120 Units
History
History is the discipline that focuses on the diverse and complex ways that individuals and groups have created and adjusted to change over thousands of years around the world. In studying change over time, history students learn to interpret evidence of human thought and behavior, in order to understand the impact of individual and collective decision-making, the changing relationships among people and societies, and between humans and their environment.
Political Science
Politics is omnipresent in our lives. Political science seeks to describe, analyze, understand and assess the principles and power relations that govern social life. It revolves as much around the structures and institutions that define these relations and principles as around the ideas and practices that drive them. It studies everything that influences political life and institutions (ideologies, groups, social movements, etc.) on a local, regional, national and international scale.
Our programs offer in-depth training in political science and encourage critical reflection on pivotal issues like citizenship, identity, political participation, globalization and development, governance and the state, and ethics and democracy. A discipline open to many theoretical and methodological approaches, political science constantly exchanges and shares with other fields. At the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies, you build your knowledge in four subfields of political science: political thought, Canadian and Quebec politics, comparative politics, and international relations and global politics.
This program is offered in English and in French.
Co-operative education is available with this program.
The French immersion stream is available with this program.
Requirements for this program have been modified. Please consult the 2025-2026 calendars for the previous requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Skills | ||
| ENG 1100 | Workshop in Essay Writing | 3 Units |
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Reasoning and Critical Thinking | ||
| Philosophy: Ideas and Arguments | ||
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study in the Arts 1 | ||
| Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study in the Arts 1 | ||
| Selected Topics in Literature and Composition | ||
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study in the Arts 1 | ||
| Introduction to Interdisciplinary Study in the Arts 1 | ||
| Moral Reasoning | ||
| Fundamental Philosophical Questions | ||
| Great Philosophers | ||
| Philosophy: Themes and Texts | ||
| Total: | 12 Units | |
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| History (48 course units) | ||
| Compulsory courses at the 2000 level | ||
| HIS 2100 | The Historian's Craft | 3 Units |
| Optional courses | ||
| 9 optional course units in history (HIS) | 9 Units | |
| 12 optional course units in history (HIS) at the 3000 level | 12 Units | |
| 9 optional course units in history (HIS) at the 4000 level | 9 Units | |
| 3 optional seminar course units in history (HIS) at the 4000 level | 3 Units | |
| 12 optional course units in history (HIS) at the 2000, 3000, or 4000 level | 12 Units | |
| Political Science (48 course units) | ||
| Compulsory courses at the 1000 level | ||
| POL 1101 | Introduction to Political Science | 3 Units |
| Compulsory courses at the 2000 level | ||
| POL 2101 | Introduction to Canadian Politics | 3 Units |
| POL 2103 | Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics | 3 Units |
| POL 2104 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 Units |
| POL 2107 | Introduction to Political Thought | 3 Units |
| POL 2108 | Modern Political Thought I | 3 Units |
| POL 2156 | Foundations of Research in Political Science | 3 Units |
| Compulsory courses at the 3000 level | ||
| POL 3102 | Modern Political Thought II | 3 Units |
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Qualitative Analysis in Political Science | ||
| Quantitative Analysis in Political Science | ||
| 3 course units from the Canadian Politics group: | 3 Units | |
| Urban Politics in Canada | ||
| Gender and Politics | ||
| Quebec Politics | ||
| Politics and Francophonie in Ontario | ||
| Indigenous Politics in Canada | ||
| Comparative Provincial Politics | ||
| Immigration, Multiculturalism and Citizenship in Canada and Quebec | ||
| Political Participation and Mobilization in Canada | ||
| Federalism | ||
| Canadian Foreign Policy and North American Relations | ||
| Indigenous Political Theory | ||
| Law, Politics, and the Constitution in Canada | ||
| Francophonie, Diversity, Citizenship | ||
| Electoral Systems and Political Parties | ||
| Parliamentary Government in Canada | ||
| Health Politics and Policy in Canada | ||
| Sexual and Gender Diversity Politics | ||
| Social and Political Thought in Quebec | ||
| Social and Political Thought in Canada | ||
| Indigenous Governance in Canada | ||
| The Politics of Populism | ||
| Politics and the Far Right | ||
| Social Citizenship and the Welfare State: Canada in a Comparative Perspective | ||
| 3 courses from the Comparative Politics group: | 3 Units | |
| Nationalism | ||
| Comparative Politics: Asia | ||
| Comparative Politics of Development | ||
| Gender and Politics | ||
| Comparative Politics: Africa | ||
| Comparative Politics: Latin America | ||
| Political Violence | ||
| Comparative Politics: Middle East and Arab World | ||
| Politics, Social Movements and Globalization | ||
| Comparative Politics: Europe | ||
| International and Comparative Politics of Indigenous Peoples | ||
| United States Foreign Policy | ||
| Comparative Politics: United States | ||
| Comparative Politics: Identity Issues | ||
| Sexual and Gender Diversity Politics | ||
| Political Economy of Development | ||
| Democratization and Authoritarianism | ||
| Politics of Human Rights | ||
| The Politics of Populism | ||
| Politics and the Far Right | ||
| Social Citizenship and the Welfare State: Canada in a Comparative Perspective | ||
| Comparative Politics: China | ||
| 3 course units from the International Relations group: | 3 Units | |
| Migration, Mobility, Borders and Citizenship | ||
| Gender Studies and Feminist Theories in International Relations | ||
| The Politics of Security | ||
| Ecopolitics | ||
| Politics, Social Movements and Globalization | ||
| Canadian Foreign Policy and North American Relations | ||
| International Organizations and Global Governance | ||
| International and Comparative Politics of Indigenous Peoples | ||
| Contemporary Geopolitics | ||
| United States Foreign Policy | ||
| Empire and Imperialism | ||
| Politics of Foreign Aid | ||
| Agri-Food Politics | ||
| International Political Economy | ||
| Political Economy of Development | ||
| International Relations as Political Theory | ||
| Global Environmental Politics | ||
| Selected Topics in Critical Security and War Studies | ||
| Selected Topics in International Political Economy and or Global Governance | ||
| Technopolitics | ||
| 3 course units from: | 3 Units | |
| Honours Seminar in Political Thought | ||
| Honours Seminar in Canadian Politics | ||
| Honours Seminar in International Relations and Global Politics | ||
| Honours Seminar in Comparative Politics | ||
| Optional courses | ||
| 3 optional course units in politics (POL) | 3 Units | |
| 6 optional course units in politics (POL) at the 4000 level | 6 Units | |
| Total: | 96 Units | |
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Courses 2 | ||
| 12 elective course units | 12 Units | |
| Total: | 12 Units | |
Note(s)
- 1
This course has variable topics. Students may take this course twice.
- 2
The electives may be replaced by a combination of Option(s), and/or elective units.