Political Science

Department of Political Science

Location: Tilley Hall, Room 219
Phone: 506-453-4826
polisci@unb.ca

Chair: Dr. Donald Wright

Department of Political Science
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, N.B.
Canada, E3B 5A3

Faculty

Bigonnesse, Catherine, BA, MA (Sherbrooke), PhD (Simon Fraser), Asst Prof - 2022
Emery, Herb, BA (hons) (Queen's), MA, PhD (UBC), Prof - 2016
Hindmarch, Suzanne, BA (Alberta), MA (Dalhousie), PhD (Toronto), Assoc Prof - 2015
Howe, Paul, BA (Tor), MSc (London School of Economics & Pol. Sc.), PhD (UBC), Prof - 2001
MacLean, George, BA (King’s College/Dalhousie), MA (McMaster), PhD (Queens), Prof – 2014
McDonald, Ted, BA (St. Francis Xavier), MA, PhD (Melbourne), Prof - 2001
Millar, Heather, BA (Simon Fraser), MPP (Simon Fraser), PhD (Toronto), Asst. Prof - 2020
Rosales, Antulio, BA (Trent), MSc (Venezuela), PhD (Waterloo), Asst. Prof - 2017
Workman, Thom W., BA (Car), MA, PhD (York), Prof - 1994
Wright, Donald, BA (MtA), MA (McGill), PhD (Ottawa), Prof & Chair – 2005
Wright, Joanne, BSc (MtA), MA (UNB), PhD (York), Prof & Dean - 2005
Yaylacı, Şule, BSc (Middle East Technical University), MSc (LSE), MA (Bilkent), PhD (UBC), Asst Prof – 2025
General Information

Courses

1000-level courses introduce the discipline. Students who are thinking of pursuing a Political Science program - a Minor, Major, or Honours - should take one or two of these courses in their first year.

2000-level courses are Foundation courses, which introduce the main sub-fields.

3000-level courses are Advanced courses on specialized topics.

4000-level courses are Seminars, open to senior students.

The courses are grouped into sub-fields, which are intended to guide students in developing a coherent program of study, but students may choose according to their interests and course availability as long as they meet program requirements.

Course credit

Students may count courses towards the fulfilment of their program requirements in a Single Major, Double Major or Honours in Political Science only if they receive a grade of C or better. Students must achieve a grade of B- or better in POLS 4900 to receive an Honours degree.

Minor, Major and Honours

Minor

A Minor in Political Science consists of 24 ch in Political Science courses, of which at least 6 ch must be in Introductory Level courses (1000 or 2000 level) and 12 ch in Upper Level courses (3000 or 4000 level).

Minor in Environmental Studies

Students seeking a Minor in Environmental Studies are required to take at least 24 ch from the following list of courses, of which 12 ch must be at the advanced level.

In addition, students must take courses from at least 3 different departments.

With the permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Political Science, a student may take up to 6 ch from ARTS 1023, ARTS 3000, ARTS 3002 and ARTS 4000 (or equivalent experiential learning opportunity).

All inquiries should be directed towards the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Political Science, Heather Millar (h.millar@unb.ca).

Anthropology

ANTH 1003 Environment and Climate Change
ANTH 2011 Environment and Infrastructure
ANTH/SOCI 2801 Food and Culture
ANTH 3111 Resource Extraction, Conflice, and Resistance
ANTH 4025 Hunters and Gatherers
ANTH 4144 Culture and Environment

Comparative Cultural Studies

CCS 3405 Media and Environment

Economics

ECON 3755 Environmental Economics (Requires 3 ch of first-year microeconomics)
ECON 3766 Economics of Climate Change (Requires 3 ch of first-year microeconomics)
ECON 3801 Transportation Economics
ECON 3865 Energy Economics

English

ENGL 3983 Literature and the Environment

History

HIST 3355 Nature, Culture and the Canadian Environment
HIST 5342 Environmental History of North America
HIST 5345 Natural Resources, Industrialization, and the Environment in Atlantic Canada

Philosophy

PHIL 3208 Ecological Ethics

Political Science

POLS 1803 Politics of Climate Change
POLS 3217 Canadian Environmental Policy
POLS 4724 Topics in Environmental History and Politics
POLS 4725 Climate and Energy Policy
POLS 4734 Political Economy of Energy and the Environment

Sociology

SOCI 3553 Sociology and the Environment
SOCI 3563 Global Perspectives in Environmental Health
SOCI/ANTH 3801 Food Studies

Minor in Public Policy

This is a joint Minor offered by the Departments of Economics and Political Science. The Minor is open to all students including those majoring in Economics and Political Science.

Students may minor in Public Policy by completing 24 ch of courses offered by the Department of Economics and the Department of Political Science.

a. 6 ch of economics (ECON) courses chosen from: ECON 1014 or ECON 1013, ECON 1024 or ECON 1023, ECON 2203, ECON 3505, ECON 3705, ECON 3905.
b. 6 ch of introductory political science (POLS) courses chosen from: POLS 1203, POLS 1603, POLS 2013, POLS 2202, POLS 2303, POLS 2403, POLS 2603, POLS 2703.
c. 6 ch of advanced economics (ECON) courses from: ECON 3055, ECON 3203, ECON 3504, ECON 3702, ECON 3755, ECON 3775, ECON 3801, ECON 3815, ECON 3845, ECON 3865.
d. 6 ch of advanced political science (POLS) courses from: POLS 3103, POLS 3213, POLS 3215, POLS 3217, POLS 3241, POLS 3251, POLS 3257, POLS 3323, POLS 3392, POLS 3461, POLS 3531, POLS 3647, POLS 3845, POLS 4724, POLS 4725, POLS 4727, POLS 4734, POLS 4735.

Major

These regulations apply to students who began their program at UNB in Fall 2022 or after. For regulations pertaining to students who entered before that date, please consult an earlier calendar or the Department.

Single Major

Students studying for a Single Major in Political Science shall complete a total of 42 ch in Political Science, 24 ch of which must be in upper level courses. Students must include 12 ch from the list of required courses below:

3 ch of Canadian Politics
- POLS 2202 Canadian Politics (3 ch)
3 ch of International Relations or Political Economy from the courses below:
- POLS 2013 Introduction to Political Economy (3 ch)
- POLS 2703 Introduction to International Relations (3 ch)
3 ch of Comparative Politics from the courses below:
- POLS 2303 Politics of the Developing World (3 ch)
- POLS 2603 Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (3 ch)
3 ch of Theory from the courses below:
- POLS 2403 Political Theory into the Present (3 ch)
- POLS 3403 The Tradition of Political Theory (3 ch)

Double Major

Students studying for a Double Major in Political Science and another discipline shall complete a total of 30 ch in Political Science, 18 ch of which must be upper level courses. Students must include 9 ch from the required courses:

3 ch of Canadian Politics
- POLS 2202 Canadian Politics (3 ch)
3 ch of International Relations or Political Economy or Comparative Politics from the courses below:
- POLS 2013 Introduction to Political Economy (3 ch)
- POLS 2303 Politics of the Developing World (3 ch)
- POLS 2603 Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (3 ch)
- POLS 2703 Introduction to International Relations (3 ch)
3 ch of Theory from the courses below:
- POLS 2403 Political Theory into the Present (3 ch)
- POLS 3403 The Tradition of Political Theory (3 ch)

Honours

In order to be eligible for admission to the Honours program, students must usually have:

a GPA of at least 3.0 in Political Science courses
a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
at least 60 ch of course work completed
at least 12 ch of course work in Political Science completed

Students studying for Honours in Political Science should contact the Departmental Undergraduate Advisor. Approval by the Undergraduate Advisor, in consultation with the Department, is required.

Students wishing to apply for admission to the program are encouraged to contact the Undergraduate Advisor in the term prior to entry.

Single Honours

Students studying for Honours in Political Science must complete at least 48 ch in Political Science, 30 ch of which must be in upper level courses. Honours students must include the following in their program:

3 ch of Canadian Politics
- POLS 2202 Canadian Politics (3 ch)
3 ch of International Relations or Political Economy from the courses below:
- POLS 2013 Introduction to Political Economy (3 ch)
- POLS 2703 Introduction to International Relations (3 ch)
3 ch of Comparative Politics from the courses below:
- POLS 2303 Politics of the Developing World (3 ch)
- POLS 2603 Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (3 ch)
3 ch of Theory from the courses below:
- POLS 2403 Political Theory into the Present (3 ch)
- POLS 3403 The Tradition of Political Theory (3 ch)
3 ch of Methods from the courses below:
- POLS 3534 Quantitative Approaches in Political Science (3 ch)
- POLS 3535 Qualitative Methods in Political Science (3 ch)
POLS 4900 Honours Thesis
6 ch of Political Science courses at the 4000-level (in addition to POLS 4900)

Joint Honours

Students studying for Joint Honours in Political Science and another discipline must complete at least 30 ch in Political Science, 18 ch of which must be in upper level courses. Honours students must include the following in their program:

3 ch of Canadian Politics
- POLS 2202 Canadian Politics (3 ch)
3 ch of International Relations or Political Economy or Comparative Politics from the courses below:
- POLS 2013 Introduction to Political Economy (3 ch)
- POLS 2303 Politics of the Developing World (3 ch)
- POLS 2603 Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (3 ch)
- POLS 2703 Introduction to International Relations (3 ch)
3 ch of Theory from the courses below:
- POLS 2403 Political Theory into the Present (3 ch)
- POLS 3403 The Tradition of Political Theory (3 ch)
3 ch of Methods from the courses below:
- POLS 3534 Quantitative Approaches in Political Science (3 ch)
- POLS 3535 Qualitative Methods in Political Science (3 ch)
6 ch of Thesis from the courses below:
- POLS 4900 Honours Thesis (6 ch)
- 6 ch Honours Thesis from another department.
  - If a student is completing a Joint Honours in Political Science and any other Arts program requiring a 6 ch Honours thesis, that 6 ch course may replace POLS 4900. Prior approval from the Undergraduate Honours Advisor must be obtained.
3 ch of Political Science courses at the 4000-level (in addition to POLS 4900)

Political Science

Department of Political Science

Faculty

Courses

Course credit

Minor, Major and Honours

Minor

Minor in Environmental Studies

Minor in Public Policy

Major

Single Major

Double Major

Honours

Single Honours

Joint Honours

Sub-fields of political science

Canadian politics

Comparative politics

International relations

Political economy

Public policy

Theory

Methods, skills and independent study