Academic Calendar 2023-2024

Political Studies (POLS)

POLS 101  Contemporary Issues in Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of current political issues. By examining an issue or problem students will be exposed to political institutions, processes and concepts in political science. The subject matter will change depending on the instructor and current political events.

Learning Hours: 120 (24 Lecture, 12 Tutorial, 12 Off-Campus Activity, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite None. Note This course does not lead to further courses in Political Studies. This course cannot be used as credit towards any POLS Plan.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 110  Introduction to Politics and Government  Units: 6.00  

An introduction to political science that provides both a framework for thinking about politics and the institutions of governance, and some of the vocabulary necessary for political analysis.
NOTE Also offered at Bader College, UK (Learning Hours may vary).

Requirements: Prerequisite None.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 211  Canadian Government  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the institutions and constitutional foundations of government and politics in Canada.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 212  Canadian Politics  Units: 3.00  

An analysis of the processes, groups, parties, voters, and culture of Canadian politics.

Learning Hours: 130 (10 Lecture, 30 Tutorial, 40 Group Learning, 10 Individual Instruction, 20 Off-Campus Activity, 20 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 230  American Elections  Units: 3.00  

This course provides a general introduction to the institutions and politics of the electoral process in the United States. The course integrates literature on the electoral system (including the system of primary elections), campaign financing, political parties, voting behaviour, political sociology, and political communication.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 241  Comparative Politics: Transformations  Units: 3.00  

An examination of how and why societies change and the context in which transformation occurs.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 242  Comparative Politics: Contemporary Regimes  Units: 3.00  

The nature of political regimes in advanced industrial countries and the developing world.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 243  States, Ethnic Diversity, and Conflict  Units: 3.00  

A comparative examination of the ways in which selected polities respond to national, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and racial diversity.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 244  Comparative Politics: Democracy and Democratization  Units: 3.00  

A comparative exploration of the apparent disjuncture between the normative assumptions of liberal democratic theory and the realities of democracy-building.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 250  Political Theory: Foundations  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to political theory. Students will learn how to interpret, and critically assess, a wide range of historical political thinkers and political concepts. Topics may vary year to year, but typically include Plato's critique of democracy, debates about human nature (between statists like Thomas Hobbes and anarchists like Emma Goldman), civil disobedience (MLK, Jr.), authority, colonialism, private property and arguments for the social contract tradition as well as criticisms against the social contract tradition from feminism, critical race theory and Indigenous rights.

Learning Hours: 120 (24 Lecture, 12 Tutorial, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0. Exclusion POLS 250/6.0*.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 251  Political Ideologies  Units: 3.00  

This course introduces students to a range of contemporary ideologies, such as liberalism, socialism, conservatism, fascism, feminism, anarchism, ecologism, fundamentalism, and nationalism. It includes primary and secondary readings, and will focus on the critical interpretation of these competing belief systems.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 261  International Politics  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to the major issues in the study of international relations: questions of war and peace, national security, the role of the 'state', foreign and defence policy, gender and international relations, and international institutions.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 262  International Political Economy  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to the major issues in the study of international political economy, including transnationalism, integration, globalization, and underdevelopment.

Learning Hours: 118 (24 Lecture, 10 Tutorial, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 263  Introduction to International Security  Units: 3.00  

This course introduces students to current theoretical and policy debates about the nature of 'international security.' In addition to addressing the meaning of this contested concept, we will examine three principal ways in which security has been organized by states, specifically: collective security, collective defence, and security communities.
NOTE Also offered at Bader College, UK (Learning Hours may vary).

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 264  World Politics in Historical Perspective  Units: 3.00  

This course examines the evolution of global politics in the modern era, from the institutionalization of sovereignty in the Peace of Westphalia to the contemporary period.

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 280  Introduction to Women, Gender, and Politics  Units: 3.00  

This course analyzes the status of women and men in domestic and global politics. It presents primary concepts used in political science to address: What is gender? How is it political? How have the women's movement and other collectivities addressed inequality and oppression? What does gender equality look like, and how can it be obtained?

Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 285  Introduction to Statistics  Units: 3.00  

This course is an introduction to quantitative approaches to political science research. You will learn how to use quantitative techniques to make causal and descriptive inferences. You will also gain basic familiarity with Stata, a widely used statistical software package. The course will consist of weekly lectures and tutorials. Tutorials will involve seminar-style discussions and computer and pencil-and-paper based problems. No prior background in statistics is assumed or required.

Learning Hours: 118 (24 Lecture, 10 Tutorial, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (POLS 110/6.0 and a minimum GPA of 2.00 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department. Exclusion BIOL 243/3.0; CHEE 209/3.5; COMM 162/3.0; ECON 250/3.0; GPHY 247/3.0; KNPE 251/3.0; NURS 323/3.0; PSYC 202/3.0; SOCY 211/3.0; STAM 200/3.0; STAT 263/3.0.  
Course Equivalencies: POLS 285, POLS 385  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 310  Principles of the Canadian Constitution  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the evolution of constitutional principles in Canada. Topics include developments in federal-provincial relations, the role of the courts in federal-provincial disputes, and the nexus between the community values of federalism and the individual rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 312  Political Behaviour  Units: 3.00  

This course provides an introduction to the principal theoretical perspectives and empirical debates in the study of elections, voting, public opinion, political participation and political culture in established democracies.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 313  Mass Media and Politics in Canada  Units: 3.00  

A critical examination of the relationship between the mass media and politics, focusing on the functions of the media in modern liberal democracies and the ways in which news stories are created and packaged.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 317  Charter Politics  Units: 3.00  

How courts are responding to their responsibility to review legislative and executive decisions in terms of their impact on citizens; the impact of the Charter on the way government is viewed.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 318  The Canadian Welfare State  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the character and functions of the Canadian welfare state. Theoretical explanations of the welfare state. The historical development of the Canadian welfare state. Proposals for social policy reform and their implications.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department. Exclusion GNDS 421/6.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 319  Public Discourse in Canada: Issues and Debates  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to Canadian political thinkers who have addressed important themes in contemporary Canadian public, legal and theoretical discourse, including multiculturalism, critical race theory, antipornography campaigns, sexual violence, globalization and modern alienation.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 320  Indigenous Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of Indigenous politics in a Canadian context, including aboriginal self-government.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 327  Topics in Comparative Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in comparative politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult department homepage.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 328  Topics in European Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in European politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the department homepage.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 329  European Politics  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to European politics. The themes and geographic focus vary from year to year; they may include current political institutions and forces, the historical evolution of the European polities, and both Western and Eastern Europe.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 331  American Government  Units: 3.00  

Survey of the political process in the United States; functioning and interaction of the principal formal and informal political institutions, the relationship between those institutions and their environment, the making of public policy, and current issues and trends.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 332  Continuity and Change in Central and Eastern European Politics  Units: 3.00  

The politics of the Russian Federation and selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 335  Topics in British Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in British politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the department homepage.
NOTE Only offered at Bader College, UK.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 336  British Politics  Units: 3.00  

Contemporary problems facing Britain as a result of its historical evolution: economic stagnation, centrifugal forces of nationalism and communal violence, and the decline of the two-party system.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 338  European Integration  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the European union and the forces towards integration: origin, politics and future.
NOTE Also offered at Bader College, UK (Learning Hours may vary).

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 339  Politics of India  Units: 3.00  

This course provides an overview of the society, economy, and politics of India through the lens of some of the most influential theories in comparative politics. This format is designed to engage with the key debates in the field and challenge the canonical texts by drawing on the experience of a large multiethnic non-western democracy.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 341  Chinese Politics  Units: 3.00  

The course begins with an historical overview of the late Qing dynasty, the origins of the Chinese revolution, and 50 years of the People's Republic of China. It then focuses primarily on political science concepts and approaches to the study of Chinese politics as well as issues of reform in various sectors of China's economy and polity.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 342  Latin American Politics  Units: 3.00  

Comparative study of Latin American politics. Topics include the political legacies of colonialism and independence, the evolution of class structures, populism, the role of the military, and the transition to democracy and free market policies. Emphasis is on the countries of continental South America.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 346  Development Theory  Units: 3.00  

A critical examination of the current theories of development influenced by various post-Marxist, postmodernist and post-colonial tendencies. Growth strategies practiced by the state and alternative visions offered by the social movements will also be discussed.
NOTE Students with third-year standing in a DEVS Joint Honours Plan should contact the Department.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department. Exclusion DEVS 340/3.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 347  The Politics of Africa  Units: 3.00  

Major issues in the contemporary politics and political economy of sub-Saharan Africa. The development of the colonial and post-colonial state, capitalist development and the role of indigenous and international capital, and political and socio-economic aspects of class, ethnicity and gender.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 348  Middle East Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the politics of the Middle East, including the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and European colonialism, the rise of nationalism, the role of religion, the nature of the state and political participation in different countries in the region.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 349  Contemporary Antisemitism: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices  Units: 3.00  

This course addresses key questions about contemporary antisemitism. It examines various ways antisemitism has been conceptualized and identifies its main attributes. It also examines how its contemporary manifestations are similar and different from the past, and how they are expressed in the social and political arenas, and other domains.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 350  Political Theory: History  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to political theory, and a complement to POLS 250. Topics may vary year to year, but typically include historical thinkers from the late 18th century to the first half of the 20th century. POLS 350 surveys a diverse range of political traditions, such as conservatism, feminism, Black Political Thought, utilitarianism, and Marxism. Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to both comprehend and critically evaluate the material.

Learning Hours: 120 (24 Lecture, 12 Tutorial, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite POLS 110/6.0. Exclusion POLS 250/6.0*.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 351  Liberal Theory  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the major theories and critiques of liberalism, focusing on the rival conceptions of freedom and equality that animate classical 'laissez-faire' liberalism, egalitarian liberalism, left-libertarianism, and perfectionist liberalism, and the critical responses these various kinds of liberalism have provoked from communications, feminists, Marxists, and others.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 352  Women and the History of Political Thought  Units: 3.00  

Drawing on historical texts, this course explores the representations of women and the constructions of femininity and masculinity, the body, and gender relations in the history of political thought, and explores contemporary feminist responses to these texts and ideas.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 353  History of Political Thought  Units: 3.00  

An analysis of the origin and development of certain major ideas in the western political tradition.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 354  Democratic Theory  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of the normative underpinnings of democracy, based on a survey of selected historical texts, contemporary theories, and current problems.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 355  Issues in Contemporary Political Theory  Units: 3.00  

This course discusses important contemporary issues that arise in political theory. Examples include: liberty and paternalism, toleration, punishment, multiculturalism, climate change, intergenerational justice (or injustice) and violence.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 358  Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Capitalism  Units: 3.00  

Selected topics in the critique of capitalism, e.g. Marxism, democracy, the environment, globalization, employment and popular culture.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 359  Issues in Political Theory  Units: 3.00  

The course will focus on central issues that arise in political theory: citizens' relation to the state and to each other. Specifically, the course will discuss problems of liberty, toleration, punishment, and multiculturalism; and inter-state problems such as global justice, just war, justice and the environment, and inter-generational justice.

Learning Hours: 120 (24 Lecture, 12 Seminar, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 360  International Relations Theory  Units: 3.00  

This course examines the theoretical approaches, concepts, and debates (e.g. levels of analysis, causality, methodology, historiography) that shape the evolution of International Relations as a discipline, including subfields (e.g. international security and international organizations) and how they relate to the conduct of international politics.

Learning Hours: 114 (36 Lecture, 78 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 361  Regional International Organization  Units: 3.00  

A survey of selected regional international organizations for political cooperation, military security and economic integration in Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 364  International Peace and Security  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the concept of international security and the causes of war and conditions of peace. Topics include: the role of nuclear weapons after the Cold War; the economics of security; new security themes (environmental and ethnic factors); regional security and peacekeeping; alliance dynamics; and European security and the future of NATO.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 366  The United Nations  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the principles, institutions and politics of the United Nations, assessing its effectiveness in maintaining international peace and promoting cooperation among states.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 367  American Foreign Policy  Units: 3.00  

An examination of American foreign policy, with particular emphasis on the analysis of concepts and issues and the study of decision-making processes.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 369  Canadian Foreign Policy  Units: 3.00  

An analysis of Canadian foreign policy, its major objectives and orientations. Topics covered include Canada's role and interests in major international organizations and its relations with key countries and regions.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 380  Puzzles in Political Economy  Units: 3.00  

The course introduces students to the scientific method and its application to various puzzles in Canadian and comparative political economy. Following a primer on research methods, several empirical and theoretical puzzles are examined (e.g. relationships between voting and economic interests, the origins and drivers of government taxation, etc.).

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 12 Online Activity, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 382  Gender and Social Policy  Units: 3.00  

This course explores feminist questions about the role of social policy in alleviating gender inequalities. Through an intersectional analysis of gender, race and class, this course examines how social policies address poverty, un/employment, immigration and colonialism. Each student will explore one Canadian social policy in detail.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department. Exclusion GNDS 421/3.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 383  Law and the Governmental Process  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the role of law in politics, the differences between legal and political reasoning, the law and politics of constitution-making, and the political character of criminal and civil law. Topics include the victim's rights movement, pornography and censorship, and the role of litigation in political life.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 384  Strategies of Political Research  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of major issues and schools of thought in the philosophy of social science and an examination of contemporary approaches to the study of politics.
NOTE This course is open to POLS Majors and Joint Honours who have completed 1.0 100-level credit in Political Studies.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 12 Tutorial, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  

POLS 386   Political Economy and Mass Media  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the history and political economy of the mass media, exploring the impact of a partisan press, ownership and use of technology on how our identity has been shaped. It will draw upon a comparative assessment of the mass media in advanced liberal democracies.

NOTE  Only offered at Bader College, UK.
Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)
Requirements: Prerequisite ([12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS] or permission of the Department) and registration at Bader College.
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science

POLS 387  Politics and Culture  Units: 3.00  

The course explores contemporary approaches to understanding the politics of culture. In the everyday behaviours, attitudes and practices that form our culture, politics play a role. The course considers a range of diverse theoretical perspectives on the interrelationship of culture with social, political, and economic power.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 388  Politics of Migration  Units: 3.00  

A broad but detailed introduction to the politics of international and internal migration on a global scale. The first half of the course deals with core issues such as the differences between migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees; why people move; migrant legal status and rights; migration and integration policy and governance; and effects of and responses to migration. The second half applies this foundation to the world's major regions, including Canada, the rest of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 391  Introduction to Electoral Systems  Units: 3.00  

This course introduces students to the various families of electoral systems in use around the world. It examines their variations and assesses the consequences of electoral systems on political parties, legislatures and governments.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 392  Topics in Canadian Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of selected aspects of Canadian politics and government, including institutions and behavioural approaches. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 393  Topics in Comparative Politics  Units: 3.00  

A comparative examination of the politics and government of different countries, or theories or themes in comparative politics. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 394  Topics in Political Theory  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of different aspects of political thought, political theory, and political philosophy. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 395  Topics in International Political Economy  Units: 3.00  

An examination of different topics and issues in global political economy, such as the role of international financial institutions, the politics of global trade, or the global distribution of wealth. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 396  Topics in International Relations  Units: 3.00  

Issues in global politics, international relations, international diplomacy, or foreign policy will be examined in this course. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental homepage for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 397  Topics in Gender and Politics  Units: 3.00  

An investigation of selected problems in feminist and gender analysis, examining the different authors and issues. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 398  Introduction to International Law and Politics  Units: 9.00  

This course provides foundational knowledge about the relationship between international politics and international law. It then explores more specific aspects of international law, including international criminal law and the Law of Armed Conflict, and situates the central statutes, customs, and institutions of international law within the broader context of global governance.
NOTE Only offered at Bader College, UK as part of the Field School in International Law and Politics.

Learning Hours: 348 (72 Lecture, 36 Seminar, 24 Group Learning, 24 Off-Campus Activity, 192 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 400  Seminar in Political Science  Units: 3.00  

This seminar will examine key texts in the discipline of political science. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. See the departmental website for further details.

Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 401  Political Theory: Questions and Challenges  Units: 3.00  

This course will consider various theoretical writings and topics in political science. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. Consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 402  Science and Justice  Units: 3.00  

The word 'science' comes from the Latin scientia, which means 'having knowledge'. What is the relation between science and normative political ideals such as democracy, justice and equality? The topics covered in any given year will vary, but may include the ethical, legal and social consequences of advances in the biomedical or environmental sciences.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 403  Gender Politics: Questions and Challenges  Units: 3.00  

An investigation of selected issues in gender analysis, considering a variety of perspectives and case studies. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. Consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 404  Canadian Politics: Questions and Challenges  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in Canadian Politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 405  International Relations: Questions and Challenges  Units: 3.00  

Issues in global politics, international relations, international diplomacy, or foreign policy will be examined in this course. The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental homepage for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 406  Comparative Politics: Questions and Challenges  Units: 3.00  

A comparative examination of the politics and government of different countries, theories or themes in comparative politics. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. Consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 410  Seminar in Canadian Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in Canadian politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 412  Provincial Politics  Units: 3.00  

Content varies from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 414  Politics in Quebec  Units: 3.00  

An introduction to the political history of Quebec: the development of ideologies (including nationalism), constitutional developments, and the building of the Quebec state during the Quiet Revolution. Some contemporary issues in Quebec politics, and the relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 415  Canadian Federalism  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the evolution and operation of the Canadian federal system. Topics include the concept and meaning of federalism, the implications of provincial/federal interdependence, and the politics of constitutional reform.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 419  Political Communication  Units: 3.00  

A critical examination of the rhetoric of political persuasion, the framing and construction of political messages and the way in which meaning is interpreted and created in the political system. The mass media are an important, though not exclusive, focus of this course.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 421  Elections  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the importance of elections to the maintenance of democratic systems. Six themes are discussed: the history and theory of democratic participation; the legal framework; campaign organization; why people vote the way they do; the manifestation of social cleavages during campaigns; and the future of electoral participation. Canadian examples are placed in a comparative context.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 422  Public Opinion  Units: 3.00  

This course provides an extensive survey of the principal theoretical perspectives and empirical debates in the study of public opinion.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 430  Seminar in Comparative Politics  Units: 3.00  

Topics vary from year to year, and may include class, ethnic, and regional politics, law and politics, interests and interest articulation, and democracy and democratization. Consult the departmental homepage.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 431  European Politics  Units: 3.00  

Multi-level politics in Europe: the European Union and its member states. Development of the EU, institutions and policy processes at the EU level, how the domestic politics of European states affects the EU and vice-versa. Economic union, supranationalism, political impulsion for economic integration, accession of new member states.
NOTE Also offered at Bader College, UK (Learning Hours may vary).

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 432  The Modern Welfare State  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of the emergence and functioning of the modern welfare state in comparative perspective.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 433  Problems of American Democracy  Units: 3.00  

Focuses on recent debates about the sources of malaise in the American system, with a special emphasis on understanding the dynamics of mass public opinion and the factors influencing public disaffection from political institutions.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 434  Multiculturalism  Units: 3.00  

This course explores the political implications of multiculturalism from a variety of perspectives, including theory, policy, and historical meaning. Issues include: history and policy of multiculturalism in the Canadian, US and global contexts; the construction of 'race' and anti-racism; and the role of multiculturalism in citizenship inclusion and exclusion.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 435  The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict  Units: 3.00  

The course introduces students to some of the important questions about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What is the history of the conflict? How did distinct national identities emerge? What issues are at stake for the actors involved? How do domestic factors shape Palestinian-Israeli relations? Why have peacemaking efforts been unsuccessful?

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 436  Race and U.S. Politics  Units: 3.00  

This course puts race front and center in American politics. Topics include the subjugation of Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans during the 19th and 20th centuries; the civil rights movement; contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination and their impact on who gets elected to positions of power and whose prerogatives become law.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Lecture, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 437  The Politics of Representation  Units: 3.00  

Across democracies, marginalized groups - such as Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities - are under-represented in elected office. This course examines contemporary debates about the importance, causes, and consequences of the representation of marginalized groups in Canadian politics.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 439  American Politics  Units: 3.00  

Focus varies from year to year depending on the research interests of the faculty members involved. See the departmental homepage for further details.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 440  The Politics of Ethnicity and Nationalism  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of the causes of ethnic conflict, but focuses in particular on the strategies which states use to manage or resolve such conflicts. The review of state strategies is comprehensive in nature: using case studies, it includes approaches which are morally unacceptable as well as approaches which many consider morally desirable.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 441  Gender and International Relations  Units: 3.00  

This seminar investigates the central place of gender in international relations (IR). It introduces students to gender analysis of global politics, and feminist approaches to IR by interrogating how ideas about masculinity and femininity affect foreign policy, nationalism, international power relations, war, and peace. While the study of IR has long focused on states and their political and economic power in the international system, this class moves between the centres of power and the margins of international politics to see how power flows between gendered bodies and institutions.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Online Activity, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 442  Latin American Politics  Units: 3.00  

Advanced research course focusing on problems relating to the consolidation of democracy in contemporary Latin America. Topics may include political parties and elections, economic policy, mass media, social movements, and political violence. Case studies are drawn largely from continental South America.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 443  Gender and Globalization  Units: 3.00  

General issues and selected specific topics reflecting an interdisciplinary approach combining international political economy, feminist theory and comparative politics. Case studies from both industrialized and developing nations.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 444  Ethnicity and Development  Units: 3.00  

This course explores the dominant themes in the field of ethnic politics and development. We examine the role of social norms, group-differentiated rights, electoral politics and patronage, status inequality, and the historical role of ethnicity in the state-building process on development outcomes.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 445  Dialectics of Development  Units: 3.00  

A critical examination of selected 'new' theories of development (neo-Marxism, postmodernism, new social movements, rational choice, flexible specialization, etc.), followed by a study of selected Asian countries' development strategies to evaluate the relevance of the theories.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 450  Political Theory: Appeals to Human Nature  Units: 3.00  

An analysis of texts that take the nature of humans as the basis for political argument. Emphasis is on the search for foundations for political claims and the nature of 20th-century relativism, cultural and moral.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 451  Seminar in Political Theory  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in political theory. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the departmental homepage.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 453  Modern Political Philosophy  Units: 3.00  

An examination of a particular problem or theme in Western political thought post-1500; issues covered might include property, revolution, sovereignty, republicanism, or gender.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 455  Ethics of Migration  Units: 3.00  

This course provides a broad but in-depth foundation for normatively addressing a range of urgent ethical questions regarding migration. Topics covered include border controls, asylum seekers and refugees, detention, deportation, temporary foreign workers, majority-group nationalism, the rights of non-citizens, and migrant integration, among others.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 456  Theories of Identity Politics  Units: 3.00  

An investigation into different theoretical perspectives on the issue of 'identity' and the import of these perspectives for the 'politics of identity'. Theories of gender, race, class, nation, and sexual orientation, from a variety of perspectives, including Marxist, feminist, postmodern, and psychoanalytic theory.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 457  Issues in Global Justice  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of issues in international politics from a theoretical and normative perspective, including global redistributive justice, just war theory, theories of secession, and normative theories of humanitarian intervention. Among the questions posed are whether we have an obligation to redistribute wealth to strangers, what can justify secession, intervention and war; and the terms on which people can migrate to other countries.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 458  Ethics of War and Intervention  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the debates about when it is (morally) justified to go to war - and when it isn't. Topics will include war as self-defense, humanitarian intervention, preventive war, and different conceptions of the morally proper way to wage war.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 459  Anarchist Politics, or the Art of Not Being Governed  Units: 3.00  

This course considers the contemporary possibility of anarchist politics, focusing on the politics that might come from resistance to rule. Anarchist politics come in a multitude of forms' from organized resistance to state authority and expressions of power, to mutual aid societies and cooperative politics, to Indigenous forms of resistance.

Learning Hours: 117 (39 Seminar, 26 Online Activity, 52 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS). Exclusion POLS 451/3.0 (Topic Title: Anarchist Politics - Winter 2020, Winter 2021).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 460  International Relations of the Asia-Pacific  Units: 3.00  

This IR seminar introduces students to major issues shaping the study and conduct of international politics in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific. Seminar topics examine the involvement of major powers in the region, regional institutions and regimes, norms and identities, transnational crime, non-state actors, and natural disasters.

Learning Hours: 120 (30 Seminar, 3 Tutorial, 3 Group Learning, 84 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 461  International Regimes  Units: 3.00  

An exploration of problems of order and change in the international system with particular attention to the theory and practice of co-operation, ranging from classic concepts of international organization to current debates about international regimes.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 462  Studies in National Security  Units: 3.00  

Contemporary aspects of Canadian international security policy. Topics include: the evolution of policy towards NATO; bilateral defence arrangements with the US; collective security and cooperative security; peacekeeping; defence economics; the role of domestic factors in the shaping of strategy; and aid of the civil power.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 463  International Relations Theory  Units: 3.00  

Critical examination of selected themes, issues and works in classical and contemporary international relations theory.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 464  Russian Foreign Policy  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the determinants of Russian Foreign Policy, and the extent to which they have changed over the last half-century. The course will cover both historical and contemporary issues in Russian foreign relations.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 465  The Politics of War  Units: 3.00  

A consideration of the main types of war theory, including descriptive, legal, normative, causal, process, and consequential, with applications to selected case studies.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 466  Politics of War in Africa  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the political dimensions of violent conflict in Africa, including the causes of inter-state and intra-state conflict, and responses such as peace-building and global governance initiatives.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 467  International Political Economy  Units: 3.00  

Theoretical approaches and issues within the field, while paying particular attention to hegemony and leadership, the economic dimension of post war and post cold war security, trade, money, debt, underdevelopment, regionalism, and international organization.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 468  The International Relations of the Middle East  Units: 3.00  

This course analyzes Middle Eastern politics from the perspective of international relations. Themes covered include the evolution of various identities in the region, the role of outside actors in the Middle East, contemporary Middle Eastern state and social relations, and the role that Middle Eastern states play in contemporary world politics.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 469  Issues in Canadian Foreign Policy  Units: 3.00  

This course focuses on Canadian-American relations, emphasizing the interaction in both bilateral and multilateral contexts. Primary concern with issues of trade, investment and resources, with some attention paid to security issues.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 470  Seminar in International Politics  Units: 3.00  

The theoretical problems of analyzing foreign policy and the practical issues of diplomatic action.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 471  Politics and Science in Technological Societies  Units: 3.00  

An examination of connections between politics, science and technology. Topics include: ideologies and the autonomy of science; science in the Warfare State; controlling the social uses of science.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS). Exclusion POLS 478/3.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 478  Politics of Artificial Intelligence  Units: 3.00  

This course provides a broad, in-depth introduction to the politics of artificial intelligence (AI) and covers topics such as the technical fundamentals of existing AI, computational propaganda, surveillance, decision-making, autonomous weapons, political economy, regulation and governance, and speculative possibilities such as 'superintelligence'.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS). Exclusion POLS 471/3.0.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 482  Public Policy  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in the political economy of public policy. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the departmental homepage.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 483  Justice and Gender  Units: 3.00  

An examination of how contemporary theories of justice fare from the standpoint of gender (specifically inequalities in gender relations) and what a just, non-gendered society might look like.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 484  The Politics of Globalization  Units: 3.00  

An examination of the major theoretical debates and issues in contemporary globalization, including the historical roots of globalization, and the impact of globalization on culture, economics, trade, global governance, and global social movements.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 485  Seminar in Women and Politics  Units: 3.00  

An examination of key issues in gender and politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the departmental homepage.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 486  The Politics of Rights  Units: 3.00  

A difficult challenge facing a liberal-democratic polity is how to distinguish allowable state action from the protected sphere of human activity. The course examines contemporary debates about whether rights provide an appropriate critical standard for evaluating state action and looks at different institutional methods to assess the justification of state actions.

Learning Hours: (LECTURE) 120 (36L;84P). LEARNING HOURS (SEMINAR) 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 492  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 493  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 494  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 495  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 496  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 497  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 498  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 499  Topics in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

The focus of this course will vary from year to year; consult the departmental website for further details.
NOTE This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

Learning Hours: 120 (36 Seminar, 12 Group Learning, 72 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 510  Directed Special Reading  Units: 6.00  

Students arrange their course of reading in consultation with members of the Department. They are expected to write reports on their readings and to discuss them in seminars.

Learning Hours: 240 (15 Individual Instruction, 225 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 511  Directed Special Reading  Units: 3.00  

Students arrange their course of reading in consultation with members of the Department. They are expected to write reports on their readings and to discuss them in seminars.

Learning Hours: 120 (9 Individual Instruction, 111 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 512  Directed Special Reading  Units: 3.00  

Students arrange their course of reading in consultation with members of the Department. They are expected to write reports on their readings and to discuss them in seminars.

Learning Hours: 120 (9 Individual Instruction, 111 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 590  Thesis  Units: 9.00  

The thesis is optional and counts as one course toward an honours concentration in Political Studies. The thesis subject must be selected at the end of the penultimate year after consultation with members of the Department, and the thesis must be submitted by 31 March of the final year. The student can choose to pay for the binding of the departmental copy.

Learning Hours: 348 (24 Seminar, 24 Practicum, 24 Group Learning, 12 Individual Instruction, 48 Off-Campus Activity, 216 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Level 4 or above and registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan) and ([POLS 250/3.0 and POLS 350/3.0] or POLS 250/6.0*) and a (minimum GPA of 2.50 on all units in POLS).  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 594  Independent Study  Units: 3.00  

Exceptionally qualified students entering their third- or fourth-year may take a program of independent study provided it has been approved by the Department or Departments principally involved. A Department may approve an independent study program without permitting it to be counted toward a concentration in that Department. It is, consequently, the responsibility of students taking such programs to ensure that the concentration requirements for their degree will be met.
NOTE Requests for such a program must be received one month before the start of the first term in which the student intends to undertake the program.

Requirements: Prerequisite Permission of the Department or Departments principally involved.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 595  Independent Study  Units: 6.00  

Exceptionally qualified students entering their third- or fourth-year may take a program of independent study provided it has been approved by the Department or Departments principally involved. A Department may approve an independent study program without permitting it to be counted toward a concentration in that Department. It is, consequently, the responsibility of students taking such programs to ensure that the concentration requirements for their degree will be met.
NOTE Requests for such a program must be received one month before the start of the first term in which the student intends to undertake the program.

Requirements: Prerequisite Permission of the Department or Departments principally involved.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 596  Independent Study  Units: 12.00  

Exceptionally qualified students entering their third- or fourth-year may take a program of independent study provided it has been approved by the Department or Departments principally involved. The Department may approve an independent study program without permitting it to be counted toward a concentration in that Department. It is, consequently, the responsibility of students taking such programs to ensure that the concentration requirements for their degree will be met.
NOTE Requests for such a program must be received one month before the start of the first term in which the student intends to undertake the program.

Requirements: Prerequisite Permission of the Department or Departments principally involved.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 597  Independent Study  Units: 18.00  

Exceptionally qualified students entering their third- or fourth-year may take a program of independent study provided it has been approved by the Department or Departments principally involved. The Department may approve an independent study program without permitting it to be counted toward a concentration in that Department. It is, consequently, the responsibility of students taking such programs to ensure that the concentration requirements for their degree will be met.
NOTE Requests for such a program must be received one month before the start of the first term in which the student intends to undertake the program.

Requirements: Prerequisite Permission of the Department or Departments principally involved.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science  
POLS 598  Internship in Political Studies  Units: 3.00  

An internship and online experiential learning course. Internships should be in a setting relevant to political studies. Roles may include assisting with the day-to-day tasks of an organization, special projects, event planning, community activism, report writing, and/or other responsibilities that provide practical experience and enhance students' skillset.
NOTE Students will be given a grade of Pass/Fail for work done.

Learning Hours: 120 (24 Online Activity, 60 Off-Campus Activity, 36 Private Study)  
Requirements: Prerequisite (Registration in a POLS Major, Joint Honours, or POPE Plan, and 12.0 units in POLS at the 200-level or above and a minimum GPA of 2.00 on all units in POLS) or permission of the Department.  
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science