MA Admissions – FAQ

All students entering the MA or MA/JD program must have a four year undergraduate degree or the equivalent. As we are an interdisciplinary program, we will accept students from a wide variety of backgrounds such as political science, international relations, global affairs, law, public policy, sociology, anthropology and economics. We welcome students with other backgrounds, for instance in science, English or arts, but encourage them to take a few undergraduate courses in international affairs to prepare for NPSIA.

Under current practice, at least a high honours standing (B+ or 77% minimum) is normally required to be considered for admission to the program. In some circumstances, GRE scores may be considered if they are available, however it’s not necessary for students to write the GRE.

Carleton University uses a twelve-point GPA scale. Please visit the How to Calculate your GPA page for more information on the scale and grade point equivalents.

Students admitted to the NPSIA MA program must have successfully completed a 1.0 credit standard first year course in introductory microeconomics and macroeconomics, with a minimum grade of B- before starting the program (ECON 1001 and ECON 1002 at Carleton, or an equivalent). Students can be made a conditional offer of admission to complete this requirement during the summer, prior to the first day of classes. Not all economics courses or grades are accepted, so please contact the School if you have any questions.

The language of instruction in NPSIA is English.

Applicants whose first language is not English need to demonstrate their proficiency in English. Graduate calendar regulation 3.6 lists the ways in which applicants can satisfy this requirement. The Office of Graduate Studies provides further information on language proficiency requirements for Graduate students. 

Applicants who present their most recent degree and transcripts from a Canadian institution are exempt from language proficiency requirements.

The accelerated pathway at NPSIA is a flexible and individualized plan for students pursuing a Carleton undergraduate degree in a related discipline such as the Global and International Affairs (BGInS) and Public Affairs and Policy Management (BPAPM) degrees.

The Accelerated Pathway works in the following way:

• Students in the third year of their undergraduate program consult with their undergraduate program director as well as NPSIA’s Associate Director (M.A. program) to determine their suitability for the accelerated pathway.
• To be eligible to participate in the accelerated pathway, students must have a minimum overall CGPA of A- in their undergraduate program.
• Students accepted into this pathway will take 1.0 credits in NPSIA (INAF) courses in the fourth year of their undergraduate program. These courses would be selected in consultation with NPSIA’s Associate Director (MA program).
• Once admitted to NPSIA’s MA program, the student will receive advanced standing for these 1.0 INAF credits (counting towards the 5.0 credits needed for their MA degree) if the course grade is B+ or higher.
• The student will be required to complete an additional 4.0 credits while at NPSIA and fulfill the other requirements of the NPSIA program.

Your statement of intent should be between 1-2 pages in length and should indicate the issues and the professors whose research you are interested in, as well as your future career goals and your interest in international affairs. If you intend on doing a research essay or a thesis, please indicate the topic you would like to address as well as any faculty member you think could supervise it.

Applicants should upload their completed application as soon as possible.  We begin reviewing files on October 1 and will send out admission offers on a rolling basis until the program is filled. NPSIA only offers fall admission, and not winter or summer admission.

Please note that students applying to the MA/JD program will also have to apply to the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Common Law Section via the Ontario Law School Application Service and abide by its deadlines for their application to the University of Ottawa.

Each applicant is automatically considered for possible funding opportunities, such as teaching and research assistantships, departmental scholarships, and entrance scholarships. Please note that there are limited funding opportunities for students who apply after January 31. Students are also encouraged to seek additional external funding apart from any funding they may receive from the School [ie. Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS) or Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)].

For more information on tuition fees and other costs, please visit Students Accounts Receivable Tuition Fees.

Your application status is available in Carleton Central, and will be updated as your application moves through the various stages. Here is a full list of application status definitions, such as Preliminary Review Required, Review in Progress, or Recommended for Assessment.

We begin reviewing files on October 1 and will send out admission offers on a rolling basis until the program is filled.

If you are a prospective student, please send inquiries to international.affairs@carleton.ca