Graduate Courses
Not all courses are offered every year. Please consult the Timetable or Graduate Coordinator for information on courses offered in a given year.
POLS 5043 CRITICAL POLITICAL THEORY "Critical theory" refers to a tradition of holistic, interdisciplinary political theory grounded in a critique of domination. Thinkers studied in this course may include Adorno, Baudrillard, Benjamin, Butler, Derrida, Foucault, Haraway, Jameson, and Marcuse. Emphasis is placed on close reading and discussion of primary texts.
POLS 5103 CANADIAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS 1 Special topics course in Canadian government and politics.
POLS 5143 MASTERS COLLOQUIUM This colloquium course provides a forum for MA students to develop and present their thesis proposal and ongoing research, as well as introducing them to significant theoretical and methodological approaches to Political Science. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5183 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1 Special topics course in International Relations.
POLS 5193 COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT 1 Special topics course in comparative government and politics.
POLS 5243 ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICAL THEORY This course examines whether or how the values of justice, democracy, and ecological sustainability can be mutually compatible. Competing visions of "the good life," strategies for political change, and conceptions of "nature" are examined in light of contemporary environmental crises.
POLS 5283 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS This seminar course explores the role of IOs in global politics. It considers their historical origins and evolution, the political, economic, and social forces that impact their operations, and their effectiveness.
POLS 5293 POLITICS OF DEVELOPMENT This seminar course critically explores politics and political economy in the Third World, beginning with a discussion of "development". Subsequently, it explores legacies of colonialism, strategies and political impact of economic development, violent and peaceful political transitions, and factors mobilizing global and local civil society and social movements. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5203 POLITICS IN THE MARITIMES An exploration of political changes in Maritime Canada. Particular attention is paid to regional political cultures, electoral styles, party politics, leadership, federalism, Maritime Union, and public policy.
POLS 5303 APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF CANADIAN POLITICS This course critically examines theoretical and methodological approaches to issues prominent in the literature on Canadian politics and government. We explore the theoretical and methodological assumptions and policy implications of issues including the role and nature of the Canadian state, national and sub-national political cultures, party competition, and elites.
POLS 5343 POLITICAL THEORY 1 This course develops ideas central to political philosophy by means of analytic and interpretive inquiry. The specific 'topic' for each offering is available from the department.
POLS 5383 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 2 This course explores the key theories of international relations and world politics. Readings will be selected from classic and contemporary writers.
POLS 5403 CANADIAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW The role of the judiciary in the Canadian federal process and major constitutional problems traced back to Confederation. Discussion of the leading constitutional decisions of the Privy Council, the Supreme Court of Canada and the major trends in Canadian constitutional law including the Charter and the Division of Powers. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5443 POLITICAL THEORY 2 An advanced seminar in political philosophy which examines either a central concept or important works in the tradition of political philosophy. The particular content for each offering is available from the department at fall registration.
POLS 5483 POLITICS OF NEW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES This seminar explores political implications of advances in science and technology. In addition to the political impact of mass media, robotics and nuclear technology, we explore the impact of cyber-technology, bio-technology, nano-technology on war, security, human rights, global governance and democracy. We ask how technological change affects the future of the world.
POLS 5543 DIRECTED READINGS: SPECIAL TOPICS Directed readings by MA students under the supervision of an individual faculty member.
POLS 5603 FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES: LAW, POLITICS AND POLICY IN CANADA Explores the socio-political, historical, legal, economic and cultural aspects of the decolonization and self-determination efforts of First Nations peoples. Students will explore the multiple dimensions of aboriginality, the evolution of Aboriginal-State relations, the legal battles for Aboriginal rights to land, resources, and self-government. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5693 DEMOCRACY & THE MARKET Explores contemporary challenges to democratic and democratizing states in the context of economic globalization. Theoretical analysis concentrates on the relationship between economic and democratic development and its influence on demands for and distribution of rights and material benefits. Theories illustrated using case studies from developed and developing societies. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5743 POLITICAL ECONOMY A survey of theories and models which have sought to explain the interrelationships among the state, the society, and the economy of a country, and the relationship between political power and economic and social (under)development in the context of globalization.
POLS 5783 APPLIED INTERNATIONAL ETHICS This seminar course is a critical exploration of ethical dilemmas in contemporary international politics. A special emphasis will be placed on cosmopolitan and communitarian approaches to issues such as international justice; war; terrorism; global poverty; sovereignty; human rights; women's rights; humanitarian affairs and intervention; and the environment. prereq: Admission to the MA program or permission of instructor.
POLS 5803 CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY The social, political, cultural, and institutional forces which shape the form and content of public policy, the rationality of the policy process, the mushrooming of state activities, and the actual impact of governmental programs. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5883 POLITICS OF HUMAN RIGHTS This course examines what human rights mean, why they matter, and how they have come to influence contemporary global politics. We explore the political, legal and ethical dimensions of human rights standards from a variety of perspectives in Political Science and the subfield of International Relations. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5893 THEORY AND POLITICS OF CITIZENSHIP Explores what citizenship means, how it develops, and how it is practiced in glabalizing and multicultural societies. Theoretical debates about the meaning of citizenship will be complemented by case studies exploring migration/immigration, multiculturalism in advanced democracies, and struggles for the rights of women and indigenous peoples. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
POLS 5960 GRADUATE THESIS
POLS 5983 THE POLITICS OF ASIA/PACIFIC This seminar explores modern and global issues affecting the Asia/Pacific community. The course explores three important analytic frameworks: global/regional, "glocal" and local. The global/regional focus explores institutional governance, security and economics issues before and after the Cold War. The "glocal" focus develops the competing flows that complicate the global/regional framework. The local focus explores how global connections emerge within local events. Prereq: Admission into the Graduate program.
IDST 5186 PEACEKEEPING: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES This course examines all the elements of modern peacekeeping from consolidating security to ensuring good governance and promoting economic rehabilitation. It also looks at the major players involved on both the military and civilian sides including NGOs and presents a series of peacekeeping missions.