Political Science
Become a global citizen. Discuss and debate the world’s most pressing issues.
Political Science Program Year by Year
- First year: students are introduced to the basic concepts and theoretical controversies that shape the field of inquiry, and to enough empirical material about current political systems and issues to relate the concepts to contemporary political controversies;
- Second year: students are initiated into the major sub-fields of Political Science—Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations, political philosophy—their history, their specific approaches and preoccupations, with some sense of their place in relation to the discipline as a whole and encourage students to begin reflecting on the methods and epistemological assumptions appropriate to the study of politics;
- Third year: courses enable/require students to bring the conceptual, empirical, historical and methodological elements they have acquired to bear upon case studies or disciplinary controversies in the sub-fields that interest them and, in so doing, to deepen their appreciation of the challenge, the difficulties and the limits as well as the cognitive possibilities, of putting the basic elements of Political Science to work in specific contexts;
- Fourth year: continues and prolongs this type of work, introducing topics and assignments that demand somewhat greater independence of thought and affording students the possibility of working on a subject of interest as a focal point around which to weave the various strands of knowledge, information, insight and method acquired along the way into an independent contribution to scholarship.
Academic Advisor
Dr. Stéphanie Martens
Telephone: 705.675.1151
Email: smartens@laurentian.ca
Office: Secretary - Carole Germain-Chiswell 705 675 1151 Ext. 4320
Program Highlights:
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Three or four-year year (Honours) programs lead to a Bachelor of Arts
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Two main streams: Canadian government/public administration and International relations/comparative politics
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The department has an exchange program with five universities in Europe
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A Model Parliament for students is held annually at the House of Commons in Ottawa
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The department of Political Science has, for several years, sent a bilingual team to CANIMUN, the Canadian Model United Nations held annually in Ottawa
Ontario High School Applicants
1 grade 12 English U/M course
5 other grade 12 U/M courses
A minimum overall average of 70% in the 6 best grade 12 U/M courses
Additional information for applicants who have completed Advanced Placement courses.
Additional information for applicants who have completed the International Baccalaureate.
Applicants from outside an Ontario High School
Canadian High School Applicants from outside Ontario
For Current Students
The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science
Total 120 credits
Students must follow these regulations in order to meet graduation requirements for the BA or B.Sc.
Specialization in Political Science
All students entering a BA program as of September 2017 are required to take 6 credits each of linguistic awareness, scientific literacy and indigenous content as per the regulations.
Although the requirements have been slotted in first year in the description below, students may fulfill them at any time during their studies.
Eligible courses are available at the 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 levels and students should take them at the appropriate time in their studies.
Courses fulfilling these requirements may be taken as electives or as part of a minor, concentration, major or specialization.
First Year
6 credits from:
POLI 1006E Political Regimes
POLI 1007E Political Ideas and Political Actors
POLI 1106E Understanding Canadian Political Problems
POLI 1107E Understanding World Political Problems
6 elective credits of linguistic awareness (see regulations)
6 elective credits in the Sciences
6 elective credits in Indigenous content (starting 2017)
6 elective credits
Upper Years
POLI 2206E Comparative Politics
OR POLI 2306E International Relations
POLI 2426E Individual, Community and the Political Order
OR POLI 2526E Approaches to Justice
POLI 2706E Canadian Government and Politics
12 POLI credits at the 4000 level
33 upper-year POLI credits
36 elective credits
Note: Students may not exceed 42 credits at the 1000 or 9100 level in their degree program.
Major in Political Science
6 credits from:
POLI 1006E Political Regimes
POLI 1007E Political Ideas and Political Actors
POLI 1106E Understanding Canadian Political Problems
POLI 1107E Understanding World Political Problems
POLI 2426E Individual, Community and the Political Order
OR POLI 2526E Approaches to Justice
POLI 2706E Canadian Government and Politics
9 POLI credits at the 4000 level
21 upper year POLI credits
78 elective credits*
Note:
- Students may not exceed 42 credits at the 1000 or 9100 level in their degree program.
- In order to get a BA, students must include 6 credits in linguistic awareness, 6 credits of Indigenous content, and 6 credits in the Sciences if not part of the other minor or second major. Eligible courses are available at the 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 levels and students should take them at the appropriate time in their studies.
- Students must complete a minimum of a minor (24 credits) or a second major (42 credits) from among their elective credits.
Bachelor of Arts (General) in Political Science
Total 90 credits
Students must follow these regulations in order to meet graduation requirements for the BA or B.Sc.
Concentration in Political Science
All students entering a BA program as of September 2017 are required to take 6 credits each of linguistic awareness, scientific literacy and indigenous content as per the regulations.
Although the requirements have been slotted in first year in the description below, students may fulfill them at any time during their studies.
Eligible courses are available at the 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 levels and students should take them at the appropriate time in their studies.
Courses fulfilling these requirements may be taken as electives or as part of a minor, concentration, major or specialization.
First Year
6 credits from:
POLI 1006E Political Regimes
POLI 1007E Political Ideas and Political Actors
POLI 1106E Understanding Canadian Political Problems
POLI 1107E Understanding World Political Problems
6 elective credits of linguistic awareness (see regulations)
6 elective credits in the Sciences
6 elective credits in Indigenous content (starting 2017)
6 elective credits
Upper Years
POLI 2706E Canadian Government and Politics
6 POLI credits at the 3000 level
21 upper year POLI credits
30 elective credits
Note: Students may not exceed 42 credits at the 1000 or 9100 level in their degree program.
Minor in Political Science
6 credits from:
POLI 1006E Political Regimes
POLI 1007E Political Ideas and Political Actors
POLI 1106E Understanding Canadian Political Problems
POLI 1107E Understanding World Political Problems
POLI 2706E Canadian Government and Politics
6 POLI credits at the 3000 level
9 upper year POLI credits
Click here to see electives list.
Sessional Faculty
Amadou Ba
Elisabeth Labrie
Sébastien Pelletier
Richard Theoret
Sarah Viau
Patrick Corbiere
Kevin Fitzmaurice
Nahum Kanhai
Bruno Charbonneau
Department of Political Science
Gina Comeau
Department of Political Science
Michael Johns
Department of Political Science
Aurélie Lacassagne
Department of Political Science
Stéphanie Martens
Department of Political Science
Tim Nieguth
Department of Political Science
Alan Shandro
Department of Political Science