Graduate Studies

Queen's Campus with students outside

As a mid-size department, the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s can offer a highly personalized graduate experience, while at the same time providing a well-rounded education that gives students a solid basis for a wide range of careers. The department is particularly well known for its strength in the study of divided and diverse societies as well as peace, conflict and security.

The MA program will help you refine your critical and analytical skills, while the PhD program will help you prepare for a rewarding career in university teaching and research. The department also collaborates closely with Philosophy and Law to run the collaborative MA program in Political and Legal Thought.

Why Study at Queen's?

​Breadth

The department offers both MA and PhD degrees in all the key fields of Canadian political science: Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Gender and Politics. Queen's Political Studies is one of only five political studies departments in Canada to offer a Gender and Politics field, and only one of four departments to offer Gender and Politics at the doctoral level. 

Quality

Choosing Queen's for your graduate studies means that you will be at an institution that has consistently been rated in the top Canadian universities. As a research-intensive university, Queen's has exceptionally well-endowed facilities, and is deeply committed to excellence in graduate work. Graduate students are provided with office space and a competitive package of financial support. The Department is affiliated with four excellent Research Centres based at Queen's and actively promotes student-led research initiatives throughout the Queen's community. 

Opportunities

The department subsidizes the participation of PhD students in a summer training school hosted by the Consortium for Qualitative Research Methods (CQRM) in Syracuse, which promotes the development, dissemination, and use of qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Additionally, financial support is also available to attend the biannual UQAM Summer Institute, which offers students the opportunity to engage with politics of diverse and fragmented societies. Students can also acquire funding subsidies for participation in national and international conferences through the School of Graduate Studies. Our graduates can be found in government, non-government organizations, firms, and universities across Canada and around the world.

Location

Kingston offers a pleasant environment in which to spend time completing graduate work. As the former capital of the united provinces of Canada, it has an attractive downtown core with a vibrant arts and entertainment scene. The city is well-connected to other major centres: from Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto, Kingston can easily be reached by highway, train, bus and air.

 

Graduate Studies in Political Studies