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Note: University regulations apply to all students at Laurier. If there is any discrepancy between the program or progression requirements outlined on this page and those in the university's academic calendars, the academic calendars are the official sources of information. The information below is from the latest calendar, and you may be following progression requirements from an earlier calendar. Students are responsible for checking the appropriate calendar. Contact your program coordinator should you notice any discrepancies.
Your undergraduate advisor is Dr. Jorg Broschek; poadvising@wlu.ca; DAWB 4-118
Winter 2025 appointment hours: Tuesdays 1pm-2pm online via Teams; Thursdays in-person 1pm-3pm.
Request to book an advising appointment: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/PoliticalScience@wlu.ca/bookings/
For general information about our programs, contact Lauren Price.
The Honours Political Science program consists of 20.0 credits, of which no more than 7.0 may be at the junior level (100 level). The program must contain at least 10.0 in Political Science, including:
Required PO Courses:
PO101, PO102, PO217, PO218, PO237.
1.0 International Requirement credit from: PO220, PO221, PO231 and PO232.
1.0 Canadian credit from: PO210, PO263, PO264, PO312, PO313, PO314, PO315/NO315, PO316, PO334, PO345, PO347, PO360, PO371, PO373, PO374, PO405PO422, PO431, PO433, PO452 and PO465. Some special topics courses (PO310, PO311, PO497 and PO498) may also fulfill this requirement; consult the department.)
0.5 Area Studies credit from: PO318, PO319, PO369 and PO370.
0.5 300-level credit. (refer to Notes 1 and 3)
1.0 400-level PO Seminar credit (must be comprised of two different courses; refer to Notes 1, 2, and 3)
Degree Program Electives: Additional courses to reach a minimum 9.0 senior PO credits within the 20.0 credit degree. A maximum of 6.0 electives may be at the 100 level.
The Honours BA Political Science (Sussex LLB Stream) enables students who successfully complete its requirements to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Laurier and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom (UK) in six years.
The Honours BA in Political Science is only available at the Waterloo campus. It consists of 20.0 credits of which no more than 6.0 credits may be at the 100 level. Students are not permitted to combine two majors.
Due to the compacted nature of the Sussex Stream, students are required to pursue their degree in the following manner:
Additional Information
Honours BA Political Science and LLB (Sussex) Stream
Year | Courses | Credit Total |
1 | PO101, PO102, PO210, PO263; 3.0 elective credits. |
5.0 |
2 | PO217, PO218, PO237, and 0.5 SR PO; 1.0 International Requirement credit selected from: PO220, PO221, PO231, and PO232; 0.5 credit from Area Studies selected from: PO318, PO319, PO369, PO370 and PO388*; 1.5 elective credits. |
5.0 |
3-5 | Students pursue an LLB at the University of Sussex. Upon successful completion of their LLB, students will be awarded 5.0 transfer credits equivalent to 4.0 PO credits in legal studies courses and 1.0 senior elective credits. | 5.0 |
6 | 1.0 credit in 400-level PO seminars; 0.5 credit in 300-level PO courses; 1.0 elective credit 2.5 Laurier Sussex Law stream credits to prepare students to write the National Accreditation exams |
5.0 |
Program Note
Students in the BA Political Science (Sussex Stream) may not declare the Legal Studies Option, or take the following Legal Studies courses: PO209, PO212, PO331, PO333, PO371, PO380, PO389. The law curriculum will be delivered at Sussex.
Application to Sussex
Progression Requirements
The requirements are the same as stated in the Honours Political Science except that a minimum of 7.0 credits in Political Science is required.
Degree Program Electives: An additional 13 credits toward the degree total of 20.0 credits, only 5.0 credits of which may be at the 100 level. Electives must include a minimum of 0.5 credits in senior Political Science courses.
The Political Science Honours BA with Legal Studies Specialization consists of 2.5 credits. Honours Political Science students with a minimum overall GPA of 7.0 at the end of Years 1, 2 or 3 are eligible to apply.
A cumulative GPA of 7.00 in the courses specific to the Legal Studies Specialization is required to graduate.
Required Courses (2.5 credits):
The Political Science Honours BA with Public Policy Specialization consists of 2.5 credits. Honours Political Science students with a minimum overall GPA of 7.0 at the end of Years 1, 2 or 3 are eligible to apply.
A cumulative GPA of 7.00 in the courses specific to the Public Policy Specialization is required to graduate.
Required Courses (2.5 credits):
Adding the Research Specialization to your Honours Political Science BA sends a strong SIGNAL to prospective employers and graduate school search committees that your degree is rigorous and research oriented. Moreover, research skills are an important transferable skill for jobs in government and in the private and non-governmental sectors.
The Research Specialization is available to Year 4 Honours Political Science students only. To be eligible, students must have achieved a minimum grade of 8.00 (B) in each 300-level political science course they completed in Year 3 (a minimum of two such courses is required), and must have achieved a minimum average of 8.0 in all political science courses taken in Year 3.
The requirements for the Honours Political Science with Research Specialization program are the same as stated in the Honours Political Science, except that students must take:
PO478*, PO479*, and 0.5 additional seminar credits at the 400 level, instead of 1.0 seminar credit at the 400 level.
The Legal Studies Option gives students an excellent opportunity to learn about the law. The option's 4.0 credits provide a solid foundation in the social scientific analysis of the legal system in Canada, in other countries, and internationally. It is strongly recommended to students who are considering pursuing law school or employment opportunities that require familiarity with the law.
The Legal Studies Option consists of 4.0 credits (2.5 required and 1.5 elective). Honours program students with a minimum overall GPA of 7.0 at the end of Years 1, 2 or 3 are eligible to apply for the Legal Studies Option.
A cumulative GPA of 7.00 in the courses specific to the Legal Studies Option is required to graduate. The option is not available to Honours Political Science students, who can instead apply for the Legal Studies Specialization in combination with their Political Science Honours BA.
Required Core Legal Studies Courses (2.5 credits)
Note: More than one PO389 (Special Topics) course may be used to fulfil this requirement; consult the department.
Elective Courses (1.5 credits)
3 courses from among the following:
AN243 - Law, Culture and Society
AN333/SY333
BU231 - Business Law
BU451 - Law and Entrepreneurship
BU464 - Labour Relations
EN330 - Human Rights in Contemporary Cultural Forms
GS411 - Global Justice
HI219 - History of English Law to 1714
HI253 - Race, Rights and the Law in Early United States History
HI255 - Crime and Justice in Antiquity
HI318 - Crime, Sex, and Scandal in 19th Century Britain
HI375 - Seeking Justice: The Family and Law in Canada, 1867-1969
HI390 - Family Law in Greece and Rome
PP213 - Legal Philosophy
PP217 - Medical Ethics
PP247 - Business Ethics
PO301 - Drugs, Guns and Trucks: Commerce and Contraband Across North America
SY241 - Sociology of Crime: Structural Perspectives
SY242 - Sociology of Crime: Interpretive Perspectives
WS306 - Women and Social Justice
Additional Information
Note
In addition, when choosing elective courses, note that some of these courses have prerequisites. Although these prerequisites may be waived by the program or department administering the course, it is the responsibility of the student to make such arrangements.
The Minor in Public Policy offers students throughout the Laurier community the opportunity to acquire a valuable toolkit that will equip them to make direct and more meaningful connections between the knowledge they acquire within their home department and faculty and the world in which they will live and work. This minor, with its emphasis on developing hands-on analytical and communication skills and applying them to ongoing policy issues, helps prepare students for a competitive labour market upon graduation.
Students will be required to take require courses that introduce them to the public policy cycle and the tools of policy analysis, and then choose from a suite of courses which explore environmental, social, aboriginal, foreign and other policy issues, and develop writing skills for policy-making.
The Minor in Public Policy consists of a total of 3.0 credits, which includes:
PO245 and PO345 and
2.0 credits chosen from the following:
PO316, PO334, PO344, PO347, PO373, PO420 or PO433.
Our one-year Master of Applied Politics program offers a variety of options to fulfil program requirements. You may choose a coursework only option, consisting of eight half-credit courses, or you may choose to undertake a Major Research Project (PO695*), in addition to six half-credit courses.
There are four options to complete the Major Research Project:
Admission to the Major Research Project will require the support of a faculty supervisor and the graduate coordinator. You will apply for the Master Research Project at the end of your first semester of graduate studies.
All students must complete the two core courses:
Other course requirements:
With the approval of the graduate coordinator and the dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, you may choose some of your electives from those courses offered by other master's programs at Laurier, or by another university.
Contact Us:
E:
Political Science
T:
548-889-4905
F:
519.746.3655
Office Location: DAWB 4-120
Office Hours:
Book an advising appointment with Dr. Jorg Broschek, Undergraduate Advisor.
For general information: Lauren Price - Office Administration Coordinator, Political Science and North American Studies.
Chair
E:
Dr. Christopher Anderson
Office Location: DAWB 4-120A
Graduate Officer
E:
Dr. Andrea Perrella
Office Location: DAWB 4-110
Undergraduate Officer
E:
Dr. Jorg Broschek
Office Location: DAWB 4-118
Office Hours:
Winter 2025:
Tuesdays online via Teams between 1pm-2pm
Thursdays in-person between 1pm-3pm
Sussex-Legal Studies Coordinator
E:
Dr. Izabela Steflja
Office Location: DAWB 4-114