Last updated: August 16, 2001 @ 08:04AM

Political Science

Chair
Leah Bradshaw

Undergraduate Program Adviser
Daniel Madar

Professors Emeriti
Victor M. Fic, William H. N. Hull, William A. Matheson, J. Patrick Sewell

Professors
Carl Baar (on leave), Gerald E. Dirks, W. D. Kenneth Kernaghan, David T. Siegel, Garth Stevenson

Associate Professors
Nicolas Baxter-Moore, Leah Bradshaw, Charles Burton, Terrance G. Carroll, Juris Dreifelds, Daniel Madar, Ingrid Makus, William Mathie

Assistant Professors
James B. Kelly, Pierre Lizée

Seminar Co-ordinator
Jacqueline Dix

General Information

Administrative Assistant,
Christine Schacht
(905) 688-5550, extension 3476
Taro Hall 468
http://www.brocku.ca/politicalscience/

Politics affects everyone. It is through politics that the future of the world we inhabit is shaped. Aristotle called politics the master science because he recognized how wide and pervasive politics is. The interests of political scientists are diverse. They may include conflict at city hall or in the courtroom; the arguments and processes through which our national existence might be preserved; the collapse of Communism and the struggle to establish new political arrangements in its place; the role of pressure groups in shaping public policy; electoral reform; the control of civil servants; the rule of law among nations; the place of moral principle and national interest in the conduct of foreign policy; or how far any citizen might have the right or duty to disobey an unjust law. Political Science offers us the opportunity to become freer human beings and citizens because, whatever the subject of our immediate inquiry, the focus is always upon the ideas, institutions and processes that shape our lives.

The BA honours program provides students with the opportunity for a more intensive examination of issues in the field.

Political Science may be combined at the honours or pass level with other disciplines, the choice depending upon the student's interests and capabilities. As well, it is possible, within the departmental offerings, to arrange a thematic program of study around a selection of courses built to suit the student's particular interests.

All students in Political Science especially those proceeding to graduate studies or to a career in the public service, are encouraged to become proficient in a language other than English, normally French. Students who develop interests in a particular geographical area are urged to select related courses in history, language and literature. MATH 1F92 provides a sound background in those skills often employed in modern social science research. Questions about the Political Science program should be directed to the Undergraduate Program Adviser.

Program Notes
  1. Students are encouraged to take courses from at least three of the designated subfields in Political Science.
  2. With the permission of the Undergraduate Program Adviser, methods courses which are required in other departments may be considered equivalents for POLI 2P80, 3P91 or 3P92.
  3. Students in the honours program with concentration in Public Law are strongly recommended to complete SOCI 1F90.
  4. In all 20 credit degree programs, at least 12 credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, six of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above and of these, three must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above. In all 15 credit degree programs, at least seven credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, three of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above.

    The courses numbered 2(alpha)00 or above fall into a number of fields and the department advises Political Science majors to select courses from at least three of these fields.

    Canadian Politics

    POLI 2F12*
    POLI 3P05, 3P15, 3P16, 3P17, 3P18, 3P28
    POLI 4P07, 4P14, 4P15, 4P19, 4V10-4V19, 4V60-4V69

    Comparative Politics

    POLI 2F30*, 2P21, 2P42, 2P47, 2P94, 2P95, 2P97, 2V40-2V49
    POLI 3P43, 3P44, 3P45, 3P72
    POLI 4P32, 4P34, 4P38, 4P39, 4P47, 4V30-4V39

    International Politics

    POLI 2F20*, 2P21, 2P47
    POLI 3P21, 3P26, 3P28
    POLI 4P20, 4P21, 4P22, 4P26, 4P27, 4V20-4V29

    Political Theory

    POLI 2P91*, 2P92*, 2P93
    POLI 3P04, 3P05, 3P07, 3V00-3V09
    POLI 4P01, 4P02, 4P03, 4P04, 4P05, 4P06, 4P07, 4V00-4V09

    Public Administration

    POLI 2F98*, 2P62
    POLI 3P11, 3P50, 3P52, 3P65
    POLI 4P50, 4P52, 4P54, 4V50-4V59

    *recommended for students intending to take other courses in this field in years 3 and 4.

Honours Programs

Year 1
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   one Humanities context credit
·   one Science context credit
·   two elective credits
Year 2

·   POLI 2P80 (see program note 2)
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   two POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)00 to 2(alpha)99 (see program note 1)
·   two elective credits
Year 3

·   POLI 3P91 or 3P92 (see program note 2)
·   one-half credit from political theory list
·   two POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99 (see program note 1)
·   two elective credits
Year 4
·   POLI 4P90
·   one POLI credit numbered 2(alpha)90 or above
·   one and one-half POLI credits numbered 4(alpha)00 to 4(alpha)99
·   two elective credits (see program note 2)

International Political Economy

Consult International Political Economy entry for a listing of program requirements.

Pass Program
·   one POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   POLI 2P80 (see program note 2)
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   five POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above (see program notes 1 and 4)

Combined Major Programs

Students are likely to find that both parts of their program benefit if they combine studies in Political Science with studies in another Social Science, such as Communication Studies, Popular Culture and Film, Economics, Geography or Sociology; or with studies in a related field in a different faculty, such as Business or History. Political Science also provides a sound disciplinary core when combined with a program of study in Canadian Studies, Environment, Labour Studies, Great Books/Liberal Studies or Women's Studies.

Honours
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   POLI 2P80
·   POLI 3P91 or 3P92
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   one-half POLI credit
·   four POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 1, 2 and 4)
Pass
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   POLI 2P80
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   one POLI credit
·   two POLI credits numbered 2(alpha)90 or above (see program notes 2 and 4)

Political Science and Business (honours only)

Year 1
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   ECON 1P91 and 1P92
·   MGMT 1P93 and 1P96
·   one Humanities context credit (FREN 1F90 recommended)
·   one Science context credit
Year 2
· POLI 2F12 and 2P80

·   ACTG 1P91, 2P12 and 2P40
·   MATH 1P98
·   OPER 2P91
·   one of POLI 2P91, 2P92, 2P93
·   one-half additional credit from political theory list
Year 3
·   POLI 2F98
·   FNCE 2P91
·   MKTG 2P91
·   OBHR 2P91
·   one and one-half credits from POLI 3P11, 3P15, 3P16, 3P18, 3P21, 3P26, 3P33, 3P52, 3P65, 3P66
·   one elective credit (ECON 3P14, 3P15 recommended)
Year 4
·   POLI 3P91 or 3P92
·   POLI 4P54
·   FNCE 3P93
·   MGMT 3P82
·   OBHR 3P42
·   one and one-half credits from POLI 4P01, 4P14, 4P15, 4P21, 4P50, 4P52, 4V10-4V19
·   one-half OBHR credit numbered 4(alpha)90 to 4(alpha)99
·   one-half elective credit

Political Science and Labour Studies

Consult the Labour Studies entry for a listing of program requirements.

Political Science and Great Books/Liberal Studies (honours only)

Consult the Great Books/Liberal Studies entry for a listing of program requirements.

Certificate Programs

The Political Science department also offers programs leading to a Certificate in Public Administration and a Certificate in Public Law. These programs provide an overview for interested people who do not wish to proceed to a degree or those who have already obtained a degree with a major other than Political Science. Only under exceptional circumstances and with special permission from the department will applicants who already have a degree with a major (or combined major) in Political Science be admitted.

The requirements for admission to the certificate programs are the same as for admission to the degree program. For those without a degree, the equivalent of five approved credits selected from the lists below are required.

A certificate is awarded upon completion of the five credits with a minimum overall average of 70 percent.

See "Certificate Requirements" under Academic Regulations.

Certificate in Public Administration

The program is of interest to people already employed in the public sector environment and wanting to embark on a program of part-time studies.
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   POLI 2F12 and 4P52
·   POLI 2F98 or POLI 3P50 and 3P65
·   POLI 4P50 or 4P54
·   one elective credit approved by the Undergraduate Program Adviser
Under exceptional circumstances, the Department may require the substitution of other relevant courses for those usually required.

Certificate in Public Law

The program is of interest to people already employed in the legal and justice fields who wish to embark on a program of part-time studies and to those with Community College qualifications in law and justice who would like to add university-level certification.
·   One POLI credit numbered 1(alpha)90 to 1(alpha)99
·   POLI 2F12, 3P18 and 3P26
·   one credit from POLI 3P11, 3P15, 3P66, 4P01, 4P14, 4P19, 4P34
·   one credit from POLI 3P04, 3P07, 3P11, 3P15, 3P50, 3P52, 3P66, 4P01, 4P14, 4P19, 4P34, 4P50

Concentration in Public Law

Public Law consists of those areas of the law that deal with the relationship between the individual and the state or relationships between jurisdictions. These include administrative, constitutional, criminal, international and municipal law.

Students may earn a Concentration in Public Law by successfully completing the courses listed below together with the requirements for a BA (honours) in Political Science.
·   POLI 2F12, 3P18, 3P26, 4P01 and 4P14
·   POLI 4P19 or 4P34
·   one credit from POLI 1P91, 2F98, 3P11, 3P15, 3P66
·   one and one-half credits from POLI 1P91, 2F98, 3P04, 3P07, 3P11, 3P15, 3P50, 3P52, 3P65, 3P66, 4P19, 4P20, 4P34, 4P50, 4P95
·   one credit from ACTG 2P40, ENVI 3P02, LABR 2F00, SOCI 2P61, 2P62, 3P33, 4P33 (see program note 3)
The words "Concentration in Public Law" will be added to a student's official transcript when the student graduates with a BA (honours) in Political Science having completed the above listed requirements.

Master of Arts (MA) Program

The MA program allows for study and directed research with a concentration in several fields including Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory and public administration. For details about graduate courses and programs, see the Graduate Calendar.