The Department of Political Science offers programs of study that lead to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Master of Arts (M.A.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
Students wishing to enter the Major or Honours programs must make an online application to the Department prior to registering for their third year. See Admission and Promotion.
For information on advanced degrees, see graduate Political Science.
Visit the Department for details on current offerings.
Admission and Promotion
Admission to the Major or a combined major or the Honours program in Political Science requires that a student will have completed at least 54 credits applicable to the Bachelor of Arts.
Admission is not automatic to either the Major program or the Honours program in Political Science. Due to a limited number of spaces, some applicants who satisfy the minimum prerequisites may not be admitted.
Students contemplating a Major or Honours program in Political Science are encouraged to seek information and advice from the Department at the end of their first year. Students considering a major should be familiar with the Department’s curriculum guide available on the Department website.
Students must apply online at the end of the academic year in which they accumulate 54 credits. The online application will be available after February 1 from the Department website. Applications are due by May 15 prior to registering for the third year. Applicants should arrange for transcripts from all post-secondary institutions they have attended, other than UBC, to be sent to the Department office as promptly as possible.
Major in Political Science
Selection for admission to the Major program will be based on the average grade for all post-secondary work attempted to date toward the Bachelor of Arts, with the exception of 12 credits which may be excluded from the calculation. The average will be calculated on at least 48 credits, including all courses taken in Political Science. Depending upon the number of applicants in a given year, an average of approximately 70% will be required for admission into the Major. Students applying to the major should be aware that success in all upper-level courses in Political Science requires clear expression in written English.
Students transferring from colleges or other universities, or students at UBC who have performed well in Political Science courses in their third year, but who are not in the Political Science Major program, will be allowed to apply for admission to the Major program in 4th year. Selection of applicants from these categories will be based on overall standing (average) of the best 72 credits earned to date toward the Bachelor of Arts. These 72 credits must include all Political Science courses and the first component of the Writing and Research Requirement.
To satisfy the Research Component of the Bachelor of Arts Writing and Research Requirement, students may take any 400-level POLI_V course.
Major students must take at least 42 credits but not more than 60 credits of Political Science in their overall 120 credits for the B.A. At least 30 of these Political Science credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
Lower-level Requirements
Prospective Major students should be familiar with the department curriculum guide which provides more guidance to students than these formal requirements.
For admission to the Major, students must complete:
- POLI_V 100
- POLI_V 101
- POLI_V 110
- POLI_V 240
The Department recommends students also complete POLI_V 220 and POLI_V 260.
For graduation with a Major in Political Science, students must complete 12 credits at the 100 and 200 level, including the following courses:
- POLI_V 100
- POLI_V 101
- POLI_V 110
- POLI_V 240 (or 340)
Students who have not completed POLI_V 240 may substitute POLI_V 340 for POLI_V 240, although they are still required to complete a total of 12 POLI_V credits at the 100- and 200-level.
Upper Level Requirements
For graduation with a Major in Political Science, students must complete at least 42, but not more than 60, credits of Political Science, including the 100- and 200-level requirements above, and:
- 30 credits of Political Science courses numbered 300 or higher, which must include:
- POLI_V 380
Students will not get credit for both POLI_V 380 and any of the courses on the Science Credit Exclusion Lists in counting up the required 120 credits needed to graduate.
To satisfy the Research Component of the Bachelor of Arts Writing and Research Requirement, students may take any 400-level POLI_V course.
Combined Major in Political Science and Economics
Information about this program (including admissions and course requirements) can be found on the Economics section of the calendar.
Combined Major in Political Science and Philosophy
Information about this program (including admissions and course requirements) can be found on the Philosophy section of the calendar.
Honours Programs in Political Science
Students with a grade of 80% or above in at least one Political Science course and an overall GPA of at least 80% are encouraged to discuss the Honours program with a Political Science advisor and to consider applying. Although only a limited number of students can be accepted into the Honours program, all applications will be given serious consideration.
Promotion to the fourth year of the Honours program requires an 80% grade in at least one Political Science course during the third year, a minimum grade of 75% in POLI_V 390, and a 75% average overall in the third year.
Occasionally outstanding students from the third-year Major program may be admitted directly to fourth-year Honours.
Graduation in the Honours program normally requires an 80% grade in at least one Political Science course during the fourth year, a minimum grade of 75% in POLI_V 492, and a 75% overall average in the final two years.
Students not meeting these standards but nevertheless satisfying all other university requirements for graduation will be awarded a B.A. in the Major program.
Honours students must complete at least 60, but not more than 72 credits of Political Science in their 120 credits for the B.A. At least 48 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above.
First 60 Credits
As for Major students.
60-120 Credits
Honours students are required to complete POLI_V 340, 380, one semester of 390 (6 credits), 492 (12 credits), plus at least 6 additional credits of Political Science seminars at the 400-level. Otherwise, they are free to take any Political Science courses for which they have the prerequisites, so long as they take at least 60 but not more than 72 credits of Political Science, and at least 48 of their Political Science credits are from courses numbered 300 or above.
Honours in Political Science with International Relations
The Honours in Political Science with International Relations Program is a 78-credit interdisciplinary program that is made-up of 24 lower-level credits, 6 language credits at any level, and 48-credits of upper-level credits.
This program is administered by the Department of Political Science (not by the International Relations Program), and students must apply directly to the Department of Political Science for admission. See Admission and Promotion and Honours Programs in Political Science for more details on admissions.
Lower-level requirements
- POLI_V 100, POLI_V 110, and POLI_V 260, plus one other 100/200-level POLI_V-coded course
- ECON_V 101 and 102
- HIST_V 102 or 103
Upper-level requirements
- POLI_V 380, 390, 492 and 6-credits of any 300-level POLI_V-coded course.
- 12 credits from: POLI_V 360-379, 460-469, of which at least 3 must be from 460-464, 466
- ECON_V 355
- HIST_V 425 or 432
Language requirement
Honours in Political Science with International Relations (PSIR) students are required to complete 6 credits of coursework in one language other than English. The language courses can either be at the upper or lower-level, including any coursework completed prior to admission. These credits must be completed by all PSIR major students and cannot be waived based on prior language study or an existing language competency.
Courses taken to complete the PSIR language requirement can also be used to fulfil the Language as Meaning Breadth Area of the Bachelor of Arts’ Ways of Knowing Breadth Requirements.
If a student has already commenced language studies prior to entering UBC and wishes to continue at a higher level they should consult the administering department to confirm the procedure for placement.
Minor in Political Science
A Minor consists of at least 30 credits, but not more than 42 credits of Political Science courses, of which at least 18 must be numbered 300 or above. POLI_V 101 must be included among the courses taken. Departmental permission is not required to undertake a Minor in Political Science.
Courses by Sub-Field
The Department offers courses in the following sub-fields of Political Science: Canadian Politics; Comparative Politics, International Relations; Political Behaviour, Political Theory, and Public Policy.
The Department posts detailed information online concerning courses for the upcoming year, beginning in late May.