Degree requirements and curriculum
The MA in Public and International Affairs requires successful completion of a total of 45 credits. The credits are distributed as follows:
- Eight core courses (24 credits)
- Four electives specialized seminars (12 credits)
- A capstone seminar (3 credits)
- A major research paper (6 credits)
For students registered in the co-op program, the degree requirements are somewhat different from those of the standard program. The 51 credits required for completion of the degree are distributed as follows:
- Eight core courses (24 credits)
- Three elective seminars (9 credits)
- Two co-op placements with report (12 credits)
- A major research paper (6 credits)
It is possible for co-op students to take a capstone seminar as part of their three elective specialized seminars.
For a measure of flexibility, with the permission of the program coordinator, up to two courses may be replaced by courses offered by other academic units.
The program normally extends over two years of full-time study.
The first year of the program: Acquiring strong foundations
The first year of study is essentially dedicated to the core courses that will allow students to gain a strong multidisciplinary foundation in public and international affairs. Students must complete four courses, involving different disciplines, in each of the fall and winter terms. Through these eight courses, students will acquire the foundations required to understand contemporary issues in the formulation of public policy and the conduct of international affairs, and allowing them to take seminars on more specialized topics in the second year of the program.
The Course Sequence for the First Year
| Fall Term | Winter Term |
| API 5105 Concepts and Issues in International Affairs | API 5106 Globalization and Governance |
| API 5116 Democratic Governance and Public Management | API 5115 The Politics of the Policy Process |
| API 5125 Macroeconomic Policy | API 5126 Microeconomics for Public Policy |
| API 5135 Ethics for Public and International Affairs | API 5136 Research Methods for Public Policy |
The second year of the program: Exploring more specialized areas
The second year of the program is designed to allow students to acquire deeper knowledge in specific areas. It requires the student to complete three sets of requirements: a set of four elective seminars, a capstone seminar, and a major research paper.
Specialized seminars
The specialized seminars are regrouped under three fields of concentration: public policy, international affairs, and development studies. An academic adviser will be available at the School to assist students in selecting their specialized seminars.
The elective courses offered under the three fields of concentration are the following:
Field 1: Public Policy
- API 6311 Public Economics
- API 6312 Public Finance
- API 6313 Multi-level Governance and Public Policy
- API 6314 Health Policy
- API 6315 Social Policy
- API 6316 Environmental Policy
- API 6317 Immigration, Diversity and Public Policy
- API 6319 Special Topic in Public Policy
Field 2: International Affairs
- API 6331 International Finance
- API 6332 International Trade
- API 6333 International Law and Ethics
- API 6334 Regionalism and Integration
- API 6335 Canadian Foreign Policy
- API 6336 Defence Policy and Military Affairs
- API 6337 Peace Operations and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
- API 6339 Special Topic in International Affairs
Field 3: Development Studies
- API 6351 International Economics and Developing Countries
- API 6352 Political Economy of Development
- API 6353 Human Rights and Democratization
- API 6354 Migration and Development
- API 6355 Foreign Aid Policy
- API 6356 Environment, Natural Resource and Development
- API 6357 Conflict and Human Security
- API 6359 Special Topic in Development Studies
The capstone seminars (API 6399)
Each year, the School will offer between 5 and 8 capstone seminars, covering the three fields of concentration.
Each capstone seminar will focus on a specific problem of public policy, international affairs or development. For example, topics could include post-conflict reconstruction and the role of the UN, development and corporate social responsibility, or climate change policy. With the exception of those in the co-op option, students are required to chose and complete one of those seminars.
The capstone seminars will require that students work in small teams to prepare a detailed policy brief, offering both rigorous analysis and alternatives for action to address the problem at hand. At the end of the course, students will also be required to present their policy brief to their fellow students, faculty members, and senior fellows at the School.
The capstone seminar should serve as an opportunity to use, in a more integrative manner, the knowledge and techniques studied throughout the program. Moreover, in order to provide students with a better appreciation for the real-life constraints faced by policy-makers, diplomats and development workers, each seminar will be led by a regular faculty member, but it will also involve an experienced practitioner associated with the program.
The major research paper (API 6999)
As the final requirement of the program, students will write a major paper on a topic of their choice. Written under the supervision of a professor, the paper will be about 50 pages in length. It will be marked by two professors: the supervisor and an additional professor associated with the program. Students will register in the major paper in the summer of their first year and the paper must be completed by the end of the sixth semester.