phd in political science university of toronto

Department of Political Science

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University of Toronto

Phd and ma program application instructions, eligibility criteria : admission requirements, application deadlines (1 annual admission cycle only- september start):.

• January 8, 2025 for PhD and PhD Direct-Entry
• January 15, 2025 for MA Program
• January 15, 2025 for Non-Degree Studies

Application form

• Login to the application site after reading through the application instructions.
• If you are a first-time applicant, click the link to Create an Account to begin your application. You will receive a verification code via email as part of the account creation process. After entering your verification code, you will create a password for your account.
• You may save and return to the application at any point in the process.
• You will need to provide all biographical and academic information requested in the form
• You will be required to indicate each post-secondary institution you have attended. The information you enter here will be reflected in the document upload portion of the application (after the application form is submitted).
• You will be required to enter information for referees (3 referees for PhD applicants and 2 for MA applicants). Please read supporting document description below for referee requirements before entering referee details. Your referees will automatically receive a notification email that they have been requested to complete a reference for your application (as soon as you click “send to recommender”), along with instructions to submit their reference letter in the application system. We will not consider reference letters submitted without institutional email addresses unless you complete this form prior to the application deadline. If you need to change your referees, please get in touch with the Graduate Secretary in the Department of Political Science, Louis Tentsos ( [email protected] ). If you need to send a reminder email to your existing referees , you can do so through your applicant portal after submitting your application. Please do not exceed the required number of referees required for your application.
• To view the status of your application, including outstanding requirements, please log in to your account to view your applicant status portal.
• You will need to pay your application fee and upload supporting documents including unofficial transcripts, statements of intent, writing samples, and more, through your applicant status portal after submitting your application.
• Applications are considered complete and can be reviewed only after the fee is paid and all documentation is rece ived by the Department of Political Science (this includes letters of reference submitted online by referees). All documentation must be received by the application deadline (see above).
• When you submit the application form portion of your application, you will be directed to the supporting documentation and fee payment page of the application. Here you will be prompted to upload required documents.

Supporting Documents

Writing Sample (upload in Word or PDF format)

• (PDF or Word): at least 10 and no more than 30 pages of your best writing, preferably in political science or a related topic (i.e. an essay submitted for a course, up to 30 pages of a thesis written in support of your most recent degree, or an analytical policy document). It is helpful but not required that your paper is related to your anticipated research interests. Avoid autobiographical details.

Letter of Intent/Statement of Interest (upload in Word or PDF format)

• Describe the analytical question or problem you would most like to pursue in our graduate program. For PhD applicants: Please indicate the question/problem that you foresee as the most likely candidate for the subject of your thesis. You may wish to indicate what theoretical approaches are shaping your thinking on this topic, and why our Department is an appropriate academic environment for engaging in that work. Please do not make this an autobiography . Some background information may be relevant, but what we really want to know is what interests you analytically. The statement must be no more than 500 words. If you are applying as a Direct Entry PhD make it clear to us in your statement that you wish to be considered initially for the PhD program. Indicate at the end of the statement the names of 2 faculty members you would be interested in working with.
• Note – be sure to select “Letter of Intent/Statement of Interest in the drop-down menu.

Resume or C.V. (upload in Word or PDF format)

• Include a resume or c.v. of up to one page that includes information not available elsewhere in your application package, including work experience relevant to your scholarly interests, academic awards, conference presentations, and publications.

Transcripts (upload PDFs)

• All applicants are required to submit scanned copies of official documents (i.e., not PDFs of unofficial transcripts from a student web service) including all post-secondary studies identified in your application form . The copies must be up-to-date displaying degrees conferred if applicable. If the language of the transcript is other than English or French, certified translations must be included with the submission. Official transcripts are those issued from the university and not printed from a student portal.

Academic Letters of Reference (submitted electronically independently by referees)

• PhD applicants require 3 letters ; MA applicants require 2 letters
• You will be required to enter information for each of your referees. Your referees will automatically receive a notification email when you enter their information and click “Send to Recommender”. The email will inform them that they have been requested to complete a reference for your application, along with instructions to submit their reference letter in the application system.
• If you need to change your referees, please get in touch with the graduate secretary, Louis Tentsos ( [email protected] ).
• If you need to send a reminder email to your existing referees, you can do so through your applicant portal after submitting your application.
• The admission committee prefers letters from tenure track faculty who have taught or supervised you and who are familiar with you academically. If you need to substitute one letter as described above with a non-academic letter, it is recommended that you provide a letter from someone who can assess your academic ability in some way.
• If you are applying from a degree program it is normal that you will provide at least two letters from the program you are currently enrolled in if possible (unless you have just started the program this year).
• Please use your referee’s institutional email address whenever possible. This will be of benefit to you as generic email addresses (i.e., Hotmail or Gmail) are difficult to track and verify and can be problematic. If you are submitting a referee with a non-institutional email address (such as Gmail or Hotmail) you must complete a Referee Verification Form in order for the letter to be considered.
• If you have been away from school for many years and have difficulty acquiring reference letters from tenure track faculty who have taught or supervised you, it is possible to use employers who can speak to your academic ability or the equivalent. Just as a caution, it will be difficult for the admissions committee to review your eligibility reviewing a letter from someone who cannot assess your academic ability.
• If, in the rare case your referee does not have email, you should still enter their information in the Referee section of the online application form . Please then have your referee fill in a hard copy of the form available here . The form must be received by the Graduate Office (see address below) in a sealed envelope with a signature over the seal. The letter should come directly from the referee to this address: Graduate Office/The Department of Political Science/University of Toronto/100 St. George Street, Rm. 3025/Toronto, Ontario/M5S 3G3/Canada

Proof of English Language Proficiency (if required-see below)

• If your primary language is not English ( except Canadian citizens whose primary language is French) or if you have not graduated from a university whose primary instruction is English, you must submit proof of English language proficiency. Check the SGS page for the various recognized English tests. Students must arrange for their score to be reported electronically to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services) by the testing agency. The institution code for U of T is 0982. There is no need to specify a department.

Collaborative Program Application

• If you are applying to an interdisciplinary (Collaborative) program , please visit the appropriate website to review the application procedures and any special admission requirements of that program. For reference, many of our students complete collaborative programs and complete degree and collaborative program requirements simultaneously

Monitoring Application for Completeness

• It is an applicant’s obligation to monitor the status of documents in the online application and to follow up with referees if references are not received in advance of Applicants must ensure applications are complete by the deadline.
• For the purposes of the application, we do not require hardcopies (referring to mailed in paper copies) of any application materials or documents. All documents must be submitted electronically. Official hardcopies of transcripts are required only from applicants who are accepting an offer of admission.

Funding Opportunities

• If you are in the process of applying AND you have an A minus average, then, if eligible, you should seriously consider applying to scholarship programs such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council masters or doctoral fellowships (SSHRC) Doctoral , or Masters .
• For more information on applicant funding opportunities though U of T visit this page: School of Graduate Studies Awards & Funding Info (enter “admission” in search bar). Please note that Connaught and Trillium scholarships are not applications you can apply for. They are adjudicated based on application material of PhD applicants through the admissions process.

Proceed to application after reading through the application instructions above thoroughly: https://admissions.sgs.utoronto.ca/apply/

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR APPLICATION!

Graduate News

Two political science students awarded ‘connaught phds for public impact’ fellowships.

Congratulations to political science students Yojana Miraya Oscco and Jenna Quelch who have both been awarded 'Connaught PhDs for Public Impact' fellowships. The Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship Program offers U of T doctoral students...

Connaught ‘PhDs for Public Impact’ Fellow

Congratulations to Madalyn Hay, a recipient of a 2023-2024 Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship. Madalyn, one of our doctoral students, holds a BAH in Contemporary Studies and Classics from the...

Governor General’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence

Congratulations to alumna Meaghan Williams, a recipient of the 2022-23 Governor General’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence, the highest academic honour available to graduate students in Canada. Awarded annually by the Office of the...

Three CPSA Prizes for Political Science, U of T

Great news from the Canadian Political Science Association, which held its annual awards ceremony (online) over the weekend of June 12 & 13: Professor Stefan Rencken’s book "Private Governance and Public...

Superior Teaching Awards

Congratulations to two political science alumni now teaching at U of T who have both won Superior Teaching Awards! Igor Shoikhedbrod and Khalid Ahmed will be celebrated on May 5th at...

Vanier Scholarship win for Political Science student

Q&A with 2020 Vanier Scholar Yojana Miraya Oscco Congratulations to PhD student Yojana Miraya Oscco who has won a prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC). Launched in 2008, the program enables...

June Larkin Award for Pedagogical Development

Congratulations to our graduate student Kevin Edmonds who has won New College's June Larkin Award for Pedagogical Development. A PhD candidate specializing in Caribbean political economy, histories of alternative/illicit development, foreign intervention and...

School of Graduate Studies

Political science, program overview.

The Master of Arts program is designed to satisfy the diverse interests of students who wish to pursue a year of graduate study in political science. Students admitted to the MA program may choose from two fields: Political Science and Political Theory. Students whose interests are primarily normative and philosophical may choose the field of Political Theory.

The combined degree program in Law, Juris Doctor / Political Science, Doctor of Philosophy  (JD/PhD) program enables students to acquire a PhD in Political Science as well as a Juris Doctor (JD) in Law.

The Doctor of Philosophy program offers courses in the fields of Canadian Politics; Comparative Politics; Development Studies; International Relations; Political Theory; and Public Policy.

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Political Science

Master of Arts

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• JD/PhD (Political Science)

Director: Assistant Dean Sara Faherty ( sara.faherty@utoronto.ca )

Requirements

The JD/PhD (Political Science) Program is designed for students who are interested in studying the intersection between political science and law.

The JD/PhD (Political Science) Combined Program allows students to meet the requirements for the JD and reach the "all but dissertation" stage of the PhD one year sooner than if the two degrees were taken serially. Successful candidates will qualify for the JD degree at the end of the fourth year of study and they will qualify for the PhD degree upon completing a doctoral dissertation following the fourth year of study. The program is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto.

Admission requirements

Students applying to the JD/PhD in Political Science program must be admitted to both the Faculty of Law and the PhD in Political Science program. Candidates must, therefore, satisfy the admission requirements of both units independently, including the Law School Admission Test and all admission requirements of the PhD in Political Science program. Separate applications to each unit must be submitted.

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• In the first year of the program, students complete all first year courses at the Faculty of Law.
• In the second year of the program, students complete Political Science coursework and examinations, in accordance with the PhD requirements for the Political Science Department.
• In the third and fourth years, students complete the requirements for the JD degree by taking upper year Law courses totaling 48 credits, including the Directed Research Program, selected in consultation with the Director of the Combined Program. Direct entry students will complete the language requirement associated with the PhD by the end of the fourth year and, in conjunction with the Directed Research Program and in consultation with their PhD thesis committees, to have moved substantially toward the preparation of a thesis proposal.
• Subsequent to their fourth year, students will complete the PhD thesis.  
• Students may not take any courses for credit outside the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science without first obtaining the written permission of the Director of the Combined Program.

Course Selection:

Students must meet the Faculty of Law course selection deadline, notwithstanding the Department of Political Science course selection process. Students must submit their proposed course selections for years 2 to 4 of the program to the Director of the Combined Program prior to the applicable course selection deadlines in each year in each unit. Any subsequent course changes must be approved by the Director. 

Registration and Financial Assistance

• In the first year of the program, students will be registered in the Faculty of Law and will receive a deferred acceptance into the doctoral program. They will pay Law School tuition and will be eligible for assistance under the Law School's financial aid program.
• In the second year, students will be registered in Political Science. They will pay the fees applicable to the PhD in Political Science. They will be eligible for graduate assistance. They will not be eligible for financial assistance from the Faculty of Law.
• In the third and fourth years, students will be registered again in the Faculty of Law, pay Law School tuition and be eligible for the Law School's financial aid program.
• Following their fourth year , they will once again pay fees applicable to the PhD in Political Science. They will be treated as beginning their second year of what would normally be a five year funding period. Thus, they will be eligible for a total of four years guaranteed funding while registered as a PhD student in Political Science. In order to secure such eligibility, students must apply during the first year of the combined program for OGS and SHRRC fellowships.

Grading: Grading for students in the Combined Program will be the applicable grading scheme in force at the time at the Faculty of Law and the Department of Political Science.

To apply to the JD Program at the Faculty of Law, see Application Procedure for the JD Program  on this Web site.   For more information about this combined program, contact the:   Admissions Office Faculty of Law University of Toronto 84 Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 2C5 Telephone: (416) 978-3716 Fax: (416) 978-7899 E-mail: admissions.law@utoronto.ca   Information about the PhD in Political Science can be obtained from:   Graduate Department of Political Science University of Toronto Room 3025, 100 St. George Street Toronto, ON M5S 3G3 Tel: (416) 978-2017 Fax: (416) 978-5566 https://politics.utoronto.ca/ Back to Top

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Programs in Political Science

Political Science is the study of the enduring issues, from ancient to modern times, of power and authority, citizenship and governance, justice and legitimacy, and conflict and cooperation. Over the past few decades, the exercise of power, patterns of governing, sources of political conflict, outcomes of distributive justice, and inter-state collaboration and international order have all been affected by several developments that include the termination of the Cold War, globalization, the ascendancy of neo-liberalism, the rise of China, international migration, ethnically and religiously motivated political conflicts, and environmental degradation.

Alongside more perennial themes, Political Science at UTSC addresses these developments and their implications through seven subfields of the discipline: Political Theory, Canadian Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Public Law, Public Policy, and Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.

2024-2025 Calendar description

Departmental brochure  

Program Options

Specialist Program in Political Science:

The primary goals and learning outcomes of the Specialist Program in Political Science are to ensure a broad and deep knowledge of the study of enduring issues of power and authority, citizenship and governance, justice and legitimacy, and patterns of conflict and co-operation that arise around these issues from historic to modern times. The program also aims to foster the development of robust research, analysis, critical thinking, and writing skills. Students in the Specialist program complete a total of 12.0 credits as part of a 20.0 credits Honours Bachelor of Arts (HBA) degree. First-year courses introduce students to concepts and issues in political science. Students must complete POLA01H3 and POLA02H3, which are the foundation of the Specialist Program. The content includes core disciplinary concepts and specialized material related to each professor’s research.  The introductory courses share several goals. They introduce students to basic normative and empirical issues and to key concepts that constitute the core of the discipline. Students develop analytical skills that prepare them to read scholarly literature rigorously and critically, and they emphasize the importance of writing coherently and persuasively. The remaining course requirements of the Specialist Program are aligned with the Major Program in Political Science, but have the following important differences: (1) required coverage of four of the five Areas of Focus (Canadian Government and Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory) at the B-level (components 2, 3, and 4 of the program requirements) ; (2) the Applications requirement increases from 2.5 FCEs to 5.0 FCEs; and (3) the D-level requirement increases from 0.5 FCE to 1.0 FCE ensuring greater depth of knowledge and further development of students’ skills, relative to the program learning outcomes.

Major Program in Political Science:

The primary goals and learning outcomes of the Major Program in Political Science are to provide an in-depth training in current issues and debates within the field, to ensure that all graduates obtain a high level of skill in critical reading, writing, and research, and to prepare students for informed participation in the political community. Students in the Major must complete a total of 8.0 credits as part of a 20.0 credits HBA or Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc) degree. Similar to the Specialist program, the foundation for the Major Program is the completion of POLA01H3 and POLA02H3 (component 1 of the program requirements). These two first-year courses introduce students to concepts and issues in Political Science. In their 2nd year of studies, students take more specialized preparatory courses for further studies in the four sub-fields of the discipline. Similar to the Specialist program, students are required to take core courses in Political Theory (POLB72H3) and in Canadian Politics (POLB56H3 and POLB57H3), however they can elect to choose between International Relations (POLB80H3 and POLB81H3) or Comparative Politics (POLB90H3, POLB91H3 or POLB92H3) for their remaining core B-level credit of the program (component 4 of the program requirements). The Major Program ensures a strong grounding in at least three of the five Areas of Focus plus training in both quantitative and qualitative research methods (STAB23H3 and POLC78H3), combined with a range of opportunities to apply ideas and research methods in applications courses that are offered at the C-level and D-level. Students are required to complete 3.0 credits of applications and advanced applications during their 3rd and 4th years of study.

Minor Program in Political Science:

The primary goals and learning outcomes of the Minor Program in Political Science are to introduce students to key concepts and applications in one or two of the Areas of Focus. Students in the Minor must complete a total of 4.0 credits as part of a 20.0 credits HBA or HBSc degree. Students in the Minor begin with courses at the A-level. Depth of knowledge and further development of students’ skills relative to the program learning outcomes are achieved through the completion of 2.0 credits at the C- or D-level.  Students are not required to complete any quantitative or qualitative methods courses.

Competencies & Skills Learned in Political Science Programs

• Use evidence to advance an argument in a variety of formats, including research papers, policy briefs, case studies, or book reviews
• Think globally and comparatively about pressing contemporary issues
• Identify and analyze diverse perspectives that can shape governance
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data
• Design and execute empirical research projects

Canadian Government and Politics

Comparative Politics

International Relations

Political Theory

Public Policy

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis