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Political Studies

General Description

Politics can be understood as a community's deliberations about such fundamental matters as justice and injustice, freedom, human rights, democracy, law making, dispute settlement, governance and citizenship. Political Studies addresses critical questions such as: Who gets what, when, and how? Who can do what to whom? What is the point or objective of political action or inaction? The study of these questions and others provides students of Political Studies with a grasp of political issues and solutions at the domestic level and international level.

The civic and political life of Canadians is rapidly becoming more diverse and more global. Yet timeless political questions also lie below the changing surface. An awareness of what is possible and even desirable in the future depends upon familiarity with the history of political thought. New opportunities are opening to those who are equipped to meet the challenges of a changing Canada and a changing world. Political Studies helps students be a part of those new opportunities by providing them the intellectual tools needed to understand and analyze real world problems, conduct research, and be more informed citizens.

Political Studies prepares students for jobs in rewarding career areas such as public service in local, provincial or federal levels of government; international affairs; international organizations or non–governmental organizations; teaching; journalism; social research; and consultancy. A Bachelor of Arts, Major in Political Studies from VIU prepares students to pursue graduate degrees in Political Science (MA), International and Global Studies (MA), Public Policy and Administration (MPA), Business (MBA), interdisciplinary studies, or Law (LLB).

VIU offers undergraduates the option of studying Political Studies as a Major or as a Minor in a 4–year Bachelor of Arts degree program. The B.A. Minor and Major in Political Studies are designed around four fields of political inquiry that together represent a core range of the discipline: international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and Canadian politics. Students are exposed to a representative range of this core in their choice of lower level courses, but are then given the opportunity to more freely choose field specializations in their choice of upper level courses.

The B.A. Minor and Major in Political Studies at VIU also provide students the opportunity to complement their degree in Political Studies with a select number of courses in other disciplines. This interdisciplinary element of the B.A. in Political Studies enriches the study of politics and gives students the option of completing a Minor or joint Major in a related field of study.

Requirements for a Major

Students must fulfill all the Institutional B.A. degree requirements, including Degree English Requirements and courses listed below:

Years 1 & 2

Credits

Select eighteen credits of 100-200 level POLI courses as follows:

Select three credits from the following list:
POLI 100 - (Identities and Communities: An Introduction to Politics) or,
POLI 151 - (Law and Politics in Canada)

3

Select at least six credits from the following list:
POLI 200* - (International Peace and Security)
POLI 201* - (An Introduction to International Political Economy)
POLI 221 - (Canadian Politics and Government)
POLI 231 - (Comparative Politics)
POLI 260 - (Justice and the Good Life: an Introduction to Political Thought)

6

Select three credits from the following list:
SOCI 250** - (Intro to Sociological Research Methods) or,
CRIM 220** - (Research Methods in Criminology)

3

Select six credits of 100-200 level POLI*** courses.

6

* Students may not take both POLI 200 and POLI 201 to meet this requirement.

** The prerequisite for SOCI 250 is either SOCI 111 or SOCI 112; the prerequisite for CRIM 220 is CRIM 101.

*** Up to six credits may be taken from the following list:
FNAT 220 - (First Nations and the Canadian State)
FNAT 223 - (First Nations and Northern Development)
PHIL 231 - (Social and Political Philosophy)

Years 3 & 4

Credits

Select thirty credits of 300-400 level POLI courses.
Note: Up to nine credits may be taken from the following list:
ANTH 332 - (Political Anthropology: People, Power, and Place)
ECON 306 - (International Trade)
ECON 320 - (Economic Development)
ECON 323 - (Economies in Transition)
FNAT 350 - (Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian Law)
FNAT 425 - (Decolonization: First Nations Self-Government into the 21st Century)
FNAT 450 - (Comparative Aboriginal Rights and Policies)
GEOG 352 - (Managing Natural and Social Capital)
GLST 390 - (Globalization: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry)
GLST 391 - (Responses to Globalization)
GLST 490 - (Selected Topics in Global Studies)
GLST 491 - (Applied Seminar in Global Studies)
HIST 330 - (Canadian International Relations to 1945: Emerging Out of the Shadows)
HIST 331 - (Canadian International Relations since 1945: The Triumphs and Frustrations of a Middle Power)
HIST 341 - (Work and Workers in Canada since World War I)
HIST 342 - (Political History of Canada from Confederation to the 1930s)
HIST 343 - (Political History of Canada since the 1930s)
PHIL 431 - (Topics in Political Philosophy)
SOCI 430 - (Social Movements and Social Change)

30

Note: These credits may not be used for more than one Major or Minor.
Note: Not all Political Studies courses are offered every year. Students are advised to see a BA Advisor early in their program to ensure timely completion.

Requirements for a Minor

Students must fulfill all the Institutional B.A. degree requirements, including Degree English Requirements and courses listed below:

Years 1 & 2

Credits

Select fifteen credits of 100-200 level POLI courses as follows:

Select three credits from the following list:
POLI 100 - (Identities and Communities: An Introduction to Politics) or,
POLI 151 - (Law and Politics in Canada)

3

Select three credits from the following list:
POLI 200 - (International Peace and Security)
POLI 201 - (An Introduction to International Political Economy)
POLI 221 - (Canadian Politics and Government)
POLI 231 - (Comparative Politics)
POLI 260 - (Justice and the Good Life: an Introduction to Political Thought)

3

Select nine credits of 100-200 level POLI* courses.

9

* Up to six credits may be taken from the following list:
FNAT 220 - (First Nations and the Canadian State)
SOCI 250 - (Intro to Sociological Research Methods)

Years 3 & 4

Credits

Select eighteen credits of 300-400 level POLI courses.
Note: Up to six credits may be taken from the following list:
ANTH 419 - (Globalizing Culture: A Critical Perspective)
ECON 306 - (International Trade)
ECON 320 - (Economic Development)
ECON 323 - (Economies in Transition)
FNAT 350 - (Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian Law)
FNAT 425 - (Decolonization: First Nations Self-Government into the 21st Century)
FNAT 450 - (Comparative Aboriginal Rights and Policies)
GLST 390 - (Globalization: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry)
GLST 391 - (Responses to Globalization)
GLST 490 - (Selected Topics in Global Studies)
GLST 491 - (Applied Seminar in Global Studies)
HIST 330 - (Canadian International Relations to 1945: Emerging Out of the Shadows)
HIST 331 - (Canadian International Relations since 1945: The Triumphs and Frustrations of a Middle Power)
HIST 341 - (Work and Workers in Canada since World War I)
HIST 342 - (Political History of Canada from Confederation to the 1930s)
HIST 343 - (Political History of Canada since the 1930s)
PHIL 431 - (Topics in Political Philosophy)
SOCI 430 - (Social Movements and Social Change)

18

Note: These credits may not be used for more than one Major or Minor.
Note: Not all Political Studies courses are offered every year. Students are advised to see a BA Advisor early in their program to ensure timely completion.

Updated: June 21, 2011