Undergraduate Programs

Major program
Double Major program
Minor program
Honours program
European Studies Concentration and Minor program
Related Minor programs

Major program

Students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of Victoria have a number of options. The department offers General, Major and Honours programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts Degree. The majority of students who complete their BA in Political Science choose the Major program. The Major program provides substantial breadth and depth of knowledge in the field of political science while permitting ample flexibility for students to combine their political science studies with courses in other departments or faculties. It is strongly recommended that students planning to major in Political Science should consult with the Majors Advisor, preferably before they register in their third year.

What do I need to get a major in Political Science?

Students intending to major in Political Science are required to complete:

6 units of Political Science courses at the 100 and 200 levels, 4.5 of which must be chosen from Poli 101, 103, 201, 202, 210 and 240, including at least one of 101 and 201, and with a grade of at least C+ in each of these three courses. It is strongly recommended that these courses be taken during the first two years of a student's program because no more than 6 units of upper-level Political Science courses will be counted towards the Major degree requirements before the grade requirement for the lower-level courses has been met.

15 units of Political Science courses at the 300 or 400 level, including at least one of the core courses (marked * in the POLI course index in the University Calendar) in each of the four sections (Political Theory, Comparative Politics, Canadian Politics and International Relations), and at least one fourth-year seminar course (POLI 401, 402, 412, 413, 414, 420, 431, 432, 433, 434, 436, 442, 443, 444, 456, 458, 461, 462, or 465).

Students must also meet the general requirements for B.A degrees established by the University and the Faculty of Social Sciences, as described in the University Calendar.

Double Major program

Some Political Science students choose to pursue a double major in combination with disciplines such as Sociology, Economics, History, Philosophy or Environmental Studies. The reasons a student might want to pursue a double major are varied. It might make sense for a student who wants to pursue a career in the civil service as an environmental policy analyst to combine a political science degree with environmental studies. A student who hopes to pursue work relating to women's advocacy might look into a Political Science/Women's Studies combination. A student who intends to enter the Foreign Service might want a strong background in economics and elect to complete a Political Science/Economics double major. Students who wish to pursue a double major or a major/ minor combination should consult with the Academic Advising Centre when planning their program.

Minor program

A concentration in Political Science under the General or Minor Program requires:

6 units of courses numbered at the 100 or 200 level
9 units of courses numbered at the 300 or 400 level

Honours program

2011-12 Political Science Honours students

Students who choose to pursue an honours degree in political science are required to complete additional political science coursework and to choose a concentration in one of the four discipline sub-fields. In their fourth year honours students will research, write and present an Honours Essay, which provides an opportunity to investigate a problem in depth.

Many students choose to pursue an honours degree to get a taste for the kind of scholarship that they would encounter in graduate school. An honours degree is traditionally considered excellent preparation for graduate school, even though for many graduate schools it is not a requirement.

Additional information can be found in the University Calendar; students interested in pursuing an honours degree should consult the Honours Advisor when planning their program for third and fourth year. For more information, contact the Honours Advisor, Dr. Feng Xu.

Honours Essay Guidelines for Students

European Studies Concentration and Minor

The Department of Political Science offers an interdisciplinary Concentration in European Studies for major and honours students in Political Science. The concentration provides students with a specialized training in European politics, history, culture and languages as well as an educational or work experience in a European country.

Related Minor programs

Social Justice Studies

The Faculties of Human and Social Development, Humanities and Social Sciences jointly offer an interdisciplinary Minor in Social Justice Studies. The aim of the program is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the range of ways to address and engage with issues of social inequity and injustice in the contemporary world from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Students may obtain this Minor by completing the requirements given below, and completing an Honours, Major, or General degree program.

The Minor program requires 13.5 units of coursework:

SJS 100, 200, 400A (4.5). Normally, students take 100 first, but 100 and 200 may be taken in either order, or concurrently. 100 and 200 are interdisciplinary team-taught courses.
SJS 400B or 1.5 units from the list of elective courses available at the program website (1.5).
7.5 units selected from the list of elective courses.

Elective requirements:

A minimum of 3 units must be selected from each of the two designated areas of Social Justice Studies: theory and method; substantive analysis.
No more than 3 units from any one Department or School may be counted for credit towards the Minor.
Any course that constitutes part of a student's Honours, Major, or General degree program cannot be used to fulfil the requirements for the SJS Minor.

Students are strongly encouraged to plan their program in consultation with the Director of Social Justice Studies (sjs@uvic.ca).

Human Dimensions of Climate Change

The Faculty of Social Sciences offers an interdisciplinary Minor in the Human Dimensions of Climate Change. The program provides students with a thorough understanding of the human aspects of climate change, including its political, economic, geographic, psychological, and sociological dimensions, together with an introduction to its physical aspects. Students may obtain this Minor by completing the requirements below, together with an Honours, Major, or General program.

The Minor program requires 13.5 units of coursework, including GEOG 103, GEOG 110 or EOS 110 as a prerequisite for HDCC 200:

ECON 383 or GEOG 314	1.5
EOS 365	1.5
HDCC 200	1.5
HDCC 400	1.5
6 units from the list of approved electives	6.0

Queries about the program, its prerequisites, or its list of approved electives should be directed to the Director of the Human Dimensions of Climate Change program at hdcc@uvic.ca or at the Advising Centre for Humanities, Science and Social Sciences. Students are encouraged to inquire about and to plan their HDCC program.