Graduate Programs and PostDocs

This innovative program integrates the fields of public policy and public administration to reflect the theoretical and practical realities of the political context of policy development, implementation and analysis; and, prepares graduates for further academic pursuits and careers in the public service at all levels of government, in the non-profit sector, in private sector organizations with significant relationships with government and in international organizations.

Master’s students win gold at CAPPA case competition

750 alumni now in various public policy leadership positions

The PhD in Policy Studies is the first and only interdisciplinary doctoral program of its kind in Canada. The program is designed to prepare a new generation of researchers for positions in academe and the public, non-profit and private sectors at the local, regional, national and international levels.

Dr. Mohammad Ferdosi is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Critical Policy Studies (supervised by Dr. Bryan Evans). He completed his PhD in Political Science Comparative Public Policy at McMaster University in 2022, building upon a foundation in Sociology and Economics—the three main disciplines underpinning the study of political economy.

Dr. Ferdosi primarily researches public policies, including labour legislation and welfare programs, using mixed methods approaches. He has contributed to over 40 research publications and has received 10 research grants. In collaboration with UNESCO's Inclusive Policy Lab and the International Labour Organization, he has served as a policy specialist, sharing his expertise and contributing to publications and discussions on an international scale.

Geoffrey F. Bruce Fellowship in Canadian Freshwater Policy supports one of Canada’s next environment and freshwater research and policy leaders.

Dr. Sima Saadi is the inaugural recipient of the Geoffrey F. Bruce Postdoctoral Fellowship and specializes in Environment and Freshwater Policy. Dr. Saadi is working with Dr. Carolyn Johns to conduct data and geospatial analysis of fresh, open-water datasets in Canada and the Great Lakes region. She is currently working on two major projects: one examining the use and policy value of open water quality data on the Great Lakes DataStream Platform and another project examining water quantity data in Ontario’s Permit to Take Water and Reported Water Use open datasets.