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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science

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Program Admissions Information

Deadline for the submission of completed applications is available on the Future Students website: grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/political-science-phd.


In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies admission requirements and Faculty of Arts requirements, the program requires:

a) A minimum grade point average of 3.70 on a four-point scale over a Master's degree.

b) Normally a Master of Arts in Political Science or a strong background in Political Science. Special consideration may be given to those who have not achieved this background.

c) All students whose primary language is not English are required to take a language proficiency test: TOEFL (iBT) with a minimum score of 105 (5.0 for tests taken after January 21, 2026); IELTS with a minimum score of 7.5; a CAEL score of 70 with no section less than 70; or a PTE with a minimum score of 75. This requirement can also be met by completing the Academic Communication Certificate with a minimum grade of A- in each course.

d) Two reference letters.

e) A statement of research interests.

f) Sample of written work, preferably a paper submitted for a Political Science course.

g) Email confirmation from a potential supervisor who is interested in supervising the student's work.

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