Political Science | ||
Master of Arts in Political Science Dean David Siegel Faculty of Social Sciences Associate Dean David DiBattista Faculty of Social Sciences Participating Faculty Professors W. D. Kenneth Kernaghan (Political Science), Daniel Madar (Political Science), David T. Siegel (Political Science), Garth Stevenson (Political Science) Associate Professors Leah Bradshaw (Political Science), Charles Burton (Political Science), Terrance G. Carroll (Political Science), Hevina S. Dashwood (Political Science), Juris Dreifelds (Political Science), Pierre Lizée (Political Science), Ingrid Makus (Political Science), William Mathie (Political Science), Livianna Tossutti (Political Science) Assistant Professors Paul Hamilton (Political Science), Tim Heinmiller, Matt Hennigar (Political Science) Lecturer Jennifer Berardi (Political Science) Seminar Coordinator Diane Leon Graduate Officer Pierre Lizee plizee@brocku.ca Administrative Assistant Chris Schacht 905-688-5550, extension 3476 Taro Hall 468 Graduate Office Assistant Darlene Berg 905-688-5550, extension 5006 Taro Hall 431 http://www.brocku.ca/politicalscience The MA program in Political Science began in 1973 and normally admits 15 to 18 new full-time students each year. Fellowships and other forms of assistance are awarded on the basis of merit and need. The program is small enough to allow students to be treated as individuals and to have close contact with faculty, yet large enough to provide diversity and an active intellectual community. Students come from across Canada, as well as from Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. Graduates of the program have proceeded to successful careers in government, politics, and business; many have pursued further study to become scholars and teachers. Courses of study and research are designed to meet the needs and interests of each student. The Department of Political Science can provide for a wide range of specific interests, including political philosophy, Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations and public administration. Faculty expertise and library resources support each area of concentration. | ||
Admission Requirements | ||
Successful completion of an honours degree with major in political science or equivalent with at least a high second class average is required for admission. The program is designed so that students can fulfil degree requirements within twelve months of admission. Full-time M.A. candidates who have not completed course work and have not submitted a completed draft of the major paper or thesis within twelve months must continue to pay full fees on a term-by-term basis until course work is completed and the first draft of their thesis or major essay has been approved by their adviser and department Chair. | ||
Graduate Courses | ||
There are three types of courses in the Political Science MA program and all are one term in length. First, there are core courses, which are taught as seminars and which are restricted to graduate students. These include POLI 5P80, POLI 5P82, POLI 5P84, POLI 5P85 and POLI 5P86. These core seminars provide an opportunity for critical examination of some of the most significant writings in the various subfields of the discipline and constitute a key component in the Brock MA program. POLI 5P80 is required in all programs in conjunction with one or two additional core courses, as specified below. Second, there are specialized courses, most of which are taught in conjunction with 4(alpha)00 level honours courses. These are also seminar courses with small class sizes. Students in the graduate course have assignments and responsibilities different from those students in the 4(alpha)00 level honours course when the two meet as a combined class. Third, there are tutorial courses. These are individualized reading courses approved for students who want to pursue a topic not covered in the graduate curriculum. The precise requirements and topics are a matter of agreement between instructor and student, subject to general departmental regulations. For students preparing a major research essay only, POLI 5P91, a special reading course linked to the topic of the student's essay, is provided. A thesis or major essay is also a part of all courses of study. In addition to the major essay, students in the essay stream must complete seven half credit courses including POLI 5P80, two core seminars, and POLI 5P91. Acceptance into the thesis stream requires explicit departmental agreement that the candidate is prepared to pursue advanced scholarly research, and the preparation of an acceptable thesis proposal. In addition to the thesis, students in this stream must complete four half credit courses including POLI 5P80 and at least one other core seminar. Students are required to consult with the Department's graduate adviser, who will assist students in choosing among the various program options. | ||
Areas of Concentration | ||
Students may opt for a general Political Science M.A. or for an M.A. with a designated concentration in one of the subfields of political science as listed below. The course requirements for a degree with concentration designation are more stringent than for the general degree. | ||
Canadian Politics | ||
Several areas of Canadian politics are of particular concern to Brock faculty. Specific areas of concentration include Canadian political economy, the constitution and judicial review, elections and voting behaviour, federal-provincial relations, Quebec nationalism, and the politics of diversity. Canadian phenomena can also be studied within the field of public administration. The two fields work closely together at Brock. Thesis Stream: Four half credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P82, and two half - credit courses selected from the course offerings in Canadian politics; a thesis in Canadian politics. Major Essay Stream: Seven half-credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P82, POLI 5P91, and one of POLI 5P84, 5P85 and 5P86, three half-credit courses selected from the course offerings in Canadian politics (and Public Administration provided all Canadian politics options have been exhausted); a major essay in Canadian politics. | ||
Comparative Politics | ||
The Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa are areas of focus for members of the department. Subjects of special interest are federalism, nationalism, the integration and disintegration of political communities, elites and mass media, civil society and development, and the impact of multilateral political and economic organizations on domestic political institutions. Thesis Stream: Four half-credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P85, and one or two half credits selected from the Department's offerings in comparative politics, with any remaining half credit selected from its offerings in international relations; a thesis in comparative politics. Major Essay Stream: Seven half credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P85, POLI 5P91, one half credit selected from POLI 5P82, POLI 5P84 or POLI 5P86, and one to three half credits selected from the Department's offerings in comparative politics, with any remaining credits selected from its offerings in international relations; a major essay in comparative politics. | ||
International Relations | ||
The concentration in international relations encompasses the diversity of conceptual insights and theoretical perspectives that reflect the complexity of global relations today. Subjects of special interest include traditional and new sources of threats to security, global economic relations, international theory, problems of global economic and political governance, and issues pertaining to international ethics. Thesis Stream: Four half-credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P86, one or two half credits selected from the Department's offerings in international relations and any remaining half credit selected from its offerings in comparative politics; a thesis in international relations. Major Essay Stream: Seven half credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P86, POLI 5P91, and one half credit selected from POLI 5P82, POLI 5P84 or POLI 5P85, one to three half credits selected from the Department's offerings in international relations; and any remaining credits from its offerings in comparative politics; a major essay in international relations. | ||
Political Philosophy | ||
Political philosophy addresses the perennial questions posed by conflicting accounts of how the political community should be organized and by the tension between the requirements of political life and the pursuit of truth. This concentration pays particular attention to the distinctive features of ancient and modern political philosophy, to such themes as justice, law and the theory of rights and to the close study of major political philosophers. Thesis Stream: Four half credit courses including POLI 5P80, and at least one half credit selected from POLI 5P82, 5P84, 5P85 and 5P86, with the remaining courses selected from the department's offerings in political philosophy; a thesis in political philosophy. Major Essay Stream: Seven half credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P91, and at least one half credit selected from POLI 5P82, 5P84, 5P85, and 5P86, with the remaining courses selected from the department's offerings in political philosophy; a major essay in political philosophy. | ||
Public Administration | ||
This concentration provides a distinctive blend of the political, legal and administrative dimensions of public administration at the federal, provincial and local levels. Special areas of focus are business-government relations, public administration theory and policy making. Thesis Stream: Four half credit courses including POLI 5P80 and 5P84, with the remaining credits selected from the department's offerings in public administration; a thesis in public administration. Major Essay Stream: Seven half credit courses including POLI 5P80, POLI 5P84, POLI 5P91, and one of POLI 5P82, 5P85 and 5P86, with the remaining credits selected from the department's offerings in public administration (and Canadian politics provided all public administration options have been exhausted); a major essay in public administration. Further Information For further information about the MA program, specific concentrations and fellowships, contact the Graduate Admissions Officer, Department of Political Science. | ||
Course Descriptions | ||
All course selections require the permission of the Graduate Adviser. Students who wish to arrange tutorial courses must first consult the Graduate Adviser.
POLI 5F90
MA Major Essay
A major essay required of students following Scheme B, presented for discussion in a departmental forum.
POLI 5F99
MA Research and Thesis
A research project involving the preparation and defence of a thesis which shall demonstrate a capacity for independent work. The research shall be carried out under the supervision of a faculty member and shall be defended at an oral examination.
Theory
POLI 5P01
The Philosophy of Law
Traditional and contemporary accounts of law and their implications for issues of contemporary concern.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P01.
POLI 5P02
Ancient Political Theory
Premodern political philosophy examined in the works of Plato and Aristotle, emphasizing those features distinguishing ancient political science and philosophy from that of modernity.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P02.
POLI 5P03
Modern Political Theory
Modern political theory examined in selected texts. May focus on a theme such as historicism, consent, progress, equality or on a selected author, such as Rousseau, Kant, Hegel.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P03.
POLI 5P04
Politics and Tyranny
Comparative accounts of ancient and modern tyranny are examined with a view to assessing whether political domination has varied significantly in the western tradition.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P04.
POLI 5P05
Shakespeare's Politics
Issues of justice; politics, law and morality; republican, monarchical and tyrannical government as explored in selected Shakespearean comedies, tragedies, and histories.
Note: Taught in conjunction with POLI 4P05.
POLI 5P06
Philosophy, Politics and the Family
An examination of the relations that comprise the family and the significance of these for the political community as both have been treated by ancient and modern political philosophers and by contemporary feminists and their critics.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P06.
POLI 5P07
Postmodern Political Theory
Perspectives on the postmodern condition in the works of selected 20th century thinkers. Topics may include notions of the self, aesthetics and politics, reason and power, the construction of meaning.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P07.
POLI 5P08
Politics of Consent and Coercion
An exploration of important texts in the history of political thought that seeks to clarify the concepts of consent, obligation, coercion and their relationship to justice. Application of these concepts to contemporary debates about consent and the law, including sexual consent and medical ethics.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P08.
Canadian Politics
POLI 5P12
Canadian Civil Society, Institutions and Political Culture
This course examines the membership bases of political parties, interest groups and other non-governmental actors (i.e. professional associations, volunteer organizations, community and grassroots groups), and the respective roles they have played in setting the issue agenda, developing public policy and/or delivering government programs.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P12.
POLI 5P14
Federalism in Canada
Canadian concepts of federalism, judicial interpretation of the constitutional distribution of powers, the social, economic and cultural factors that influence federal-provincial relations, issues in federal-provincial relations, the impact of federalism on public policy, and the politics of constitutional change.
Note: taught in conjunction with POLI 4P14.
POLI 5P15
Canadian Political Economy
The political economy tradition in Canada, from the writing of Innis, Mackintosh and Creighton to contemporary neo-Marxist and dependency theorists. Topics may include foreign investment |
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Last updated: September 20, 2005 @ 02:21PM