Waterloo will partner with the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom to establish a double degree option that combines Waterloo’s Master of Arts in Global Governance (MAGG) program, based at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, with the choice of ten Masters programs offered by the Department of Politics and International Studies (PAIS) at Warwick.
“This is a wonderful partnership for the University of Waterloo,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Waterloo. “Not only do Waterloo students now have an opportunity to study at a world-class university, but we see the double degree between the MAGG and PAIS as the first piece in what we hope will be a robust and dynamic research alliance between two of the world’s leading innovation institutions.”
“Warwick prides itself on being a globally connected university which provides many opportunities for staff and students to work with their peers around the globe,” said Professor Sir NigelThrift, vice-chancellor and president at the University of Warwick. “This Double Masters degree programme with the University of Waterloo is another wonderful opportunity for students both at Warwick and Waterloo to add a further global perspective to their studies and research.”
The University of Warwick is a member of the Russell Group, the association of 24 prestigious British public research universities.
“Warwick’s masters programs in international studies are a perfect complement to our Masters of Global Governance program,” said Professor Suzan Ilcan, director of the MAGG program at Waterloo. “We’re delighted that students will be able to match their Global Governance degree with, among others, a degree in International Political Economy, International Security, International Development or International Politics and East Asia. This new double degree option makes an already dynamic program even better.”
Students taking the double degree option spend one year at the University of Waterloo/Balsillie School of International Affairs, and one year at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
Students complete the degree requirements for both programs, with the thesis component supervised jointly by faculty at both institutions. At the end of the two years, they receive degrees from both the University of Waterloo and Warwick.
“The University of Waterloo’s MAGG program based at the Balsillie School offers a truly unique and exceptional opportunity for our students to enhance their Masters study experience at Waterloo’s excellent Balsillie School while also gaining world class training at Warwick,” said Trevor McCrisken, a professor of Politics and International Studies, and director of the PAIS double degree programs at Warwick. “There is simply no better partner for us in Canada.”
“This is an exciting initiative for the Balsillie School,” said John Ravenhill, Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. “Warwick’s department of PAIS is home to internationally renowned scholars who are leaders in their fields, and their areas of focus match beautifully with the research priorities of the School. We envision the development of a larger partnership that will include doctoral and faculty exchanges, as well as joint events and research projects.”
Background
The University of Waterloo Master of Arts of Global Governance program is an interdisciplinary program that draws on the core disciplines of History, Political Science, Economics and Environment Studies, as well as related disciplines. Students take six courses over two terms, write a Major Research Paper, and typically complete both the CIGI Graduate Fellowship professional development program as well as a four-month internship. Established in 2007, the Balsillie School of International Affairs is an equal collaboration among the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU), and the University of Waterloo (UW). See website for more information: www.balsillieschool.ca.
Warwick’s PAIS currently offers ten MA programmes in International Relations, International Security, International Political Economy, International Development, Public Policy, Political and Legal Theory, International Politics and Europe, United States Foreign Policy, International Politics and Asia, and Research in Politics and International Studies. PAIS has two further double degree options, one with the University of Konstanz in Konstanz, Germany, and the other with Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It is currently in the process of finalizing three additional double degree options with Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, American University in Washington, DC, USA, and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
