Prospective Students

Political Science is the systematic study of politics. It is more than discussing who won the last election and who will win the next one. Politics is about power and Political Science studies the power struggles that lead to policies and issues such as rising tuition and the war in Iraq. Political Science students can explain how bureaucracies work; how great powers rise and fall; the difference between an effective public policy and a misguided one; how to design an unbiased opinion poll; and what factors shape international decision-making.

Political Science students also factor into their analysis philosophical questions such as: Who ought to rule? What is legitimacy? Are liberty and equality compatible?

Programs and Specializations

  • Offered as a Minor, Major and Specialist
  • Political Science & History
  • International Affairs

What Courses Do I Take?

First-year

  • POL111H: Canada in Comparative Perspective
  • POL112H: Democracy in Theory and Practice
  • POL113H: Ideas and Ideologies
  • POL114H: Politics in the Global World
  • One course from two of the following three fields: Comparative Politics, International Relations or Public Policy & Public Administration.
  • The specific content of any 100-level course and the approach taken in it will vary from year to year depending on the instructors. For example, in one year POL114H5 might focus on international relations and in the following year it might look in detail at a particular region of the world. Similarly, in one year a course might be taught through extensive use of films and novels and the next year it might rely primarily on academic texts.

Some interesting upper-year courses

  • POL208Y: Introduction to International Relations
  • POL214Y: Canadian Government and Politics
  • POL218Y: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • POL320Y: Modern Political Thought

Why Choose UofT Mississauga for Political Science?

Students benefit by customizing their degrees to their personal interests and learning the latest topics in politics with the latest teaching methods.

  • Students can complete a project through the Research Opportunity Program with a professor for academic credit.
  • Annual student evaluations of professors, even in large courses.
  • Senior U of T Mississauga Political Science professors are known internationally. For example: Professor Ronald Beiner is a leading political philosopher on liberalism. He has written several well-known books on political philosophy and often lectures at leading universities in the United States and Europe.

What High School Preparation Do I Need?

Six Grade 12 U or M courses including English (ENG4U).

This refers to courses from the Ontario Curriculum. We will accept equivalent courses from other academic systems. For details, visit www.adm.utoronto.ca/adm.

After Graduation

Political Science graduates do not typically go on to become professional politicians. They often proceed to further studies in law, journalism or careers in the civil service and government-business relations. Political Science graduates find careers that require analytical, research, communication, time management and writing skills.

Learn more about what our graduates are doing with their degree by visiting our Alumni Spotlights


Alumni Spotlights

Careers in Political Science from the UTM Career Centre

Information on Humanities at UTM