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McMaster offers an exciting program with specific areas of study in public policy and administration, international relations, political theory, and comparative politics.

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NEW:Students can apply online, through the Graduate Studies Online Application site.

Online applications for September 2012 entry are now closed. The deadline is February 1, 2012 for PhD applicants and February 15, 2012 for MA applicants (for consideration for the 2012/13 academic year).

A separate application for financial assistance is not necessary, since all applicants for graduate studies at McMaster are automatically considered for financial support. Since scholarship support and teaching assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, completed MA applications should be received by February 15 for September admission. Completed applications for the PhD program should be received by February 1 for September admission. Applications for January entry will not normally be accepted.

Foreign students whose native language is not English are also required to submit the results of a recognized English language test with their application. Foreign students wishing to enter Canada on a student visa should also contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate for visa information.

All applications to both the Ph.D. and the M.A. program should include the applicant's home and work phone numbers and an email address.

The M.A. Program
Generally, the minimum admission requirement for the M.A. program is a B+ average in a honours political science Bachelor's degree or a four year major political science degree.

The Ph.D. Programs
Admission to the Ph.D. programs in Comparative Public Policy and International Relations will normally require a Master's degree in political science with an average of at least A-. Applications from students with a Master's degree in a cognate discipline will be considered, but such students may be required to complete the course work toward an M.A. in political science before admission to the Ph.D. program.
Please note that the statement of interest is a crucial element of the application process.  Public Policy applicants should highlight the comparative nature of their research and policy area which concerns them.  International relations applicants should identify the international, transnational or global elements of their research projects.  All applicants would benefit from indicating particular faculty members or research clusters that overlap with their projects.

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As a graduate student in the Department of Political Science, you will receive generous financial support in the form of scholarships and teaching assistantships. Teaching assistants are responsible for conducting undergraduate tutorials and/or marking. Full teaching assistantships pay approximately $10,244.

McMaster offers both full and half teaching assistantships. Ph.D. students normally receive full teaching assistantships. The responsibilities of a full teaching assistantship usually take up ten hours a week during the term and normally involve leading two 50 minute tutorials of about 25-30 first or second year students. A half teaching assistantship amounts to about five hours work a week and one tutorial. Full or half research assistantships are sometimes available as well.

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We believe that the Department of Political Science at McMaster offers you an excellent choice for both master's and doctoral work. With a complement of twenty-four faculty, an annual enrolment of approximately twenty-five M.A. students and an intake of about six Ph.D. students each year, we have an excellent faculty-student ratio that allows for small seminars, and encourages close supervision and good working relationships.

If you require further information about graduate programs in Political Science, please contact:

Administrative Assistant, (Graduate Program)
Department of Political Science
McMaster University
Hamilton, ON L8S 4M4
CANADA
Tel: (905) 525-9140, ext. 24742
Fax: (905) 527-3071

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