MA in Political Science Course-Based
To fulfill the requirements of the course-based MA in Political Science, students must complete *24 of graduate-level courses (usually 8 3-credit courses) and a project (POLS 900, counted as 3 credits upon completion) for a total of *27 credits. All MA in Political Science students are required to take POLS 599 as one of their courses, which is offered every year, typically in the fall semester. Course-based MA students may take up to three courses outside Political Science at the University of Alberta.
The minimum period of residence for full-time programs is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta. Full-time MA in Political Science course-based students will normally complete the program within 18 months, and part-time students will normally complete within three years. Students aspiring to complete the course-based MA in one academic year should take four *3 courses in each of the fall and winter semesters if possible, as the department does not routinely offer graduate courses in the spring and summer semesters.
The MA in Political Science course-based research paper should be 7000-9000 words inclusive of notes and bibliography. The paper can be an expansion of a course paper, but requires more extensive research or literature review and argumentative development. The MA student's supervisor and a second faculty member will assess the research paper as pass or fail without oral exam.
Ethics requirement:
All graduate students at the University of Alberta are required to take eight hours of Graduate Ethics Training (GET). Five hours of this requirement can be met by registering through the FGSR website to take a self-guided online course. The remaining three can be met by taking a department seminar on academic integrity offered every spring, or by taking three hours of approved seminars offered by FGSR or other units on campus.
Professional development:
All students entering a graduate degree program at the University of Alberta from September 1 2016 will be required to complete a professional development requirement. See Professional Development.