Funding

• Eligible domestic students admitted to study on a full-time basis are entitled to one year of funding totalling, on average, $14,500. This support may be made up of teaching assistantships, internal/external scholarships, and/or faculty-funded studentships or research assistantships.
• Winners of major external awards (OGS, QEII and Tri-Council) may be eligible for top-up funding which includes the Dean’s Graduate Scholarship (total value exceeds $10,000). 
• A list of all funding opportunities available to Laurier graduate students, including information about OGS, QEII and Tri-Council, is available on our graduate funding webpage.

Research Focus

Our diverse faculty offer research expertise in:

• International relations and cross-border governance.
• Public policy (e.g. social, aboriginal, environmental, (multi)cultural, migration).
• International political economy and trade.
• Public opinion, elections and parties.
• Canadian politics (e.g. multi-level governance, Quebec).
• Area studies (e.g. North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America).
• International human rights.

Many of our faculty are associated with research centres, including the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy and the world-renowned Balsillie School of International Affairs and Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Requirements

• A four-year (honours) undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in political science or a related field.
• A minimum B+ average in your last two years of undergraduate study.
• An honours graduate from a program other than political science may be admitted if evidence justifying admission is offered and the student has completed a minimum of two courses in political science, one of which must have a social science theory component; research methods is strongly recommended.
• Applications are reviewed by the graduate program committee, which considers all prior university grades, statement of interests, a writing sample and letters of reference.

Careers

Our alumni have found work in politics, public service, law, journalism, the non-profit sector and education, among other sectors. Here is a small sample:

• law (e.g. litigator, legal assistant)
• public service (e.g. policy analyst, economic development officer)
• business and trade sector (e.g. communications officer, policy/legal analysis)
• market research (e.g. public opinion analyst)
• advocacy and non-profit sector (e.g. researcher, lobbyist, policy/legal analysis)
• politics (e.g. political aide, legislative analysis)
• journalism (e.g. press officer, print journalist)
• education