Global Governance (Faculty of Arts)

Master of Arts in Global Governance:

The Master of Arts in Global Governance will not normally be offered on a part-time basis. In exceptional circumstances, students may assume part-time status after their formal course work has been completed.

Admission Requirements

• Admission requirements for the MA Program in Global Governance include:
• Successful completion of an Honours Degree in Political Science, Economics, History or a related field (including international, environmental or global studies undergraduate degrees) with an overall average of at least 78% in the final 20 courses.
• Successful completion of at least one introductory course in economics at the university level before commencing the programme.
• Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate command of the English language with a minimum TOEFL score of 600, or the equivalent on a comparable test. Comparable tests include: CanTEST 4.5, CAEL 70, IELTS 7.0, MELAB 85. See the University of Waterloo Graduate Student Calendar: Admissions Regulations, for further details.
• Demonstration of sufficient academic and/or practical experience and personal suitability as evidenced by letters of reference and a personal statement of interest. Experienced professionals in the private or public sectors will be considered for admission, but additional course work may be required.

Application Deadline: Deadline for applications to the Master's program is usually in February of each year. Check the program website for specific deadlines each year.

Degree Requirements

Coursework/Master’s Research Paper Option:
The MA program requirements include completion of 6 courses, an Internship, Program Seminar and Master’s Research Paper Milestones. The MA Program in Global Governance is designed to be completed in 4 terms. During the first two terms, students normally take six courses. Students will then spend their third term as an intern working on global governance issues in the public or private sector, at a research institute, or for a non-governmental organization. After the completion of the internship, students will concentrate during their fourth term on the completion of a Major Research Paper (MRP). The MRP provides students an opportunity to pursue a specific research topic of their choosing relating to the study of global governance.

Thesis Option
In exceptional circumstances, and with the approval of the program director, students will be permitted to pursue a thesis. The required course load is 4 courses. In addition to the core course, these courses must meet the economics, history and political science components outlined below. Students pursuing the thesis option will be required to submit a thesis proposal at the end of their second term of study.

Course Components
Core Course component: PSCI 610 Globalization and Global Governance

Economics Component: ECON 635 International Trade and Development

History Component: HIST 605: Global Governance in Historical Perspective

Political Science Component:  
One of the following courses:

• ERS/PSCI 604 Global Environmental Governance
• PSCI 639 Global Social Policy
• PSCI 657 International Organizations and Global Governance
• PSCI 658 Humanitarianism and Human Rights
• PSCI 659 Conflict and Conflict Resolution
• PSCI 684 International Diplomacy
• PSCI 688 Governance of the Global Economy
• ERS/PSCI 606 Governing Global Food and Agriculture

Elective component:
Two additional courses chosen from the following list:

• PSCI courses listed above under “Political Science Component”
• PSCI 624 Justice and Gender
• PSCI 631 State and Economic Life
• PSCI 634 Comparative Public Administration
• PSCI 636 Organized Crime and Politics
• PSCI 651 Democracy and Development
• PSCI 655 Ethnic Conflict and Conflict Resolution
• PSCI 664 Canada and the World: Foreign Policy
• PSCI 681 Power Politics and World Order Studies
• PSCI 683 Topics in International Political Economy
• PSCI 687 Explaining Interstate War
• PSCI 689 International Political Economy
• HIST 603 Nationalism and Ethnic Policies of Multinational States
• HIST 604 Theory and Practice of Insurgency and Counterinsurgency
• HIST 610 War and Society in the Twentieth Century I
• HIST 611 War and Society in the Twentieth Century II
• HIST 626 Modern European History I
• HIST 627 Modern European History II
• HIST 632 History of the United States I
• HIST 635 Race in Modern History I
• HIST 636 Race in Modern History II
• HIST 651 Historians and Public Policy
• ECON 631 International Trade Theory
• ECON 632 International Finance
• ECON 635 International Trade and Development
• ECON 660 Quantitative Methods
• ECON 661 Comparative Economic Systems
• ERS 675 Special Topics: Ecological Economics

Note: Not all courses are offered each year and more courses may be available. Consult the respective departments for information on available courses in any given year. Consult the graduate studies calendar for full course descriptions.

Internship
All students are required to spend one academic term as an intern working on global governance issues in the public or private sector, at a research institute, or for a non-governmental organization. The work-term will take place in the third term of the program, following the completion of the academic course-work portion of the degree requirements. A written report arising out of the internship experience will be required and will be evaluated. This report is distinct from the MRP (or thesis), but could build towards it.

Program Seminar Component
All students must attend the program seminar. The seminar will meet regularly throughout the first and second term. Meetings will include visiting speakers (at both the University and the Centre for International Governance Innovation), guest talks by core faculty members and, during the second term, discussions of the research plans of students for the MRP. Attendance at the Research Seminar is required, but grades will be assigned on a credit/non-credit (or pass/fail) basis.

Master’s Research Paper
The MRP provides students with an opportunity to pursue a specific research topic of their choosing relating to the study of global governance.