International Affairs

• M.A. International Affairs
• M.A.International Affairs with Specialization in African Studies
• M.A. International Affairs/JD
• Ph.D. International Affairs

M.A. International Affairs

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

A grade of B- or better must be obtained in each credit counted towards the master's degree. The School does not permit exceptions to this rule.

Students will be required to withdraw from the program if their grade point average falls below 7.0 (B-), or if they receive a grade of less than B- in any two courses that are eligible to be counted toward the Master's degree.

Admission Requirements

The minimum requirement for admission into the master's program is a B.A. (Honours) degree in a discipline related to international affairs.

Under current practice, at least a high honours standing (B+ minimum) is normally required to be considered for admission to the program.

Applicants may submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) aptitude test scores; in some circumstances, students may be required to submit GRE scores.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs requires applicants whose native tongue is not English to be tested for proficiency in English. NPSIA applicants must submit a CAEL Assessment™score of a minimum of 70 or a TOEFL score of 250 computer-based or 600 regular 100 iBT (minimum score of 25 in each of reading, writing, speaking and listening).

Students admitted to the NPSIA M.A. program must have successfully completed a 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) course in introductory economics (introductory microeconomics and introductory macroeconomics for economics majors) before starting the program.

Students who have not completed one credit of introductory economics at the time of their application will have their admission into the program made conditional upon its successful completion prior to registration. In some cases where the student is deemed by the admissions committee to have an insufficient background in international affairs they may be required to complete up to two additional courses as part of their M.A. program. Students who are uncertain about whether they meet the background requirements are encouraged to contact the School of International Affairs.

M.A. International Affairs (5.0 credits)

Full-time program requirements

Students admitted to the full-time program must complete all of the degree requirements within two calendar years or six terms of full-time study. Students admitted into the full-time program are expected to continue to register as full-time students until completion of their program. The program may be completed within one calendar year, though it normally takes at least four terms of full-time study.

A minimum of 1.5 credits must normally be completed in each of the first two terms of full-time study, including the mandatory program courses.

All courses used for credit in the degree must be approved in advance by the M.A. Program Supervisor.

Notes:

1. Students who wish to obtain the Field designation are required to complete 1.5 credits of field courses and their required economics field course if they choose the coursework option. For students in the IEP field both INAF 5308 and INAF 5309 must be completed in order to receive the field designation. If students choose to complete by Research Essay or Thesis, 0.5 credit  will be applied towards the field designation. For students in the African Studies Specialization, the Research Essay  or Thesis must cover both your field and the African studies component.
2. For elective courses,1.5 credits of the total required 5.0 credits may be selected from courses offered in other departments, with a maximum of 1.0 credit from a single department and a maximum of 1.0 credit selected from fourth year undergraduate courses. Any course not identified as an INAF 5000 level course must be approved by the M.A. Program Supervisor.
3. Students must successfully complete an examination in second language proficiency administered by Carleton University's School of Linguistics and Language Studies, or meet the equivalent standard as determined by the School of Linguistics and Language Studies. There is an administrative fee for the standard test (provides a certificate of language proficiency). Students are strongly encouraged to take the opportunity to improve their language skills during their studies, including during their summer terms. Details of the language requirement are provided on the School website.

Fields
NPSIA's M.A. program is organized around six fields. Each field has a designated economics course (or courses) and a set of designated field courses. Each student is admitted into a field and receives priority in the required economics course and in any three of the non-shared designated field courses. Students that complete the required economics course or courses and three designated field courses may receive a field concentration designation on their academic transcript and diploma. Students who choose not to complete the requirements of any given field may still graduate with a general M.A. in International Affairs without a field concentration designation. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are shared courses with limited enrollment; students in the field may claim such courses towards their field concentration but do not have priority for the limited space in those courses.

Students who already have a graduate or senior undergraduate economics course that is deemed to be the equivalent of the required economics course for their field must take another economics course from the School. Students with economics courses similar to those offered by the school must see the M.A. Program Supervisor to determine which economics course they should be taking.

The fields are:

Co-op Option

Details about co-op eligibility are provided on the School's website.

The 0.0 credit co-op is in addition to the 5.0 credits required for the M.A., and a minimum of two co-op terms must be successfully completed before the student is eligible to receive a co-op designation on their academic transcript. Students register in the co-op course INAF 5913 and are restricted from taking more than 0.5 credit at the same time.

Work terms are four months in duration, and typically students are employed at the junior officer level in government departments or other organizations. Information and procedures can be obtained from the Carleton University Co-op Office.

Internship Option

The Internship option is available to all first year, full-time students in the M.A. and the M.A.-JD programs. Registration in the Internship Program option requires departmental permission, and is limited by the availability of placements. Application for an internship placement will normally be considered after the student has successfully completed 1.5 credits, including INAF 5013 and INAF 5014

Internship placements will locate students for one term in the public service, the private sector, or non-governmental organizations. During their work term, students are required to register in INAF 5914 (Internship Placement), which is additional to the program requirements described above.  Registration in the Internship Program is restricted to full-time students. 

Accelerated Pathway

The accelerated pathway to the Master of Arts degree at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) is a flexible and individualized plan of graduate study for students in their final year of a Carleton undergraduate degree in a related discipline such as the B.P.A.P.M. degree.

Students in the third year of study of their undergraduate program who are interested in the accelerated pathway should consult with the Associate Director (M.A. program) at NPSIA to determine if the accelerated pathway is appropriate for them and to confirm their selection of courses and Honours project/thesis supervisor for their final year of undergraduate studies.

Students that are admitted into the MA International Affairs program, with the approval of the NPSIA Admissions Committee, may receive advanced standing with transfer of credit of up to 1.0 credit in INAF courses at the 5000-level with a grade of B+ or higher, which can reduce their time to completion.  Please note: INAF courses eligible for advanced standing cannot include the core requirements of the NPSIA M.A. program.

1. Students that wish to obtain the Field designation are required to complete1.5 credits of field courses and their required economics field course if they choose the coursework option. For students in the IEP field both INAF 5308 and INAF 5309 must be completed in order to receive the field designation. If students choose to complete by Research Essay or Thesis, 0.5 credit  will be applied towards the field designation. For students in the African Studies Specialization, the Research Essay  or Thesis must cover both your field and the African studies component.
2. For elective courses,1.5 credits of the total required 5.0 credits may be selected from courses offered in other departments, with a maximum of 1.0 credit from a single department and a maximum of 1.0 credit selected from fourth year undergraduate courses. Any course not identified as an INAF 5000 level course must be approved by the M.A. Program Supervisor.
3. Students must successfully complete an examination in second language proficiency administered by Carleton University's School of Linguistics and Language Studies, or meet the equivalent standard as determined by the School of Linguistics and Language Studies. There is an administrative fee for the standard test (which leads to a certificate of language proficiency after successful completion). Students are strongly encouraged to take the opportunity to improve their language skills during their studies, including during their summer terms. Details of the language requirement are provided on the School website

Transfer from the Master's to the Ph.D. Program

Students in the full-time M.A. program who demonstrate outstanding academic performance and research potential may, with permission of the Doctoral Program Supervisor, be admitted to the Ph.D. program after two terms of registration.

Students considering this option will be advised, when selecting courses for their M.A. program, to choose those courses at the master's level which are open to doctoral students and which may assist them in the doctoral comprehensive examinations.

Part-time program requirements

In some cases, an applicant with relevant full-time employment experience may be admitted to a part-time M.A. program. While the program requirements are the same as those for full-time students, part-time students may take up to six calendar years from the date of initial registration to complete the program.

Part-time students must register for a minimum of one term in three, and must successfully complete INAF 5011, INAF 5012, INAF 5013, and INAF 5014 within their first 2.5 program credits. In addition, the economics course requirement must be included in the first 2.5 credits completed.

Students enrolled in the full-time master's program may transfer to the part-time program only under exceptional circumstances as approved by the faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

M.A. International Affairs/JD

Admission Requirements

Students must apply separately to the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, at the University of Ottawa and to the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and be accepted by both institutions in accordance with the normal admission requirements of each program. Interest in pursuing the joint program must be specified in each application.

Program Requirements

A student will complete both the M.A. and the JD programs over four calendar years.

Students will be expected to fulfil the normal requirements of both the M.A. and JD programs.

Students must complete INAF 5509 in their second year of the program.

In addition, students in the combined program will be required to complete courses in international law to be specified by the Faculty of Law.

Of the 5.0 credits completed for the M.A. degree, up to 1.5 credits may be applied to the Juris Doctor degree.

In undertaking the M.A./JD research essay, students will be expected to integrate both components of the joint program into their work.

The normal sequence of courses for the two degrees is as follows:

First Year

Normal JD first year (required course work to include a 0.5-credit course in international law)

Second Year

Normal M.A. first year (as described in full-time M.A. program requirements) including completion of INAF 5509. Students who choose the coursework option must complete 4.0 credits by the end of their second year. Students who choose the  research essay or thesis should consult the NPSIA M.A. program administrator for registration information.

Third and Fourth Year

Students are normally registered in at least 0.5 credit of an INAF course in each of the third and fourth years of their MA/JD program. Students who choose the research essay or thesis option are also required to register in INAF 5906 or INAF 5919.  M.A./JD research essays and theses will have one supervisor from NPSIA and one supervisor from the Law School.

Ph.D. International Affairs

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

To successfully complete the doctoral program, students must obtain a grade of B- or better in each course credit, and Satisfactory or Distinction in the comprehensive examinations, doctoral research seminar, the research prospectus defence and the Ph.D. thesis and its oral defence.

Admission Requirements

Admission into the Ph.D. program will be judged primarily on the applicant's ability to undertake research successfully and his/her prospects for completion of the program. Admission to the Ph.D. program is governed by the requirements stated in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

The normal requirement for admission to the doctoral program in International Affairs is a Master's degree in a social science with at least an A- average.

Relevant work experience is also considered. Students who lack sufficient background at the graduate level in international affairs will be required to take supplementary courses extra to the degree prior to admission.

Students with no formal training in economics must complete a 1.0 credit (or equivalent) course in introductory economics (introductory microeconomics and introductory macroeconomics for economics majors) plus at least 1.0 credit (or the equivalent) at the advanced undergraduate (typically third or fourth year) or intermediate theory level to be considered for admission.

Students with no formal training in International Law must complete an International Law course (0.5 credit) at the School, or in a Law department or faculty, before the end of the second year of their program.  The course must be a minimum of a 3rd year, undergraduate level course, and if taken at the School, will be extra to the degree,

All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to obtain an overall score of 70 or over on the Canadian Academic English Language Assessment with a minimum score of 70 for the writing section or a TOEFL score of 250 computer-based, 100 iBT (minimum score of 25) in each of reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Program Requirements

All Ph.D. candidates must be registered full time for the duration for their program.

Detailed Program Requirements

First and Second Year

Note: policy and methods courses and field courses, along with their corresponding comprehensive examinations, will be offered in alternate years. 

The course requirements and the corresponding comprehensive examination must be successfully completed in the year that they are offered, in order to progress to the next year of study.  Students who have not successfully completed the required courses and corresponding comprehensive examination will be subject to a review to determine continuation in the program.

By the end of the second year of the program students must have completed 5.0 credits: 4.0 credits of compulsory courses, and 1.0 credit in comprehensive examinations. 

Third Year

The following 0.5 credit, and any required language courses must be completed by the end of the third year of the program.

• All required credits and comprehensive examinations.
•  The language requirement

Students who have not successfully completed the prospectus defence by the end of the third year will be subject to a review to determine continuation in the program. In the event that progress is deemed unsatisfactory, the student may be required to withdraw from the program. In exceptional cases, students may be permitted to continue to register in INAF 6900 but they must maintain continuous registration in INAF 6900 until successful defence of their prospectus, in order to remain in the program.  Continuation in the program will be assessed each term.

Subsequent years

The student is required to be enrolled continuously in the PhD thesis, including summer terms, until the completion and successful defence of the doctoral thesis. 

Comprehensive examinations

Two comprehensive examinations (0.5 credit each) must be completed with a grade of Satisfactory or Distinction by the end of the second year of the program. A student must successfully complete the comprehensive examination in policy and methods based, on their compulsory policy and methods courses, INAF 6001, INAF 6002 and INAF 6003.

The field comprehensive examination is based on a set of readings provided at the beginning of fall term and studied and discussed in the doctoral field comprehensive seminar that takes over the fall and winter semester of alternate years. Preparation includes the coursework, self-directed study and study with their proposed doctoral supervisor, and the required participation in the doctoral field comprehensive seminar in their second year.

A candidate whose performance on a comprehensive examination is not deemed satisfactory by the examining board may be required to submit to either an oral examination or may be required to repeat the examination in a subsequent term.  Failure in the comprehensive examination on the second attempt will result in removal from the program.

Doctoral Research Seminar and Prospectus Defence (0.5 credit)

A seminar where theoretical, methodological and practical research issues and the students' thesis prospectus are discussed and presented. Participation is mandatory for all students who have completed their comprehensive examination, until they defend their prospectus.

Thesis (4.5 credits)

All Ph.D. candidates are required to successfully complete and defend a thesis equivalent to 4.5 credits on a topic approved by the School.

Language Requirement

Doctoral students must successfully complete an examination in second language proficiency administered by Carleton University's School of Linguistics and Language Studies, or meet the equivalent standard as determined by the School of Linguistics and Language Studies. There is an administrative fee for the standard test which also provides a certificate of language proficiency. Students are strongly encouraged to take the opportunity to improve their language skills during their doctoral studies, including during their summer terms, This requirement must be completed or significant progress demonstrated by the end of the third year of the program.