Political Science: Gender and Women's Studies (Ph.D.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Political Science (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The Ph.D. in Political Science; Gender and Women’s Studies focuses on gender and women studies of the foundation in political science theory and methods in the following political science subfields: international relations, comparative politics, Canadian politics, and political theory. Broad training is provided in the discipline and specialization in two major fields of choice is required. Training in feminist research methods and theories is required. Comprehensive exams in two fields are taken in the first and/or second year of study, in consultation with supervisors, field coordinators, and the Graduate Program Director. Participation in a research symposium that brings together gender studies’ researchers from across disciplines is mandatory.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please refer to Visual Schedule Builder. A technical issue is causing the "Terms offered" field to incorrectly report "this course is not currently offered" for many courses in the Course Catalogue.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 700 | PhD Research Seminar. | 0 |
PhD Research Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Departmental-wide research seminar, mandatory for all PhD students resident in Montreal who have completed their comprehensive exams. Students present their current research and receive critical feedback. | ||
| POLI 701 | Ph.D. General Written Examination First Field. | 0 |
Ph.D. General Written Examination First Field. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. One of two comprehensive examinations that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. Remove prerequisite, as this course never existed as spanned. | ||
| POLI 702 | Ph.D. General Written Examination Second Field. | 0 |
Ph.D. General Written Examination Second Field. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. One of two comprehensive examinations that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. | ||
| POLI 799 | Ph.D. Oral Comprehensive Examination. | 0 |
Ph.D. Oral Comprehensive Examination. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. | ||
| WMST 601 | Feminist Theories and Methods. | 3 |
Feminist Theories and Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of feminist theories and research methods from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. | ||
| WMST 602 | Feminist Research Symposium. | 3 |
Feminist Research Symposium. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion and development of participants' research in gender and women's studies. | ||
Complementary Courses (33 credits)
33 credits at the 500 or 600 level, chosen as follows:
Major Fields
12 credits chosen in the first major field of which 3 credits must be the core course in the field.
9 credits chosen in the second major field of which 3 credits must be the core course in the field.
Political Theory
3 credits in political theory at the 500 or 600 level.
Methods
3 credits of the following:
or another suitable Advanced Methods course.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| POLI 612 | Research Methods in Political Science. | 3 |
Research Methods in Political Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This seminar offers an overview of the fundamental principles of political science research. Emphasis is placed on acquainting students with the methods and techniques most commonly used by political scientists. Topics include research project design, procedures for carrying out research, as well as both qualitatively- and quantitatively-oriented methods of data collection, processing, and analysis. | ||
Gender Courses
3 credits at the 500 level or higher of an option-approved course in consultation with the program advisor.
Remaining Courses
3 credits which may be outside the student’s major fields. For students that choose the advanced methods courses as part of the Advanced Research Tools, 3 credits must be the advanced methods courses.
Advanced Research Tools
Language Requirement: Students must pass an advanced-level translation test from a language other than English. If the student's research will involve field work in a country where English is not widely spoken, the test will include an oral component. In selecting a language to fulfil this requirement, the student must demonstrate in writing how the chosen language is related to his or her research.
OR
Advanced Statistical Methods: To fulfil this requirement, students must complete 3 advanced methods credits (at the 600, or 700 level) in qualitative or quantitative methods, selected in consultation with the student advisor, the Graduate Program Director, and the methods coordinator.