Degree Requirements

Graduate students will take 12 credit units of courses and one zero credit Ethics course, and write a 75-page masters thesis.

Students will enrol in POLS 994.0, a course required of all university students writing a thesis, in each term before the completion of their degree. Students are also required to attend POLS 990 seminars at which visiting lecturers and Departmental faculty periodically make presentations and deliver papers. GPS 960 (Ethics and Integrity), an online course offered by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is also required. 

Required Courses

The following courses are required of all students: 

• POLS 815.3: Research Design and Methods in Political Studies (or any other graduate level methodology or statistics course approved by the Grad Chair of the Department of Political Studies)
• POLS 819.3: Theoretical Readings in Contemporary Political Studies - Issues and themes are drawn from the contemporary literature and examined through readings and seminar discussions.  Conduct of the seminar is shared among department faculty, according to topic
• POLS 990.0: Departmental Seminar   
• POLS 994.0: Thesis Research 
  • Students must maintain continuous enrolment in POLS 994.0  every term until completion of degree ie: Fall - term 1, Winter – term 2 and Spring/Summer – term 3
• GPS 960.0: Ethics and Integrity
  • An online course offered by the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is a required course of all graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan
  • GPS 961.0 if research involves human subjects - if applicable
  • GPS 962.0 if research involves animal subjects - if applicable

Required Electives 

Students are required to take at least two of these courses (6 credit units):

• POLS 809.3: Theories of Canadian Governance and Politics 
• POLS 802.3: Canadian Government and Politics
• POLS 805.3: Canadian Constitution and Politics
• POLS 829.3: Theories of Public Policy and Administration
• POLS 839.3: Political Thought 
• POLS 849.3: Theories in Comparative Government and Politics 
• POLS 869.3: Theories of International Relations
• POLS 807.3: Topics in Canadian Governance and Politics 
• POLS 827.3: Topics in Public Policy and Administration
• POLS 825.3: Topics in Northern Governance and Administration
• POLS 826.3: Topics in Aboriginal Public Policy and Administration
• POLS 837.3: Topics in Political Thought
• POLS 847.3: Topics in Comparative Government and Politics
• POLS 867.3: Topics in International Relations
• POLS 898.3, 899.6: Special Topics