With four central strengths — Canadian Politics, Global Politics, Politics & Business, and Public Policy & Administration — Political Science at Waterloo offers innovative specializations and career-relevant minors that explore Ideas for Changing the World.
Our undergraduate BA degree in Political Science teaches our students how to navigate the challenges of the global political landscape and to respond to our complex future. The degree emphasizes both classroom learning – with award-winning instructors – and experiential learning in the real world – to promote the development of a range of important skills, such as communication, collaboration, creativity, self-management, self-assessment, time-management, long-term and critical thinking, and strategies for lifelong learning.
At the graduate level, we offer a MA and a PhD in Political Science (with co-op options), and a Master of Public Service. Our instructors also form the core of faculty who teach courses and supervise students in the MA and PhD in Global Governance, which is housed at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
Discover our programs
Undergraduate studies
Navigate and respond to the challenges of the global political landscape with a major, minor or specialization in Political Science.
Master of Arts in Political Science
Gain a deeper understanding of global politics at multiple scales (domestic, regional, global) while developing analytical and professional skills for success in your career.
PhD in Political Science
Enjoy greater flexibility in core research activities and professional development for both academic and non-academic career paths, experiential and teaching options.
Master of Public Service
Gain the knowledge, skills, and work experience you need for a public service career at any level of government in Canada.
Global Governance programs
Our interdisciplinary Master and PhD programs focus on advanced research, writing and analytical skills to help you prepare for careers in academics or the public, private and civil sectors.
News
Applications for sessional instructors for the spring 2026 term
We are seeking qualified instructors to teach: PSCI231, PSCI 252 and PSCI 257 in the spring 2026 term.
Meet Eleanor McGrath
She is a fourth-year Political Science PhD student conducting research in reproductive health. Eleanor shares her graduate studies experience in the Political Science department.
“My dissertation is about the lack of complete and accurate data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in Canada, the absence of a national program of investigations into maternal deaths, and why we haven’t been able to fix it since it was first identified as a problem over 100 years ago.” The topic emerged during coursework when she read about efforts to improve data collection. “I was shocked that this was such a problem here and given that I also have a personal connection to the issue, this became my thesis research topic.”
Read more about Eleanor’s research and student life experience: https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/blog/lived-experience-legislative-impact
Prof. Emmett Macfarlane's New Book
Prof. Macfarlane published a new book in August 2025 called "Rights and Parliamentary Systems in Canada and Beyond."
The Department of Political Science acknowledges that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River.