The four-year baccalaureate degree program in Politics and Governance has as its major focus a critical understanding of how important decisions are made – at the international, national, provincial, and local levels – by both governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Students will learn to question the assumptions behind both administrative practice and policies that emerge from a variety of sources, and to evaluate them on a range of criteria, including empirical, theoretical and ethical bases. The program offers a number of professional electives drawn from five traditional sub fields of Political Science: Canadian, Comparative, Global, Policy, and Theory. Students may choose depth in a small number of thematic categories, or choose breadth by sampling in several such categories.

Graduates of the Politics and Governance program will be able to pursue careers in a variety of capacities both inside and outside government. These may include becoming a policy analyst for the federal, provincial, or municipal government, a decision-maker in a third sector (voluntary/non-profit) organization, or taking a private-sector position, with a company that has extensive interactions with government, or that conducts public research. It might also include positions in international governmental organizations (such as the UN and World Bank), or non-governmental organizations [such as UNICEF or Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)]. Graduates may also pursue further education through law school or graduate studies in disciplines such as Government, Political Science, Public Administration, or Public Policy.

Politics and Governance draws on the theories, methods and practices of a broad range of social sciences. The Politics and Governance program thus builds on two years of predominantly social science foundations, shared with Ryerson's Bachelor of Arts programs in Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Sociology, with specialized study in Politics and Governance in the final two years.

Semesters One through Four: Students are introduced to Politics and Governance through a 'survey course' which provides a broad overview of what might be expected in the subject area. Students also take four additional core courses that explore Canada's political actors and institutions of government, the emerging institutions and practices of global governance and the quantitative research skills relevant to the study of politics and governance. In addition to Politics and Governance courses, students select courses from other social science disciplines including Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Psychology, and Sociology. To ensure breadth, students may take no more than four courses in any one of the social science disciplines in the first two years.

Because students achieve breadth in the Social Sciences through course selection in Table I, only the following lower level Liberal Studies (Table A) subject courses can be selected: ENG, FRE, HST, IRL, ITM, MUS, NPF, PHL, SCI, SPN and THL.

Semesters Five through Eight: In the upper years, students are introduced to the remaining sub-fields (Comparative, Nonprofit/Voluntary Sector, Policy, Theory), and then pursue the study of political and governance issues in greater depth. Students may choose to focus upon courses within one or two of the thematic categories or to sample broadly from several such categories. Either way, it will be possible to explore such topics as provincial politics; race and ethnicity; human rights (both within Canada and in a Global context); economic, education, environmental, foreign, and social policy; social identity and citizenship; the governance of urban areas (both in Canada and elsewhere); political thought; voters, elections, and parties; and Aboriginal Governance and Justice. In addition to program courses, students choose courses from a broad range of disciplines that complement their professional studies and broaden their career preparation. These include courses in Accounting, Child and Youth Care, Communication, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Food Security, French, Geography, Human Resource Management, Business Technology Management, Law, Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Management, Sociology, Spanish, Psychology, Urban Planning, and sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

Through a range of courses in all four years, students also develop core competencies necessary to succeed at the university level and in the modern workforce. Through an introduction to the Social Sciences, students explore an approach to critical analysis that is shared by several disciplines and will guide life-long learning. Students will also develop skills in basic quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, critical and analytical thinking, and effective communication.

Transferability Guidelines

Students admitted to either the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, Psychology, or Sociology may transfer from their current program and plan to any one of the other three plans for the Fall term of either their second or third year of studies. Applications are available through the Program Office and must be submitted by February 2nd. Transfer applications are considered on a competitive basis subject to program capacity, and therefore program choice cannot be guaranteed.

In order to transfer to Politics and Governance from Criminal Justice, Psychology, or Sociology, students must: (1) have a CLEAR Academic Standing at the end of the Winter term in which they apply to transfer; and (2) have successfully completed POG 100 and POG 110.

Liberal Studies

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate.

Minors