Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Waterloo offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Political Science, which is designed to conduct original research and generate new knowledge in the field. The program is located in Hagey Hall Hub on the university's main campus.

Research Fields

The program offers three major fields of research:

• Canadian Politics
• International Relations
• Political Economy Students can also choose a secondary research field or create their own custom concentration based on coursework in a designated area of the discipline or a subfield of their major field.

Program Details

Department/School

The program is offered by the Department of Political Science.

Faculty

The program is part of the Faculty of Arts.

Admit Term(s)

The program admits students in the Fall term (September - December).

Delivery Mode

The program is delivered on-campus.

Program Type

The program is a doctoral, research-based program.

Length of Program

The program is 48 months (full-time) in length.

Registration Option(s)

Students can register for the program on a full-time or part-time basis.

Study Option(s)

The program offers a thesis-based study option.

Application Deadlines

The application deadline for admission in September is February 1.

Admission Requirements

• Students must hold a master's degree with a minimum 80% average or equivalent in political science, or a related discipline.
• Experienced professionals in the private or public sectors will be considered for admission, but additional course work may be required.

Degree Requirements

Students must review the degree requirements on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that can be anticipated as part of completing the degree.

Application Materials

• Resume
• Statement of interest (maximum 500 words)
• Program-specific questions (PSQ)
• Transcript(s)
• Writing sample
• References (three references are required, normally from academic sources)
• Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable (TOEFL 90, IELTS 7.0)

Tuition and Fees

Students can visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for the program.

Funding

Students can review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students.

Additional Information

The program prepares students to pursue a career in academia or in the private, public, or non-profit sectors with roles like political consultant, international relations officer, and political risk analyst. The program also offers considerable flexibility in core research activities, formal professional development for both academic and non-academic career paths, an experiential option, and a teaching option.