PhD in Political Science at University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada is a doctorate in Politics & International Relations programme. The programme runs for 4 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,859 per semester (CAD 1,225 per semester for local students).
Also offered as: Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree
This is a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at the University of Calgary, a thesis-based doctoral program delivered through classroom instruction on campus. Students complete coursework in a primary field and a secondary field before advancing to an original thesis, which is defended in an open oral examination. The department's research areas include Indigenous politics, gender and politics, Canadian politics, international security, global political economy, and the history of political thought, with additional topics spanning political theory, sexual ethics and foreign policy. Applicants are expected to hold a master's degree in political science or an equivalent strong background in the discipline. As a doctoral program, it is built around independent, supervised research culminating in an original contribution to the field rather than coursework alone. It suits graduates aiming for academic careers as political science instructors or researchers, as well as policy analyst, research and consulting roles with governments, non-governmental organizations and international bodies that require doctoral-level expertise in political analysis.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.70 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a Master of Arts in Political Science, or a strong equivalent background, together with a minimum GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units). A supervisor must agree to oversee the student's research before admission is granted. The programme page defers English-language proficiency to the Faculty of Graduate Studies' general requirement, published in the UCalgary Graduate Calendar and How to Apply page: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 86 with no section below 20, or Duolingo English Test 125 with no sub-score below 105. Applicants must submit a statement of research interests, an email of interest from a potential supervisor, a writing sample (preferably a Political Science paper), and two reference letters; no standardized admission test is required.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:For Fall 2027 entry, the University of Calgary opens undergraduate applications for domestic applicants on 1 October 2026 and for international applicants on 15 August 2026, both closing on the same firm application deadline of 1 March 2027, with supporting documents due by 15 March 2027 and offers accepted by 1 May 2027. International applicants follow the identical March 1 deadline; the university publishes no separate, later international closing date. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis after the deadline for most direct-entry programmes, though a small number of programmes (e.g. Nursing) run further selection rounds into the summer while space remains. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
