Cultural, Social and Political Thought program
The Interdisciplinary Program in Cultural, Social and Political Thought (CSPT) program is open to selected MA and PhD students in English, Environmental Studies, History, Political Science and Sociology. Students must apply online, choosing the CSPT option for Political Science. If approved by the department, the application will be reviewed by the CSPT Admissions Committee. Only students already accepted into an MA or PhD program in Political Science may be admitted to CSPT. Students must meet the core graduating requirements of the individual departments as well as specific requirements of the CSPT program.
MA program requirements
CSPT MA students must complete 7.5 units of course work and an MA Thesis worth 9 units. The topic must be within the field of CSPT. At least two members of the examining committee must be drawn from the faculty members affiliated with the CSPT Program. For details about the program requirements, please refer to the UVic Academic Calendar.
PhD program requirements
CSPT PhD students must complete 9.0 units of course work and a PhD Dissertation which meets the requirements of both the Department of Political Science and the CSPT program. The topic must be within the field of CSPT and at least two members of the examining committee must be affiliated with the CSPT program. For details about the program requirements, please refer to the UVic Academic Calendar.
PhD candidates are required to complete 42 units in accordance with the following program:
Candidacy exams
The Department offers candidacy examinations in Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. Students may substitute one of these examinations for an interdisciplinary examination in Comparative Public Policy and Governance, Cultural, Social and Political Thought, or Indigenous Nationhood.
At least one of two candidacy examinations must be in one of the four fields administered by the department itself.
Professional development seminar
The professional development seminar, POLI 600, is intended to prepare students for all aspects of an academic career in political science.
The Department puts particular emphasis on preparing doctoral candidates for post-secondary teaching, and encourages candidates to make full use of the University's Learning and Teaching Centre in this context.
PhD students will normally act as and then learn to develop and teach courses independently, within their fields of specialization. PhD candidates will also receive support in developing conference presentations, research grant proposals, and academic publications.
Research areas
The department will only consider applicants for the PhD program whose research interests are in one of the following areas:
Other opportunities
The department encourages applications from students who can take advantage of its links to other units, including the Faculty of Law, the School of Public Administration and the departments participating in the Interdisciplinary Program in Cultural, Social and Political Thought and the Certificate Program in Indigenous Nationhood.
The European Studies Program, the Indigenous Governance Program, the Victoria Colloquium, the Centre for Global Studies, the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives and the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society all offer opportunities to students with particular interests and qualifications.