Master of Arts in Political Science (Thesis-based)

The Department of Political Science offers programs leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science, and the Master of Arts in Policy Studies. The following fields of study are offered in the master's and doctoral programs: Canadian politics, comparative politics, gender and politics, international relations, and political philosophy/theory. The Thesis-Based MA in Political Science prepares students to undertake a significant independent research project. This prepares you for a variety of careers including political support roles and government, as well as a prerequisite for PhD studies in Political Science and further studies in Business or Law.

Applicants who have completed the equivalent of a Bachelor's degree will be considered for admission to our MA programs. Degrees in Political Science, Political Policy, or close cognates such as International Relations or PPE are strongly preferred, applicants with other undergraduate majors should normally have at least 30 graded credits of coursework in Political Science. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.3 (when converted to the University of Alberta's grading scale) or equivalent in the last 60 graded credits of academic studies.

Since English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Alberta, all applicants must be proficient in English prior to admission. Applicants with degrees/ qualifications in a language other than English may need to demonstrate English Language Proficiency through one of the following exam scores:

TOEFL with a minimum score of 600 (paper-based) or a total of 100 (Internet-based) with a score of at least 20 on each of the individual skills areas, or
MELAB of 85, or
IELTS 7.0 with at least 6 on each band.