Overview

Public policy gets to the heart of the question of “who gets what” and of “who benefits.” It can be about the big picture of how power works in societies, or it can involve finding the “devil in the details” of complex policy processes and outcomes.

Our faculty has capacity to supervise students doing mainstream policy studies, as well as projects in a number of critical approaches to policy.

We prepare students in the fields of theories and approaches to comparative public policy, public administration, and internationalization of public policy. We value the opportunity to combine comparative public policy with courses in related fields such as comparative politics, globalization and the internationalization of public policy.

Careers

The Political Science - Comparative Public Policy program at McMaster University prepares graduates for working in Canadian and overseas universities, international organizations, and federal, provincial and local public services. Our graduates have taken up position at a number of Canadian universities and in federal and provincial public services.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Canadian Public Policy

Theory and Practice of Policy Analysis: Frameworks and Models

Global Public Policy

Comparative Politics of Health Policy

Major Research Paper

Liberalism and Imperialism

Comparative Authoritarianism

Political Violence and Revolution

Digital Technology and the Politics of the Information Age

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months
Part-time
- 96 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-14 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

92

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Hamilton, Canada

Disciplines

Public Policy Political Science View 20 other PhDs in Political Science in Canada

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Academic requirements

GPA

A-

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

92

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Other requirements

General requirements

Admission to the PhD program will normally require a Master’s degree in political science with an average of at least an A- (A minus).
Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty members in the Department of Political Science regarding potential supervision.
An electronic statement of interest (approximately 500 words, single or double-spaced, maximum of 1 page).
C.V. / Personal Resume
Official Academic Transcripts
Three (3) confidential reference reports from instructors most familiar with your academic work

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

4204 CAD / year

≈ 4204 CAD / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

4204 CAD / year

≈ 4204 CAD / year

Living costs

Hamilton

Canada

1163 - 1630 CAD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Political Science - Comparative Public Policy.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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