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Globalization and International Development (MA)

Master's Degree Requirements

The program requirements consist of 24 credits of courses and a research paper. A thesis option also exists but requires special permission from the program committee (see 2 below). In addition, there is a CO-OP option (see 3 below).

The program has four fields: political economy of globalization and development; power, law and international society; conflict, security, and territoriality in a globalizing world; globalization, culture, and identity.

1. The master’s with research paper requires:

    a) 24 credits as follows:

    • Four core courses (12 credits): MDG 5120; MDG 5121; MDG 5122; MDG 5123.

      • Students with advanced training in international economics or in international finance and development may be exempted from MDG 5123 and allowed to replace it with a three-credit course from the list of electives.

    • Four elective courses (12 credits) in the chosen field, distributed between at least two disciplines in the program. The choice of electives must be approved by the program director or a delegate.

    b) MDG 6998 Research Paper (6 credits).
    For information regarding the research paper, consult the guide Preparing a Thesis or a Research Paper, accessible through the FGPS Web site (www.grad.uottawa.ca).

2. The master’s with thesis requires:

    a) 18 credits as follows:

    • Four core courses (12 credits): MDG 5120; MDG 5121; MDG 5122; MDG 5123.

      • Students with advanced training in international economics or in international finance and development may be exempted from MDG 5123 and allowed to replace it with a three-credit course from the list of electives.

    • Two elective courses (6 credits) in the chosen field, preferably distributed between two disciplines in the program. The choice of electives must be approved by the program director or a delegate.

The thesis must meet the standards specified by the FGPS. For information regarding the thesis, consult section G of the General Regulations of the FGPS and the guide Preparing a thesis or a Research Paper, which are both accessible through the FGPS Web site (www.grad.uottawa.ca).

3. The requirements of the CO-OP program are as follows:

Complete two work terms.

CO-OP students must register in the “CO-OP Work Term” (MDG 6001, MDG 6002) in each of the two work terms. They must register full-time.

Each work terms is graded P/F, based on the employer’s report and on the written report completed by the student. (The report must be 30 pages, including appendices.) The report is evaluated by a member of the MDG Admissions/Program Committee, who also serves as the Program’s representative on the university’s CO-OP Committee.

The credits awarded for CO-OP terms may not be used to obtain equivalences for other courses. In other words, the CO-OP credits are additional to the minimum requirements of the degree.

To remain enrolled in the CO-OP program, the students must:

  • be registered full-time;
  • maintain a 7,0 cumulative grade point average;
  • obtain a pass grade (P) for each CO-OP work term.

Duration of the program

Students are expected to fulfill all requirements within two years. The maximum time permitted is four years from the date of initial registration in the program.

Second Language Requirement

Students admitted to the program without evidence of proficiency in the second official language must demonstrate their reading competence in this language at the earliest opportunity by passing the language requirements (MDG 5999) administered by the program. A candidate who fails the test will have to successfully complete a course at the Official Language and Bilinguilism Institute (OLBI) approved by the program.