Graduate Student Resources

Graduate Student Resources


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Incoming Graduate Student Information

Welcome to the Department of Political Studies, and congratulations on your acceptance! Here is some of the information you will need to make a smooth transition to life in Kingston and your studies at Queen’s.

Housing in Kingston

There are several online services that are helpful when you are looking for housing in Kingston.

Queen's Community Housing has information on the Queen's-owned building complex, An Clachan, and apartment building, John Orr Tower, that are geared to graduate students.

Other options include the Queen's University Community Housing Listing Service, and the Alma Mater Society’s Housing Guide site. 

Facebook also hosts several groups geared specifically toward housing for Queen's students, such as the Queen's University - Student/Off-Campus Housing/Apartments/Sublets group, the Queen's University - Off-Campus Housing group, and the Free & For Sale (Queen's University) group.  

Kijiji, Zoeken, and The Kingston Whig-Standard’s classified ads are also a good source for public listings.

In Ontario, tenants are required to give 60 days notice before they move out, so most September vacancies will not be advertised until the beginning of July.  The Queen’s International Centre has some useful information on what to keep in mind while you’re looking for a place to live in Kingston.  For information on your rights and obligations as a renter in Ontario, please visit the Landlord and Tenant Board's website.

The Student Affairs website includes a section on student safety and community living. Included is information, resources, and tips on how to keep safe while on and off campus. 

Registration

You will receive information on registration over the summer months from the School of Graduate Studies and the Registrar's Office.

There are two ways to pay tuition as a graduate student. See Registrar’s Office website for further information on both options (Cash and PPL - pre-authorized payment plan) and important dates. 

For those graduate students paying tuition by CASH, if you do not make payment by September 1st a late payment penalty will incur. However, if eligible, you may make Alternate Payment Arrangements (APA). This form must be submitted mid-July to mid-August. For those students paying tuition through PPL the first tuition payment will be deducted from your fees account in October. For exact dates, on either option, please see the Registrar's Office website.

Courses

Graduate students cannot register themselves in their courses through the student system (SOLUS). All course registration must go through the Graduate Assistant. Political Studies courses will then be entered into the system. Courses from other departments will need to be requested by an Academic Change form, which the Graduate Assistant will assist in preparing to take to the appropriate department for instructor signature. 

Representation

All graduate students in our department are represented by the Political Studies Graduate Student Association (PSGSA) at the department and university levels, and by the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) at the university and community levels. 

Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows at Queen’s are now unionized. The Collective Agreement can be found on Human Resources website.

Orientation Week

The first week of September is Orientation Week.  The School of Graduate Studies (SGS), PSGSA, and the SGPS organize several welcome events for incoming students. The department holds a Teaching Assistant workshop and each incoming graduate student will meet briefly with the Graduate Coordinator to discuss course selection.

The department hosts a reception for all graduate students, new and incoming, and faculty in mid-September.

Contact information

All administrative questions about the department’s graduate program should be directed to the Department’s Graduate Assistant, Kristina Fennell.


Professional Development & Resources


Affiliated Organizations