowledge Economy

Segmented Cities: How Urban Contexts Shape Ethnic and Nationalist Politics

Subversive Itinerary: The Thought of Gad Horowitz

Welcome to the Graduate Program in Political Science

Master of arts (ma), doctor of philosophy (phd).

Created in 1967, York’s Department of Political Science is the largest program in Ontario with an international reputation for critical scholarship. An integral part of our vision is a commitment to scholarly excellence, democratic governance, critical thought and social justice. Almost all graduate faculty are Full and Associate professors who have earned their PhDs in Canada, the U.S. or abroad. The faculty has a strong publication record and is consistently successful in competitions for research funds from a great many sources.  

Engage in a study of politics

Quick Links

• Academic Important Dates
• Wellness & Counselling
• Grad Studies Calendar
• Department of Politics
• Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

Political Science at a Glance

Canadian Politics

Comparative Politics

Women and Politics

International Relations

Political Theory

Featured Faculty

Gerald Bareebe

Research Interests

Politics and Government , International Relations, Civil Wars and Political Violence, Comparative Politics of the Global South, Ethnic politics , African Politics

Nergis Canefe

Human Rights , Immigration, Middle East, Global South, International Criminal Law, Political Science, Public Law, Forced Migration Studies, Public International Law, Political Theory

Gregory Thomas Chin

International political economy, Comparative political economy, China's monetary and financial affairs, Industrial policy, Asian region, BRICS, Rising powers, Global governance, Global development, Financial statecraft, Canada-China relations

Indigenous Peoples , Social Work, Indigenous pedagogy, Anti-Racist Education, Indigenous Social Work

Special Advisor, LA&PS Indigenous Issues

I have learned a lot by engaging with faculty members and colleagues. Going to the various talks, seminar series’, and panels affiliated with the program is always a nice reminder of why I chose to pursue my PhD here, and often inspires me to approach the study of politics in unique and thought-provoking ways.

— Shreya Ghimire PhD student in Political Science

The Graduate Program in Political Science at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

Connect with Political Science

School of Graduate Studies

Political science, program overview.

The Master of Arts program is designed to satisfy the diverse interests of students who wish to pursue a year of graduate study in political science. Students admitted to the MA program may choose from three fields: Political Economy of International Development; Political Science; and Political Theory. Students whose interests are primarily normative and philosophical may choose the field of Political Theory.

The combined degree program in Law, Juris Doctor / Political Science, Doctor of Philosophy  (JD/PhD) program enables students to acquire a PhD in Political Science as well as a Juris Doctor (JD) in Law.

The Doctor of Philosophy program offers courses in the fields of Canadian Politics; Comparative Politics; Development Studies; International Relations; Political Theory; and Public Policy.

Quick Facts

Master of arts, program description.

The MA program is designed to satisfy the diverse interests of students who wish to pursue a year of graduate study in political science. Students admitted to the MA program may choose from the fields in Political Science and Political Theory. Students whose interests are primarily normative and philosophical may choose the field of Political Theory.

The MA program may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.

Field: Political Economy of International Development (PEID)

Admissions have been administratively suspended. This field will close on August 31, 2024.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Political Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

Cumulative grade average equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better in an appropriate bachelor's degree program. Preference will be given to applicants with outstanding academic records and a strong background in political science.

Applicants must provide evidence of a satisfactory background in political science and a second social science. Applicants intending to enrol in a master's-level economics course must meet undergraduate prerequisites in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics. A satisfactory background in political science means a minimum of five well-distributed courses including at least one relating to development.

Admission is competitive. Enrolment in the program is limited, and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. All applicants are considered on their individual merit by a departmental admissions committee. Applicants lacking an adequate background in political science may be required to complete additional undergraduate courses before being considered for admission. Such work should be undertaken in consultation with the MA supervisor.

Applicants must submit a complete application according to instructions on the department's website.

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must complete a minimum of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

POL2408H Political Economy of International Development (0.5 FCE).

Either POL2345H Politics of Growth in Developing Countries or POL2400H Theories and Issues — The Politics of Development (0.5 FCE).

0.5 FCE in anthropology, geography, or economics, selected from an approved course list.

1.0 FCE taken from the approved political science course list.

A research essay in the political economy of international development within the context of the MA Research Seminars , POL2810Y MA Research Seminar I or POL2811Y MA Research Seminar II (1.0 FCE). Students enrolled in a collaborative specialization with a similar requirement are exempted.

0.5 FCE from either list of approved courses.

The equivalent of 1.0 FCE may be taken in a cognate discipline with the approval of the department.

Programs in which additional requirements or prerequisites must be met may take longer than three sessions to complete.

Program Length

3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S)

3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

Field: Political Science

Coursework. Students must complete a minimum of 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including:

At least 0.5 FCE in Political Theory, which can be any other theory course.

At least 0.5 FCE in statistics or research design. POL2503H Thinking Through Research Design and POL2504H Statistics for Political Scientists are among the courses currently offered by the department which meet this requirement.

A research essay (1.0 FCE) within the context of the MA Research Seminars , POL2810Y MA Research Seminar I or POL2811Y MA Research Seminar II . Students enrolled in a collaborative specialization with a similar requirement are exempted.

Field: Political Theory

2.0 FCEs in Political Theory.

At least 1.0 FCE in an area outside Political Theory.

All courses must be chosen in consultation with the MA supervisor.

Doctor of Philosophy

PhD students will declare two fields:

Field 1 will be one of:

Canadian Politics

Comparative Politics

Development Studies

International Relations

Political Theory

Public Policy

Field 2 will be one of:

Applicants may be admitted to the PhD program via one of three routes:

With an MA : excellent students who have completed an MA degree in political science (or its equivalent) by the time of enrolment.

Transfer : in exceptional cases, on the initiative of the Director of Graduate Studies, MA students may be transferred to the PhD program. Such transfers will occur only where a full assessment of an applicant's bachelor's record (or equivalent) was impossible and where that student's instructors concur that the student in question has excelled in the first half of the MA program.

Direct-entry : exceptional students who have completed an appropriate bachelor's degree with a concentration in political science by the time of enrolment. Students admitted to the PhD from a bachelor's degree who receive less than an A– average in their first four courses will be recommended to SGS to transfer to the MA program. If the transfer is approved, these students will graduate with a terminal MA, provided their grades meet the requirements for the MA degree.

PhD Program

Applicants must have completed an MA degree in political science (or its equivalent) by the time of enrolment.

Applicants are expected to have achieved grades averaging A– or better in their most recent degree.

Applicants must submit a complete application according to the instructions.

Coursework. Students must complete 2.0 to 5.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) depending on the student's relevant background in the fields or areas of choice:

Most students entering with an MA take the equivalent of 4.0 FCEs to satisfy program requirements; students must take a minimum of 2.0 FCEs with the department after entering the PhD program.

Graduate courses taken at the MA level at the University of Toronto or elsewhere may be counted, with the department's permission, towards meeting some course requirements.

Students will declare two fields:

Field 1 will be one of Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, Development Studies, International Relations, Political Theory, or Public Policy. The normal course requirement for Field 1 will be 2.0 FCEs, including a 1.0 FCE core course requirement (with the exception of a 0.5 FCE core course requirement in Development Studies).

Field 2 will be one of Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, Development Studies, International Relations, Political Theory, or Public Policy. The normal course requirement for Field 2 will be 1.5 FCEs, including a 1.0 FCE core course requirement (with the exception of a 0.5 FCE core course requirement in Development Studies).

The Director of Graduate Studies may exercise discretion to waive the Field 2 requirement for students enrolled in collaborative specializations.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 graduate-level FCE in Political Theory.

Students must complete 0.5 FCE in qualitative methods. This requirement may be waived on the basis of MA work.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 FCE in quantitative methods. This requirement may be waived on the basis of MA work. Students who designate Political Theory as Field 1 will substitute a non-waivable 0.5 FCE intensive reading requirement for the quantitative methods requirement.

Students must complete POL2812Y PhD Research Design (1.0 FCE), normally during Year 3; students who have designated Political Theory as Field 1 are exempted.

Field examinations.

Students must complete field examinations in Field 1 and Field 2 by the end of Year 2.

The Field 1 examination should be taken in May or August of the year in which the core course is taken as long as all assignments in the core course have been completed.

The Field 2 examination must be taken no later than Year 2.

A student who fails to achieve a grade of at least A– is permitted one opportunity to retake a field examination. After failing the examination once, the student is permitted two attempts to pass the examination in a new field.

Thesis proposal, thesis committee, and thesis schedule. Students should assign a high priority to defining a thesis topic and choosing a thesis committee. By December of Year 3, students must have:

Established a thesis committee of three faculty members including a thesis supervisor and

Completed a draft of a thesis proposal of approximately 25 pages for submission to the thesis committee. Final revisions of the proposal must be approved by the end of Year 3. The research and writing of the thesis will follow the acceptance of the thesis proposal. The work schedule should permit the student to complete the thesis by the end of Year 5.

Language requirement. Students must demonstrate competence in the language that is appropriate to the nature of the graduate work in which they are engaged. Students whose Field 1 is Canadian Politics are strongly encouraged to demonstrate competence in French.

University policy requires that students complete all their non-thesis requirements (coursework, thesis proposal, Field 1 and Field 2 qualifying exams, and language requirements) by the end of Year 3.

Students must achieve an A– average in coursework and an A– in their field examinations to remain in good standing.

Minimum of three sessions in residence , whereby students must be on campus full-time and consequently in geographical proximity to be able to participate fully in the University activities associated with the program.

Although the program has been designed for completion in four years, some students may require longer to complete all the requirements.

4 years full-time; 5 years transfer-from-master's

6 years full-time; 7 years transfer-from-master's

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Political Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

Exceptional students who have completed an appropriate bachelor's degree with a concentration in political science by the time of enrolment. Such students who receive less than an A– average in their first four courses will be recommended to SGS to transfer to the MA program. If the transfer is approved, these students will graduate with a terminal MA, provided their grades meet the requirements for the MA degree and provided they meet the course requirements of one of the three MA fields

Applicants are expected to have achieved grades averaging A– or better in their most recent degree. Applicants from the BA level will apply to the MA program but indicate on the MA application that they wish to be considered for direct entry to the PhD program.

Coursework. Students must complete 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) with at least an A– average in their first four courses in order to continue in the PhD program. In selecting courses, students should ensure that they satisfy the following field requirements.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 FCE in quantitative methods. Students who designate Political Theory as Field 1 will substitute a non-waivable 0.5 FCE intensive reading requirement for the quantitative methods requirement.

Students must complete POL2812Y PhD Research Design (1.0 FCE), normally during Year 4; students who have designated Political Theory as Field 1 are exempted.

The Field 2 examination must be taken no later than Year 2. A student who fails to achieve a grade of at least A– is permitted one opportunity to retake a field examination. After failing the examination once, the student is permitted two attempts to pass the examination in a new field.

Thesis proposal, thesis committee, and thesis schedule. Students should assign a high priority to defining a thesis topic and choosing a thesis committee. By December of Year 4, students must have:

Completed a draft of a thesis proposal of approximately 25 pages for submission to the thesis committee. Final revisions of the proposal must be approved by the end of Year 4. The research and writing of the thesis will follow the acceptance of the thesis proposal. The work schedule should permit the student to complete the thesis by the end of Year 6.

University policy requires that students complete all their non-thesis requirements (coursework, thesis proposal, Field 1 and Field 2 qualifying exams, and language requirements) by the end of Year 4.

Minimum of six sessions in residence , whereby students must be on campus full-time and consequently in geographical proximity to be able to participate fully in the University activities associated with the program.

Although the program has been designed for completion in five years, some students may require longer to complete all the requirements.

PhD program

Waterloo’s PhD in Political Science is the most innovative program of its kind in Canada, offering students considerable flexibility in core research activities, formal professional development for both academic and non-academic career paths, an experiential option (including access to the world’s largest co-op program of its kind, or other internship/placement experiences) and a teaching option (including mentored teaching experiences and formal pedagogical training).

Students will have the opportunity to work with internationally and nationally-renowned scholars in the discipline.

Students have the option of choosing from three major fields: Canadian Politics , International Relations , and Political Economy . For their secondary field, students may choose either a second major field or create their own ‘custom concentration’ based on coursework in a designated area of the discipline (for example: comparative politics, democratic theory, public policy, gender and politics) or from a subfield of their major field (for example: security, rights, etc.).

The program includes one year of coursework featuring a mandatory, team-taught methodology course, two courses in the student’s major field, two courses in the student's second major field or custom concentration, and one elective. Students must also complete the PhD Professional Development Seminar , a series of half-day seminars offered by the Department and additional workshops delivered by campus units like the Writing and Communications Centre , Centre for Career Development , or Centre for Teaching Excellence . Professional Development training gears students to both academic and non-academic job markets, fostering skills enhancements in research methods, communications to non-academic audiences, fieldwork, conferencing best practices, and career planning.

The capstone research project (the PhD thesis) requires students to complete and defend a thesis proposal. Students may choose a traditional dissertation (ranging from 200-350 page in length), or a ‘publication model’ consisting of at least three sole-authored (submitted, in press, or published) works and including an original introduction, conclusion and any necessary bridging chapters to reflect a coherent project. In rare cases, and with the approval of the student’s supervisor and the Department Graduate Committee, students may opt for a non-traditional thesis formal that meets the standards of an original doctoral-level contribution to knowledge but in a different form (for example, a documentary). The Department is especially cognizant of the potential for alternative approaches to knowledge generation and dissemination, such as Indigenous approaches to knowledge, as something to be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. Regardless of format, the completed thesis will be subject to an oral defence before a committee, including the supervisor(s), two other political science faculty members, an internal-external examiner from another department/program at Waterloo, and an external examiner.

For further details on the program, please visit the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar .

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SGS Home     

School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Calendar

Political science: political science phd, doctor of philosophy, program description.

PhD students will declare two fields:

Field 1 will be one of:

Canadian Politics

Comparative Politics

Development Studies

International Relations

Political Theory

Public Policy

Field 2 will be one of:

Applicants may be admitted to the PhD program via one of three routes:

With an MA : excellent students who have completed an MA degree in political science (or its equivalent) by the time of enrolment.

Transfer : in exceptional cases, on the initiative of the Director of Graduate Studies, MA students may be transferred to the PhD program. Such transfers will occur only where a full assessment of an applicant's bachelor's record (or equivalent) was impossible and where that student's instructors concur that the student in question has excelled in the first half of the MA program.

Direct-entry : exceptional students who have completed an appropriate bachelor's degree with a concentration in political science by the time of enrolment. Students admitted to the PhD from a bachelor's degree who receive less than an A– average in their first four courses will be recommended to SGS to transfer to the MA program. If the transfer is approved, these students will graduate with a terminal MA, provided their grades meet the requirements for the MA degree.

PhD Program

Minimum admission requirements.

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Political Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

Applicants must have completed an MA degree in political science (or its equivalent) by the time of enrolment.

Applicants are expected to have achieved grades averaging A– or better in their most recent degree.

Applicants must submit a complete application according to the instructions.

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must complete 2.0 to 5.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) depending on the student's relevant background in the fields or areas of choice:

Most students entering with an MA take the equivalent of 4.0 FCEs to satisfy program requirements; students must take a minimum of 2.0 FCEs with the department after entering the PhD program.

Graduate courses taken at the MA level at the University of Toronto or elsewhere may be counted, with the department's permission, towards meeting some course requirements.

Students will declare two fields:

Field 1 will be one of Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, Development Studies, International Relations, Political Theory, or Public Policy. The normal course requirement for Field 1 will be 2.0 FCEs, including a 1.0 FCE core course requirement (with the exception of a 0.5 FCE core course requirement in Development Studies).

Field 2 will be one of Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, Development Studies, International Relations, Political Theory, or Public Policy. The normal course requirement for Field 2 will be 1.5 FCEs, including a 1.0 FCE core course requirement (with the exception of a 0.5 FCE core course requirement in Development Studies).

The Director of Graduate Studies may exercise discretion to waive the Field 2 requirement for students enrolled in collaborative specializations.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 graduate-level FCE in Political Theory.

Students must complete 0.5 FCE in qualitative methods. This requirement may be waived on the basis of MA work.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 FCE in quantitative methods. This requirement may be waived on the basis of MA work. Students who designate Political Theory as Field 1 will substitute a non-waivable 0.5 FCE intensive reading requirement for the quantitative methods requirement.

Students must complete POL2812Y PhD Research Design (1.0 FCE), normally during Year 3; students who have designated Political Theory as Field 1 are exempted.

Field examinations.

Students must complete field examinations in Field 1 and Field 2 by the end of Year 2.

The Field 1 examination should be taken in May or August of the year in which the core course is taken as long as all assignments in the core course have been completed.

The Field 2 examination must be taken no later than Year 2.

A student who fails to achieve a grade of at least A– is permitted one opportunity to retake a field examination. After failing the examination once, the student is permitted two attempts to pass the examination in a new field.

Thesis proposal, thesis committee, and thesis schedule. Students should assign a high priority to defining a thesis topic and choosing a thesis committee. By December of Year 3, students must have:

Established a thesis committee of three faculty members including a thesis supervisor and

Completed a draft of a thesis proposal of approximately 25 pages for submission to the thesis committee. Final revisions of the proposal must be approved by the end of Year 3. The research and writing of the thesis will follow the acceptance of the thesis proposal. The work schedule should permit the student to complete the thesis by the end of Year 5.

Language requirement. Students must demonstrate competence in the language that is appropriate to the nature of the graduate work in which they are engaged. Students whose Field 1 is Canadian Politics are strongly encouraged to demonstrate competence in French.

University policy requires that students complete all their non-thesis requirements (coursework, thesis proposal, Field 1 and Field 2 qualifying exams, and language requirements) by the end of Year 3.

Students must achieve an A– average in coursework and an A– in their field examinations to remain in good standing.

Minimum of three sessions in residence , whereby students must be on campus full-time and consequently in geographical proximity to be able to participate fully in the University activities associated with the program.

Although the program has been designed for completion in four years, some students may require longer to complete all the requirements.

Program Length

4 years full-time; 5 years transfer-from-master's

6 years full-time; 7 years transfer-from-master's

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies.

Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Political Science's additional admission requirements stated below.

Exceptional students who have completed an appropriate bachelor's degree with a concentration in political science by the time of enrolment. Such students who receive less than an A– average in their first four courses will be recommended to SGS to transfer to the MA program. If the transfer is approved, these students will graduate with a terminal MA, provided their grades meet the requirements for the MA degree and provided they meet the course requirements of one of the three MA fields

Applicants are expected to have achieved grades averaging A– or better in their most recent degree. Applicants from the BA level will apply to the MA program but indicate on the MA application that they wish to be considered for direct entry to the PhD program.

Coursework. Students must complete 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) with at least an A– average in their first four courses in order to continue in the PhD program. In selecting courses, students should ensure that they satisfy the following field requirements.

Students who do not designate Political Theory as Field 1 must complete 0.5 FCE in quantitative methods. Students who designate Political Theory as Field 1 will substitute a non-waivable 0.5 FCE intensive reading requirement for the quantitative methods requirement.

Students must complete POL2812Y PhD Research Design (1.0 FCE), normally during Year 4; students who have designated Political Theory as Field 1 are exempted.

The Field 2 examination must be taken no later than Year 2. A student who fails to achieve a grade of at least A– is permitted one opportunity to retake a field examination. After failing the examination once, the student is permitted two attempts to pass the examination in a new field.

Thesis proposal, thesis committee, and thesis schedule. Students should assign a high priority to defining a thesis topic and choosing a thesis committee. By December of Year 4, students must have:

Completed a draft of a thesis proposal of approximately 25 pages for submission to the thesis committee. Final revisions of the proposal must be approved by the end of Year 4. The research and writing of the thesis will follow the acceptance of the thesis proposal. The work schedule should permit the student to complete the thesis by the end of Year 6.

University policy requires that students complete all their non-thesis requirements (coursework, thesis proposal, Field 1 and Field 2 qualifying exams, and language requirements) by the end of Year 4.

Minimum of six sessions in residence , whereby students must be on campus full-time and consequently in geographical proximity to be able to participate fully in the University activities associated with the program.

Although the program has been designed for completion in five years, some students may require longer to complete all the requirements.

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Welcome to the Department of Political Science

The political science curriculum is delivered by an award-winning group of faculty with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. The curriculum introduces students to political ideas and theories that enable them to understand important societal challenges in new ways. From climate change to civil war to immigration and racial justice, political science courses provide an opportunity for students to study the issues that they care about.

The political science curriculum also equips students with the practical tools needed to flourish in professional life. These tools include an understanding of research methods, quantitative analysis, critical thinking, and written and oral communication skills. Graduates of the program have the insight needed to understand the way that power operates at both the local and global levels and the skills to put this knowledge to work to improve collective life.

It is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Professor David Onley. He was a cherished colleague, proud UTSC alumnus, champion for accessibility rights and was deeply devoted to his students. Our heartfelt condolences are with his family and loved ones.

Please click here to read a remembrance message for David

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• JD/PhD (Political Science)

Director: Assistant Dean Sara Faherty ( sara.faherty@utoronto.ca )

Requirements

The JD/PhD (Political Science) Program is designed for students who are interested in studying the intersection between political science and law.

The JD/PhD (Political Science) Combined Program allows students to meet the requirements for the JD and reach the "all but dissertation" stage of the PhD one year sooner than if the two degrees were taken serially. Successful candidates will qualify for the JD degree at the end of the fourth year of study and they will qualify for the PhD degree upon completing a doctoral dissertation following the fourth year of study. The program is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto.

Admission requirements

Students applying to the JD/PhD in Political Science program must be admitted to both the Faculty of Law and the PhD in Political Science program. Candidates must, therefore, satisfy the admission requirements of both units independently, including the Law School Admission Test and all admission requirements of the PhD in Political Science program. Separate applications to each unit must be submitted.

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• In the first year of the program, students complete all first year courses at the Faculty of Law.
• In the second year of the program, students complete Political Science coursework and examinations, in accordance with the PhD requirements for the Political Science Department.
• In the third and fourth years, students complete the requirements for the JD degree by taking upper year Law courses totaling 48 credits, including the Directed Research Program, selected in consultation with the Director of the Combined Program. Direct entry students will complete the language requirement associated with the PhD by the end of the fourth year and, in conjunction with the Directed Research Program and in consultation with their PhD thesis committees, to have moved substantially toward the preparation of a thesis proposal.
• Subsequent to their fourth year, students will complete the PhD thesis.  
• Students may not take any courses for credit outside the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science without first obtaining the written permission of the Director of the Combined Program.

Course Selection:

Students must meet the Faculty of Law course selection deadline, notwithstanding the Department of Political Science course selection process. Students must submit their proposed course selections for years 2 to 4 of the program to the Director of the Combined Program prior to the applicable course selection deadlines in each year in each unit. Any subsequent course changes must be approved by the Director. 

Registration and Financial Assistance

• In the first year of the program, students will be registered in the Faculty of Law and will receive a deferred acceptance into the doctoral program. They will pay Law School tuition and will be eligible for assistance under the Law School's financial aid program.
• In the second year, students will be registered in Political Science. They will pay the fees applicable to the PhD in Political Science. They will be eligible for graduate assistance. They will not be eligible for financial assistance from the Faculty of Law.
• In the third and fourth years, students will be registered again in the Faculty of Law, pay Law School tuition and be eligible for the Law School's financial aid program.
• Following their fourth year , they will once again pay fees applicable to the PhD in Political Science. They will be treated as beginning their second year of what would normally be a five year funding period. Thus, they will be eligible for a total of four years guaranteed funding while registered as a PhD student in Political Science. In order to secure such eligibility, students must apply during the first year of the combined program for OGS and SHRRC fellowships.

Grading: Grading for students in the Combined Program will be the applicable grading scheme in force at the time at the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science.

To apply to the JD Program at the Faculty of Law, see Application Procedure for the JD Program  on this Web site.   For more information about this combined program, contact the:   Admissions Office Faculty of Law University of Toronto 84 Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 2C5 Telephone: (416) 978-3716 Fax: (416) 978-7899 E-mail: admissions.law@utoronto.ca   Information about the PhD in Political Science can be obtained from:   Graduate Department of Political Science University of Toronto Room 3025, 100 St. George Street Toronto, ON M5S 3G3 Tel: (416) 978-2017 Fax: (416) 978-5566 https://politics.utoronto.ca/ Back to Top

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The PhD program is a full time program. It is designed to train the next generation of top professors and policymakers in Canada. We offer a strong, research-intensive curriculum with a focus on giving our students the very best training in quantitative and qualitative methods in the country. Rather than admitting students based on their potential fit with a supervisor, we try to admit only the most promising students and encourage them to develop their research interests, identify gaps in the literature, diversify their theoretical knowledge, and acquire a broad range of quantitative and qualitative methodological tools to publish in the very best journals in their fields.

Our overarching philosophy is built around mentorship. We take seriously the need to help students figure out how to publish and we want them to finish our program with a strong publication record so they are highly competitive for the job market. To these ends, we offer students: research assistantships, co-authorship opportunities, the opportunity to develop publishable papers in our courses and during the summer publishing workshop, and the opportunity to present papers internally for feedback prior to conference presentations and submissions to a journal. We provide professional development workshops that teach the "ins and outs" of being a political scientist, and we provide support through highly competitive funding packages and special funds to subsidize costs related to data collection, additional methods training, and conferences. Students are also given opportunities to co-teach or teach their own course in hopes of building up their teaching experience and CV.

You do not need to contact or obtain a supervisor before applying to the program . The minimum requirement for admission is an MA in Political Science with superior standing and a statement of research interest that demonstrates your potential for success as a PhD student in our program. We want students who are committed to being challenged and are willing to learn new topics, theories, and methods. While you are welcome to identify potential supervisors in your application, you are not required to.  Choosing a supervisor occurs after you have entered the program, completed your coursework, and attended departmental seminars and workshops.   Please note: We are temporarily not accepting applications for PhD students wishing to specialize in the International Relations field in the 2024-25 admission cycle.

Our Graduates

Our doctoral students are active members of the department and the political science community, publishing articles in American Political Science Review,   Canadian Public Administration , Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy , Governance ,  International Studies Perspective , Party Politics ,  Politics , Groups and Identities, Representation,   Res Publica , and The International Indigenous Policy Journal .

They have presented papers at the annual meetings of the Canadian Political Science Association , the International Studies Association , and the American Political Science Association , to name a few. They have also attended or served as teaching assistants at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the Laurier Summer Institute of Research Methods , and the Workshops on Social Science Research (WSSR).

Our graduates have secured academic positions at Carleton University , Durham University ,  The University of Manitoba , The University of Saskatchewan , and The University of Winnipeg , as well as prominent positions in the public and private sectors. 

PhD Program Progression Requirements

In order to progress through the PhD program, students must fulfill the following requirements:

• 9502A, 9590A, 9591B*, 9593B (required PhD courses)
• 9 elective courses (must include at least 3 of the following core Political Science courses: Political Theory, International Relations, Canadian Politics, Urban Political Economy, Comparative Politics, Maximum Likelihood Estimation);
• Mandatory Publishing Workshop in the summer of the first year;
• Comprehensive exams in the summer of the second year (view guidelines in the graduate handbook);
• Thesis proposal completed in the third year;
• PhD thesis. 

The PhD thesis is a major piece of research and writing on a subject chosen by the candidate and approved by the department. It is undertaken under the supervision of a faculty member in the department, with the assistance of a committee. We encourage students to not only rely heavily on their supervisory committee during their PhD, but also to draw on the collective expertise of the entire faculty. As a department, we believe that student success requires the entire department to work together to support our students, and we encourage our PhD students to get to know all faculty members and draw on their expertise and advice throughout their degree. *Students who will be completing a Political Theory Thesis are exempt from having to take 9591B but still must take a total of 13 courses.

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Each year, approximately 8-10 candidates are accepted into the PhD program. Our graduates go on to research and teach political science throughout Canada and the world.

Superior applicants, normally understood as students who are at least in the top 10 percent of their graduating class or who have a CGPA of at least 3.5 or its equivalent, will be eligible for admission into the PhD track.

For further details on Political Science PhD programs see our 2022-2023 PhD Guide or visit the Graduate Student Documents page.

For general information on graduate admissions and application procedures at McGill, see the Graduate Admissions website.

Please note that as of June 2021 GREs will no longer be required or considered for the PhD application. 

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Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)

Canadian immigration updates.

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

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The Department of Political Science offers Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs that are structured around five substantive fields: Canadian politics, international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and U.S. Politics.

We offer in the range of 25 graduate seminar courses per year and ample support for mentoring grad students in their professional development, through research collaboration, workshops, and colloquia. We have the most successful doctoral graduates of any program in Canada, judged by our record of placing graduates in academic positions in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and elsewhere.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

One of the key criteria that sets the Political Science department at UBC apart is the methodological breadth and diversity of research interests of faculty members, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. We have particular strengths for graduate students in:

• indigenous politics, with indigenous faculty members in two different subfields
• critical political theory and identity politics
• democratic theory and practise
• political behaviour, parties and elections
• comparative public policy and institutions
• migration, social diversity, and identity
• environmental politics
• international norms, institutions and goverance, and human security.

Quantitative Methods: we are particularly strong on quantitative methods for students using this kind of approach, with the deepest lineup of persons engaged in systematic quantitative research and the country’s most robust sequence of graduate methods courses for those students wishing to acquire a sophisticated understanding of quantitative analysis.

Regional Area Strengths: we are exceptionally strong in the study of Asian politics, the politics of the Americas, European politics, U.S. politics, and Canadian politics.

I liked the vibe I felt while visiting UBC, meeting with folks in my department, and exploring the city before accepting my offer. A Ph.D. is a long commitment, and it was important to me to choose a university where I felt comfortable as a full person, not just as a student.

Addye Susnick

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 92

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is required by some applicants. Please check the program website.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2025 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research focus.

Canadian Politics: federalism, the Canadian electoral system, the constitution, the courts, electoral reform, parliamentary institutions, political parties, Canadian public policy, Canadian political thought, voting behaviour Comparative Politics: democratization and democratic institutions, state-society relations, comparative public policy, comparative political economy, constitutional design and comparative political institutions, executive politics, separation of powers, governance, non-governmental organizations, and immigration politics International Relations: International Relations Theory, International Political Economy, International Security, International Law and Organization, International Norms, Human Security, the politics of international law, and global governance Political Theory: democratic theory, liberalism, constitutionalism, human rights, feminism, multiculturalism, nationalism, identity politics, critical theory, history of political thought.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

We offer a full five-year funding package for our PhD students, which generally consists of a combination of UBC Four-Year Fellowships (4YFs), Department Funding, Teaching Assistantship, and Research Assistantship.

In some cases, we are able to offer additional funding in the form of RA positions, but these are contingent on several factors, including faculty members having available research funds for RAs.

The Department of Political Science will offer TA opportunities to PhDs when available in order to enhance the financial resources at students’ disposal. Moreover, we consider it an important aspect of the professional development of our PhDs to work as Teaching Assistants, at some point in their PhD program, to develop their teaching skills under the guidance of faculty members.

Average Funding

• 14 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 14 students was $15,348.
• 9 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 9 students was $8,794.
• 10 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 10 students was $3,461.
• 21 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 21 students was $27,166.
• 4 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 4 students was $26,500.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

47 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 44 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Our PhDs have been highly successful in pursuing academic and non-academic careers.

On the academic front, UBC PhDs hold tenured or tenure track positions at major universities in North America and internationally – including the University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Ottawa, University of Calgary, University of Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, University of Essex, Sophia University, National University of Singapore, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Ritsumeikan University, University of Sheffield, Queensland University, Simon Fraser University, MacEwan University, University of Fraser Valley, University of Manitoba, Memorial University, McMaster University, and Cardiff University.

Our PhDs have held postdoctoral fellowships at a wide range of international institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, University of Toronto, Queens University, Oxford University, Duke University, and others.

Many UBC PhDs have taken their doctoral training to high-level positions with government agencies, NGOs, and private-sector employers. Our students have pursued careers at Statistics Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, the US Department of Defense Asia-Pacific Center, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Deutschebank (London), and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, among others.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Afsahi, Afsoun (Democratic theory and practice, Gender in politics, Challenges, opportunities, and best methods of inclusion, Representation of marginalized communities in democratic decision-making processes)
• Arneil, Barbara (Identity politics, history of political thought)
• Baier, Gerald (Canadian politics, federalism, constitutional law, courts, federal-provincial relations, Constitution, federalism and public law in Canada)
• Baum, Bruce (Political Culture, Society and Ideology; critical social theory; feminist theory; critical hermeneutics; issues of cross-cultural interpretation; American political thought and cultural politics; political theories of Mill and Marx; philosophy of political inquiry; liberal and democratic theory)
• Borwein, Sophie (intersection of political economy, political behaviour, and public policy)
• Byers, Michael (International relations; Public international law (except international trade law); international law; international relations; Outer Space; Arctic; Law of the Sea; Laws of War; International Human Rights; International Environmental Law)
• Cameron, Maxwell (Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Monarchy, Federalism, Parliamentarism, etc.); Social Organization and Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom)
• Chowdhury, Arjun (Failed states, intervention, civil war, autocrats, revolution. )
• Coleman, Katharina Pichler (International organizations, international relations, international security/peace operations, interntional rules, noms and legitimacy, sun-Saharan Africa)
• Coulthard, Glen (First Nations politics – national; political theory )
• Cutler, Frederick (Social movements and democracy; public opinion; Political Methodology; Canadian Politics; Elections; Electoral Systems; Federalism; Academic Publishing Systems)
• Dauvergne, Peter (Social sciences; international relations; global environmental politics; sustainability governance; global South; Developing countries; transnational corporations; technology; consumption; Plastic Pollution; social movements; environmentalism; activism; deforestation)
• Doberstein, Carey (Political science and policy administration; Agencies and arms-length bodies in Canada; Public servant behavior in Canada; How citizens engage with government as part of local consultations and public engagement; Homelessness (politics, governance, policy); Local government or governance)
• Ellermann, Antje (Political science; Migrations, Populations, Cultural Exchanges; Migratory Flows; Public Policies; Identity and Transnationality; Role of Governments and Institutions; Comparative Public Policy; Migration and Citizenship)
• Harrison, Kathryn (Canadian politics, environmental politics, environmental policy, climate change, global warming, climate change policy, Canadian public policy)
• Hopkins, Vincent (Political science; Democratic theory and practice; Federalism and Local Politics; Migration Policy and Politics; Public Management; public opinion)
• Huebner, Kurt (European integration; euro and global currency regimes; international trade and fdi; sustainability and innovation policies; global macroeconomics;European politics, Money and currency regimes, politics and economics of European integration as well as on contradictions and complementarities of sustainability and international competitiveness)
• Jacobs, Alan Michael (Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; economic inequality; Political economy; public opinion; Public Policy; Research Methodology)
• Janara, Laura (Language and symbolism especially in gendered and familial thinking, politcal theory)
• Jeong, Gyung-Ho (Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; Congress; Foreign Policy; Immigration Policy; Legislative Politics; Public Choice; Trade Policy; US politics)
• Jurkevics, Anna (critical theory, democratic theory, and the history of German political thought)
• Kam, Christopher (Nature and evolution of parliamentary democracy, historical development of institutions)
• la Selva, Samuel (Political theory, legal philosophy)
• Li, Xiaojun (international and comparative political economy with a focus on China; Does Conditionality Still Work? China)
• Lightfoot, Sheryl (First Nations, international relations )

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

• A mosaic of mundane innovations : emerging powers, multinational firms, and global 5G technology rules
• Moral intuition and international order : on change, progress, and threat
• Running a rebellion : essays on armed group behavior
• Competing without parties : voter mobilization in Peru
• Negotiating gender in crisis : global norms and state power in South Sudan
• A democratic theory of hope : collective agency in uncertain times
• Essays on ethnic identity, attitude formation, and political behaviour in contemporary Southeast Asia
• Essays on the political economy of equality, development, and influence in Indonesia and Singapore
• The price of a life: the confluence of strategy and legitimacy in civilian harm compensation
• Discrimination in post-World War II naturalization policy : France and Switzerland
• The impact of investor-state arbitrations on foreign direct investment and domestic public opinion : evidence from FDI flows, elite interviews and a survey experiment
• Mainstreaming the labour market integration of immigrants in the EU : policy framework and policy impact
• Governing on the left : essays on governance and party development in contemporary Latin America
• Democracy in an uncertain world : campaign information and voter decision-making

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Arts in Political Science (MA)

Related Disciplines

• Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD)

Further Information

Specialization.

The program covers the following subjects:

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Katelynn Kowalchuk

UBC’s dedication to innovation and transforming ideas into action is what originally drew me to the university. Before deciding to attend my hometown university for my undergraduate degree, I was interested in applying to UBC’s architecture and urbanism program. Though I ultimately didn’t pursue...

Martina Zago

I really wanted to pursue my doctoral studies in Canada, where my Dad was born. I applied to UBC specifically because of the work of Professor Barbara Arneil. I had encountered her writings during my master’s degree and read her pathbreaking books on the history of liberalism and empire.

Leah Shipton

I decided to study at UBC for a number of reasons, but the main reason was because the faculty both within the Department of Political Science as well as in other departments have expertise in my research areas of interest. This made me reassured that it would be a great campus to learn and develop...

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Here, you can choose from more than 300 graduate degree program options and 2000+ research supervisors. You can even design your own program.

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• Public Scholars Initiative
• 3 Minute Thesis (3MT)
• PhD Career Outcomes

Located in the heart of Canada’s largest metropolitan centre, Toronto Metropolitan University offers exciting and innovative graduate programs through the  Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies .

The Department of Politics and Public Administration offers full-time and part-time study options leading to a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration .

Faculty in the Department are also major partners in the delivery of the interdisciplinary Policy Studies PhD program housed in the Faculty of Arts.

Finally, faculty in the Department are active in supporting a number of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs .

Public Policy and Administration (MA)

This innovative program (offered in both full- and part-time configurations) was launched in 2005.  It gives students the extraordinary advantage of proximity to, and engagement with, business, government and community agencies. This proximity is a significant asset in supporting student research, networking and co-op placement/internship opportunities. The program integrates the fields of public policy and public administration to reflect the theoretical and practical realities in the political context of policy development, implementation and analysis.  It prepares graduates for further academic pursuits, and for careers in the public service at all levels of government, in the third (non-profit) sector, and in private sector organizations with significant relationships with government and in international organizations.

News + Media

Phd candidate sukrit puri:  all in the family.

New studies show that caste and ethnic identity play an outsize role in how business interacts with government in developing countries  

May 13, 2024 Leda Zimmerman MIT Political Science

“Family firms can be very insular, sticking with old practices and rewarding loyalty to co-ethnic partners,” says PhD candidate Sukrit Puri. There are barriers to outside hires who might bring innovations. “These businesses are often just not interested in taking up growth opportunities,” says Puri. “There are millions of family firms but they do not provide the kind of dynamism they should.”    

Photo by Jonathan Sachs

It’s no news that companies use money to influence politics. But it may come as a surprise to learn that many family-owned firms — the most common form of business in the world — do not play by the same rules. New research by fourth-year political science graduate student Sukrit Puri reveals that “family businesses depart from the political strategy of treating campaign donations as short-term investments intended to maximize profitmaking.”

Studying thousands of such firms in India, Puri finds that when it comes to politics, an important influence on political behavior is ethnic identity. This in turn can make a big impact on economic development.

“If family businesses actually think about politics differently, and if they are the most common economic actors in an economy, then you break channels of accountability between a business and the government,” says Puri. “Elected officials may be less likely to deliver effective policies for achieving economic growth.” Puri believes his insights suggest new approaches for struggling economies in some developing countries. “I’d like to get governments to think carefully about the importance of family firms, and how to incentivize them through the right kinds of industrial policies.”

Pushing past caricatures

At the heart of Puri’s doctoral studies is a question he says has long interested him: “Why are some countries rich and other countries poor?” The son of an Indian diplomat who brought his family from Belgium and Nepal to the Middle East and New York City, Puri focused on the vast inequalities he witnessed as he grew up.

As he studied economics, political science and policy as an undergraduate at Princeton University, Puri came to believe “that firms play a very important role” in the economic development of societies.  But it was not always clear from these disciplines how businesses interacted with governments, and how that affected economic growth.

“There are two canonical ways of thinking about business in politics and they have become almost like caricatures,” says Puri. One claims government is in the pocket of corporations or that at the least they wield undue influence. The other asserts that businesses simply do governments’ bidding and are constrained by the needs of the state. “I found these two perspectives to be wanting, because neither side gets entirely what it desires,” he says. “I set out to learn more about how business actually seeks to influence, and when it is successful or not.”

So much political science literature on business and politics is “America-centric,” with publicly listed, often very large corporations acting on behalf of shareholders, notes Puri. But this is not the paradigm for many other countries. The major players in countries like South Korea and India are family firms, big and small. “There has been so little investigation of how these family businesses participate in politics,” Puri says. “I wanted to know if we could come up with a political theory of the family firm, and look into the nature of business and politics in developing economies and democracies where these firms are so central.”

Campaign donation differences To learn whether family businesses think about politics differently, Puri decided to zero in on one of the most pervasive forms of influence all over the world: campaign donations. “In the US, firms treat these donations as short-term investments, backing the incumbent and opportunistically switching parties when political actors change,” he says. “These companies have no ideology.” But family firms in India, Puri’s empirical setting, prove to operate very differently.

Puri compiled a vast dataset of all donations to Indian political parties from 2003 to 2021, identifying 7,000 unique corporate entities donating a cumulative one billion dollars to 36 parties participating in national and state-level elections. He identified which of these donations came from family firms by identifying family members sitting on boards of these companies. Puri found evidence that firms with greater family involvement on these boards overwhelmingly donate loyally to a single party of their choice, and “do not participate in politics out of opportunistic, short-term profit maximizing impulse.”

Puri believes there are sociological explanations for this unexpected behavior. Family firms are more than just economic actors, but social actors as well — embedded in community networks that then shape their values, preferences, and strategic choices. In India, communities often form around caste and religious networks.  So for instance, some economic policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have hurt its core supporters of small and medium-sized businesses, says Puri. Yet, these businesses have not abandoned their financial support of the BJP. Similarly, Muslim-majority communities and family firms stick with their candidates, even when it is not in their short-term economic best interest. Their behavior is more like that of an individual political donor — more ideological and expressive than strategic.  

Engaged by debate

As a college freshman, Puri was uncertain of his academic direction. Then he learned of a debate playing out between two schools of economic thought on how to reduce poverty in India and other developing nations: On one side, Amartya Sen advocated for starting with welfare, and on the other, Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya argued that economic growth came first.

“I wanted to engage with this debate, because it suggested policy actions — what is feasible, what you can actually do in a country,” recalls Puri. “Economics was the tool for understanding these tradeoffs.”  

After graduation, Puri worked for a few years in investment management, specializing in emerging markets. “In my office, the conversation each day among economists was just basically political,” he says. “We were evaluating a country’s economic prospects through a kind of unsophisticated political analysis, and I decided I wanted to pursue more rigorous training in political economy.”

At MIT, Puri has finally found a way of merging his lifelong interests in economic development with policy-minded research. He believes that the behavior of family firms should be of keen concern to many governments.

“Family firms can be very insular, sticking with old practices and rewarding loyalty to co-ethnic partners,” he says. There are barriers to outside hires who might bring innovations.  “These businesses are often just not interested in taking up growth opportunities,” says Puri.  “There are millions of family firms but they do not provide the kind of dynamism they should.”  

In the next phase of his dissertation research Puri will be surveying not just the political behaviors but the investment and management practices of family firms as well. He believes larger firms more open to outside ideas are expanding at the expense of smaller and mid-size family firms. In India and other nations, governments currently make wasteful subsidies to family firms that cannot rise to the challenge of, say, starting a new microchip fabricating plant. Instead, says Puri, governments must figure out the right kind of incentives to encourage openness and entrepreneurship in businesses that make up its economy, which are instrumental to unlocking broader economic growth.

After MIT, Puri envisions an academic life for himself studying business and politics around the world, but with a focus on India. He would like to write about family firms for a more general audience — following in the footsteps of authors who got him interested in political economy in the first place. “I’ve always believed in making knowledge more accessible; it’s one of the reasons I enjoy teaching,” he says. “It is really rewarding to lecture or write and be able to introduce people to new ideas.” 

Student Spotlight: Jinhyoung Bang

Jinhyoung Bang is a junior majoring in political science with a minor in history. Read her Student Spotlight Q&A to learn more about her and her experiences as a political science student.

What is your hometown?

Minnetonka, MN.

Why did you choose to major in political science?

I was always very interested in social science courses during high school, like AP US History, and I had the opportunity to take a dual enrollment political science course which only cemented my desire to major in political science! I love how we get to connect everything we learn about in class to real world events that occur in domestic and foreign politics. I think politics is an issue that everyone should be versed in, as its events impact everyone in all sorts of ways.

What has been your favorite political science course at UMN?

I really enjoyed POL 3308: Congressional Politics and Institutions, POL 3309: US Supreme Court Decision-Making, Process, and Politics, and POL 4891: The Politics of Nuclear Weapons.

How are you involved on campus?

I recently finished my term as the Secretary of our  Undergraduate Mock Trial team , I work at the  University’s Student Legal Service , and I am on the  CLA Student Board !

What is your favorite part of the political science department?

I really enjoy how there are so many opportunities for students to take advantage of, from scholarships, research fellowships, to student organizations that allow political science students to connect with each other and become more involved in the department.

What do you hope to do after graduation? How has studying political science prepared you?

After graduation, I’d like to gain some experience working in Washington, D.C., whether that’s through work on the Hill or with a nonprofit while I study for the LSAT. I’d like to eventually go to law school to work in government as a federal prosecutor and a federal judge!

What advice would you give to prospective political science students?

Take advantage of the opportunities the department gives you and connect with your professors! It’s very daunting, but those connections will help you when you need letters of recommendation and references for internships or jobs.

If you would like a chance to be featured in a future Student Spotlight, please fill out the self-submission form . If you would like to nominate another student for a chance to be featured, please fill out the nomination form .

Related News

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Meet Khoi Phan, a junior majoring in political science.

Student Spotlight: Marieclaire Mutamba

Meet Marieclaire Mutamba, a sophomore majoring in political science.

Political Science PhD Candidates Awarded DDFs

Congratulations to Leah Costik and Ezgi Ozcelik!

More Political Science News

Department of Political Science

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Studying counterterrorism Strategy: From Madrid to London

Published: May 15, 2024

Author: Cora Vulin

Cora Vulin ’24 is a political science major with a minor in European studies. During the winter break of 2024, she traveled to London, UK, to complete research for her senior thesis on European and British counterterrorism strategy. The Nanovic Institute supported her travel and research.

Over the winter break of 2024, I had the opportunity to return to London, United Kingdom to continue an independent research project analyzing UK counterterrorism law for my senior thesis. The project has been a two-year passion project, taking place across two countries in Europe. With the support of the Nanovic Institute’s Vill Family Endowment Grant, I ventured to Madrid, Spain, in the summer of 2022 to begin my project by visiting national archives and interviewing local scholars about Spain’s history of terrorism and its current counterterrorism law.

This research, coupled with emotional visits to terrorist attack sites, led me to discover that the United Kingdom has a strikingly similar history of terrorism. Its counterterrorism strategy, CONTEST, is also well-known globally. Described as a “world-leading” model, it has also been adopted by the European Union (including Spain). This connection inspired me to continue my research in the UK itself, an opportunity I would get the following spring when studying abroad in London.

During my study abroad semester, I interned at the UK Parliament for Ben Wallace MP, who previously served as secretary of state for defense. Every week, I worked in the gorgeous, gothic Palace of Westminster. I wrote defense analysis reports in an office overlooking New Palace Yard, where a terrorist attack took place five years before.

From research to thesis

Guided by my experiences in Spain and work at Parliament, I solidified my research project to encompass three objectives:

discern current terrorist threats in Western Europe;

analyze current counterterrorism strategy in the UK and EU; and

develop an understanding of what constitutes an “effective” counterterrorism strategy and how the existing strategies in the UK and EU might shift to respond to current threats.

This winter, my research trip to London consisted of interviews with British policymakers, counterterrorism experts, and international security professors about the UK’s counterterrorism strategy, CONTEST (est. 2003). I was able to speak with its original creators in government and professionals developing various programs under CONTEST. In these conversations, I learned the UK’s terrorist threat landscape has undergone a sudden shift in the past few years. Attacks from well-established, well-funded jihadist organizations like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) have decreased in recent years and given rise to a new type of threat: terrorism conducted by self-radicalized individuals or extremists operating independently but under the guise of a radicalized ideology.

My interviewees discussed the inspiration behind CONTEST, its ability to adapt to contemporary challenges, which of its four pillars (“Prevent,” “Pursue,” “Protect,” and “Prepare”) most directly responds to current threats, and how they can be improved as terrorism evolves. My week consisted of regular interviews and a return visit to Parliament to attend the First Delegated Legislation Committee’s meeting on “Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment).” An additional benefit of my trip was a reunion with my former coworkers in Parliament and a scheduled virtual meeting with Mr. Wallace in the coming months to continue our discussions about UK counterterrorism law.

Overall, my winter break research trip to London proved to be a tremendous success. The information I obtained from the interviews serves as the foundation of my analysis for my senior thesis. Through this experience, I developed confidence in my ability to converse with foreign leaders and contribute to the current political conversation surrounding CONTEST, a critical national security concern in the modern age.

Once again, I extend my immense gratitude to the Nanovic Institute for supporting my ambitious project and encourage any student considering a qualitative research project in or about Europe to pursue it wholeheartedly. This experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime. It allowed me to grow as an intellectual, global citizen and craft a project I am deeply proud of.

Read more student stories on Nanovic Navigator

Originally published by Cora Vulin at nanovicnavigator.nd.edu on May 15, 2024 .

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Mining Week 2024: Research Spotlight

In celebration of  national mining week 2024, civmin highlights  mining research and community. we chatted with two graduate students lauren twible and yunyun yan to learn more about their exciting research aimed at improving mining practices and making the industry more sustainable..

Lauren Twible, a PhD candidate in Prof. Lesley Warren’s lab investigates the role of sulphur and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria in base metal mining to mitigate environmental impacts amid rising demand for renewable energy infrastructure.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell me about the research you are currently involved in?

My name is Lauren Twible, and I’m a PhD candidate in Prof. Lesley Warren’s lab working on the Mining Wastewater Solutions (MWS) Project. My research focuses on understanding the role and impact of sulphur and sulphur-oxidizing bacteria in base metal mining aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of mining. Increasing demand for base metals to support renewable energy infrastructure has resulted in a global increase in mining wastes and mining-impacted waters. As these mining waste landscapes continue to grow, there i s an increased demand to understand the biological and geochemical conditions governing these environments.

We focus on sulphur because it plays an important role in these systems, with many sulphur-rich ores being processed, resulting in large quantities of sulphur ending up in these wastewater landscapes. These mine wastewater systems remain relatively understudied outside of acid mine drainage (AMD) conditions, which are characterized by highly acidic, high metal, and low oxygen conditions. To better understand these systems outside of AMD conditions, we use physicochemical, geochemical, microbiological, and metagenomics approaches. Identifying potentially novel sulphur-oxidizing bacteria and their functions is a significant aspect of our work. We spend a considerable amount of time growing bacteria and researching their metabolisms to determine any potential impact on-site. This allows us to provide our partners with more informed remediation opinions and monitoring options based on biological data.

From the research standpoint, is your main goal to keep monitoring the situation for your partners, or are there any other aims you are pursuing? Objectives for the MWS project include lowering management costs, decreasing the risks of negative environmental impacts, and contributing to a better understanding of the bacteria present in these systems.

Professor Lesley Warren and her PhD student Yunyun Yan are studying the first oil sands land pit lake in Alberta, Canada. Their research is part of the massive oil sand tailings reclamation project, a collaboration between industry and academia aimed at making the surface mining industry more sustainable.

The lake is the only full-scale demonstration for the ongoing viability assessment of water-capped tailings technology, a potential strategy for long-term oil sand tailings reclamation. To put this into perspective, the lake works as a water cap on top of the oil sands tailings. This unique method can address various concerns over time, such as preventing carbon dioxide and methane emissions as well as accelerating the landscape healing process.

Comprehensive research of the pilot end pit lake ecosystem is crucial for policy decisions and adaptive management within the oil sand mine closure frameworks. Upon regulatory approval, approximately 23 more end pit lakes were proposed to be built in the area. While multi-discipline industrial and research institutions collectively assess end pit lake water quality and biodiversity development, the University of Toronto’s Mine, Water and Environment research team focuses on biogeochemical Sulphur (S) cycling processes. This aspect of the lake’s unique engineered system remains unconstrained, thus its emergent risks to pit lake water cap oxygen persistence need to be thoroughly analyzed. “I joined Prof. Lesley Warren’s research team in 2019. My PhD research aims to characterize the biogeochemical S cycling processes in the end pit lake water cap, which pose emergent risks to lake water oxygen levels, a key metric for the success of pit lake ecological development. Combining field monitoring and lab experimental techniques, we can assess what is happening within the system, as well as attempt to predict what may occur in the next 20-30 years. Our research provides insights into the adaptive management strategies of our industry partners, promoting the successful reclamation of oil sand tailings crucial for the sustainable development of the oil sands industry,” says Yan.

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