Politics and Governance

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses, including Grade 12 U English.

Notes: 

1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
2. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English.
3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

Students will learn to evaluate and analyze political decisions, 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 in any of the public, private, or third (voluntary and nonprofit) sectors. These may include becoming a policy analyst for the federal, provincial, or municipal government, a decision-maker in an NGO or a position in the private-sector, 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 and Humanities disciplines. The Politics and Governance program thus builds on a first year that is common to nine other programs in the Faculty of Arts (i.e., Criminology, English, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Language and Intercultural Relations, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology), with specialized study in Politics and Governance in the following years.

Semesters One and Two: 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 one additional core course that explores Canada's political landscape through the lens of political culture and citizen participation. In addition to these two Politics and Governance courses, students must complete two courses teaching key skills in Critical Thinking and Academic Writing and Research. Students select from Table I a minimum of two (2)  courses from other social science disciplines (course prefixes CRM, ECN, EUS, GEO, PSY, SOC, SSH) and a minimum of two (2) courses from humanities disciplines (course prefixes ACS, ENG, FRE, PHL, SPN).  Finally students select an Open Elective.

Semesters Three and Four: In second year, students are required to complete the introductory course in political theory (POG235: Western Political Thought) and the introductory course in at least two of the other four sub-fields, exploring the actors and institutions of Canadian government (Canadian: POG210), the emerging institutions and practices of global governance (global: POG225), controversial policy topics (policy: POG214), and comparative politics (comparative: POG240). Students will also complete two core electives, which may be the introductory courses in the remaining two subfields, or may be more advanced courses in the three subfields already introduced.  In addition, students will build on what they learned in SSH205 by delving into the qualitative (SSH301) and quantitative (POG230) research methods necessary to study politics and governance effectively.  Finally students will complete one Open Elective, and two lower level liberal studies electives (Table A).

Semesters Five through Eight: In the upper years, students 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 subfields or to sample broadly. 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; the governance of urban areas (both in Canada and elsewhere); political thought; voters, elections, and parties; and Indigenous Governance and Justice. In addition to program courses, students choose courses from a broad range of disciplines that complement their core studies and broaden their career preparation. These Open Electives include courses in Accounting, Child and Youth Care, Communication, Criminology, Disability Studies, Economics, English, Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Finance, Food Security, French, Geography, Human Resource Management, Business Technology Management, Law, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Management, Organizational Leadership, Sociology, Spanish, Psychology, Urban Planning, and sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Finally, students must complete four upper level liberal studies electives (Table B).

An optional co-operative education program is available which provides students with 12 months of work experience which will complement their classroom studies and support the development of essential employability skills required for the workforce, including communication, collaboration and problem-solving.

Although the Career & Co-op Centre cannot guarantee placements, it provides assistance in locating suitable positions and counselling students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-op program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first semester of the regular program must apply through the department for admission to the co-operative program before the end of the first year. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited. Admission will be based on a portfolio which includes the student's grade point average, a resume and a statement of intent.  Students must complete SSH104 prior to their first placement.

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work terms in order to graduate from the co-op program.

In most cases the co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Politics and Governance. Students will have the option to fast track if they choose to take electives during the Spring/Summer. The regular program can be completed in four years.

All co-op placements must be approved by the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window)  and the Faculty Advisor for the Politics and Governance co-op program.

Students must take two lower level liberal studies courses and four upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Ryerson (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Four courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

Revised curriculum begins 2022-2023 for students admitted Fall 2021 and after

CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Table II

NOTE: In 3rd and 4th Semester students should select 200- or 300-level (which includes INP 900).

CORE ELECTIVE/OPEN ELECTIVE: One course from Table I or one Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

Last offered 2022-2023 to students admitted Fall 2020 and before. Students admitted Fall 2021 and after see revised curriculum below.  

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Four courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives

Revised curriculum begins 2023-2024 for students admitted Fall 2021 and after.

CORE ELECTIVE: Six courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Six courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Four courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives

Revised curriculum begins 2022-2023 for students admitted Fall 2021 and after  

First offered Fall 2022 for students admitted Fall 2021 and after.

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE/OPEN ELECTIVE: One course from Table I* or one Open Elective

* Co-op Program students must complete SSH 104 from Table I to fulfil this requirement.

Last offered Winter 2023 for students admitted Fall admitted Fall 2020. Students admitted Fall 2021 and after see revised curriculum below.

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

First offered in Winter 2024 to students admitted Fall 2021 and after.

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Core Elective Table II

Last offered 2023-2024 to students admitted Fall 2020. Students admitted Fall 2021 and after see revised curriculum below.

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Four courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

Revised curriculum begins 2024-2025 for students admitted Fall 2021 and after.

CORE ELECTIVE: Six courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Six courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives

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Doug Allen
Health Care Researcher
Canadian Union of Public Employees
(CUPE)

Dr. Isabella Bakker
Professor; York Research Chair; Trudeau Fellow
Department of Politics, York University

John Campey
Executive Director
Ralph Thornton Centre

Mary Crescenzi
Senior Executive Director
Employment and Social Development Canada
Government of Canada

Jennifer French
Lead, Indigenous Place-Making
Indigenous Affairs Office
City of Toronto

Martha Greenberg
Deputy Minister, Policy and Delivery (Cabinet Office)
Deputy Minister Champion  - Toronto Metropolitan University
Government of Ontario

Jenny A. Gumbs
Government Relations Specialist
Chair, Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada
Director, Tropicana Community Services
Member, Administrative Penalty Tribunal (Toronto)

Adam Hopkins
Vice President Academic
First Nations Technical Institute

Suze Morrison
MPP, Toronto Centre,
Government of Ontario

Tana Turner
Principal,
Turner Consulting Group