NPSIA MA – FAQ

If you do not have any background in international relations, you may wish to take undergraduate courses in international relations, international political economy or other global studies courses.

Students should ensure that they have their micro and macroeconomics prerequisites completed during their undergraduate degree.  Please see information specific to the economics prerequisite.

Students should complete their economics prerequisites – namely Introduction to Microeconomics and Introduction to Macroeconomics – before the start of the program as per our Admission Requirements.

If students have taken an economics course during their undergraduate degree, please email us if you are unsure if the course meets our standard.

If students have not completed their micro/macroeconomics prerequisites prior to their admission to NPSIA, they must take them prior to enrolling in the NPSIA program. Several universities offer micro and macroeconomics courses over the summer.

Note, economics conditions are removed on a rolling basis prior to registration opening.

If a student fails to complete the economics requirement prior to the start of the NPSIA program, it will negatively impact on their progression through their MA program.  Students without the economics prerequisite will not be allowed to register in the mandatory NPSIA economics course. Note that these mandatory economics courses are only offered in the Winter term. Failure to complete the mandatory NPSIA economics course will affect the student’s ability to participate in the coop program and the timeframe for degree completion.

Prior to registration for your first year of NPSIA, all incoming MA and JD/MA students must submit an official transcript to the Office of Graduate Studies indicating they have completed their undergraduate degree.

The degree must be sent directly from the Undergraduate institution to the Office of Graduate Studies (Graduate.Studies@carleton.ca) and it must have a degree conferral date.

The provision of this transcript will ensure that the conditions on offers of admission are removed.

Failure to provide these transcripts will delay the ability to register in courses.

Students with late convocations or who graduate in late summer will need to provide the Office of Graduate Studies with a letter from their undergraduate institution and an unofficial transcript showing all courses have been completed/graded. Such a letter will temporarily permit Fall term registration. However, Winter term registration will not be permitted until the Office of Graduate Studies receives an official transcript with a degree conferral date.

Please note that admission conditions are removed on a rolling basis.

Advanced Standing without Credit: This refers to the recognition that students have fulfilled certain program requirements in previous programs without the transfer of credit. Students are not required to take certain courses if they can demonstrate subject competence earned at the graduate level through academic transcripts and course outlines. However, students will still need to complete 5.0 credits to earn their degree.

Please note that many of NPSIA’s courses have content specific to an international affairs program, so advanced standing is rarely granted and considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the MA Associate Director if you would like to discuss advanced standing.

Advanced Standing with Transfer of Credit:  As per Graduate Studies Regulation 6.1, transfer credits refer to graduate credits earned outside NPSIA/Carleton counting towards the 5.0 credits required to obtain the MA degree.  As outlined in Carleton’s Graduate Studies regulations, graduate courses completed at another institution or at Carleton University that have not been used to fulfill the requirements of another degree program may be accepted in partial fulfillment of Carleton’s degree requirements.

Master’s candidates may be permitted to transfer the equivalent of up to 40 per cent of their coursework credit requirements on admission. If a Masters candidate is granted transfer of credit for 40 per cent of their coursework credit requirements, their remaining credits at Carleton must be at the 5000 level and must be INAF courses.

Transfer of Credit will be determined upon admission on a case-by-case basis by the Office of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of NPSIA.

Registration for classes typically opens mid-summer.  Please consult our Registration and Course Information page for more information.

All full time first-year students are required to take at least 1.5 credits in the Fall and Winter terms.

The Fall term consists of your required courses: Statistics INAF 5016 (0.5 credit), Law and International Affairs INAF 5018 (0.25 credit), and International Policymaking in Canada INAF 5018 (0.25 credit) plus one INAF elective (0.5 credit).

The Winter term consists of your required Field economics course (0.5 credit) plus two INAF Field/elective courses (1.0 credits).

Please see the NPSIA pathway document for guidance on the timing of program elements.

We recommend all first year students do not exceed 1.5 credits in their first year, however, students can register in a maximum of 2.0 credits.

Please review the Registration Package you received via email for a detailed breakdown of your first-year courses.

You can submit an override request to be considered for a waitlist.

You will not be able to register until you have met all your conditions. Please arrange for them to be cleared as soon as possible.

All students must submit a registration override request to register in your winter term Field economics course.

These courses have restrictions in place to reserve space for INAF students in a specific Field and so that we can ensure students have satisfied their economics pre-requisite conditions.

A Field course is an approved class that is part of a specific Field. Please see Carleton’s Graduate Calendar – Programs – International Affairs for the list of Field courses, and consult the course timetable to identify those courses being offered in a given term. Students have priority registration only in their own Field courses.

An elective is a course that is not part of a students’ designated Field.

NPSIA students are permitted to take up to 1.5 credits in non-NPSIA courses with a maximum of 1.0 credits from any one department (see Graduate Calendar, note 2).

To take a non-NPISA course, students are required to submit a ‘Non-NPSIA Request Form’ to the department, along with a copy of the most recent course syllabus for review and approval to count for degree credit.

Note, courses must be at the 5000 level. Courses at the 4000 level are rarely approved.  Please consult the M.A. Associate Director.

Graduate Students tuition fees are based on student status (full or part time) and not the number of registered credits, as outlined in Section 7.9 of the Graduate Calendar.

Student Accounts offers a Tuition Fee Estimator, where you can estimate your student fees based on your program criteria.

Please note that NPSIA does not manage student accounts or tuition fees.

Students with issues related to their student account balance (fees and tuition) or require fee reimbursements should contact Student Accounts for assistance.

The Office of Graduate Studies has information on Financial Aid.

Students requiring assistance with OSAP or other government financial aid should contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office.

Funding is awarded to NPSIA students based on the strength of their application package.  Each student’s funding package is outlined with their offer of admission. Please refer to the Office of Graduate Studies –  Financial Assistance for further information.

Once students have begun their program, additional funding, awards and bursaries are available to NPSIA’s students. NPSIA will send out email reminders with application instructions and deadlines for additional funding opportunities including OGS and SSHRC funding.

Please consult the Office of Graduate Studies – Awards and Funding for further information about these funding opportunities.

Only full-time students can be teaching assistants.  Students who receive a teaching assistantship with your offer of admission must remain full-time students and ensure that they are available between Mon-Fri during normal business hours.

Assignments are managed through your TA profile in Carleton Central.

Assignments are issued at the beginning of each term and no later than the end of the second week.

TA Orientation is held by the Office of Graduate Studies and highly recommended for all new TA’s.  Please review NPSIA’s TA information page for complete TA details and requirements.

Students who did not receive a TA position can apply for an Outside Priority TA (OPTA) through their Carleton Central Account. (Main menu, look under TA Management, then choose TA Outside Priority Applications and follow the instructions)

If you received a Research Assistantship with your offer of admission, students will be assigned to a NPSIA faculty member at the beginning of the fall term. Please reach out to us for your RA assignment.

Collaborative Specializations utilize various departments across Carleton to provide an interdisciplinary, in-depth knowledge of a topic. Each Specialization requires a core foundational course that students take in the first year of the program, as well as other specific courses that provide students with knowledge and analytical skills relevant to the topic of the Specialization.  Click Here for more Information about NPSIA’s Specializations.

Students apply to Collaborative Specializations after they have been admitted to NPSIA and before their first term at NPSIA. Please note that enrollment in a Specialization is not part of your admissions offer.  An email is sent to all incoming students inviting these applications to Specializations. Enrollment in Specializations is limited. Students will be admitted to these Specializations based on the strength of their admission file.

Fields are specific to NPSIA and reflect key subject areas of international affairs research and policy. Fields provide students with general knowledge of a particular subject area.  The mandatory economics class that students take in their first year (Winter term) is tailored to their Field. 

Students rank their preferences for Fields during the application process.  Students are assigned a Field with their offer of admission.  Students can request a change of Field after the start of the program. If space is available, students can transfer to another Field.

To graduate with a Field Designation, students must take three courses (1.5 credits) associated with the Field.  The list of Field courses is available in Carleton’s Graduate Calendar – Programs – International Affairs.

Please note that students do not need to secure a Field Designation to graduate from the program. If students fulfill the other mandatory requirements, they are eligible for graduation.

Should you complete both a Field Designation and a Specialization, both cannot appear on your diploma.

Upon graduation, you can request a letter from the MA Associate Director or the NPSIA Director that states completion of your Field Designation, Specialization and/or Co-op designation.

Each Specialization has specific and unique course requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of these program requirements.

Students must apply to these Specializations prior to beginning the first year of their program. Expressing interest in Specialization in your NPSIA application form does not constitute admittance to a Specialization.

NPSIA will send an email to all first-year students prior to the start of the Fall term with an application form for the Collaborative Specializations.

NPSIA is given a quota for each Specialization, therefore, spaces are limited. Applications will be evaluated based your application file.

Students who are admitted into a Specialization will be notified via email.

If you are admitted to a Specialization, your audit will reflect that Specialization once your degree requirements are completed.

More information on each Collaborative Specialization can be found here.

The Specializations are designed with required courses in the Fall term of the student’s first year.  Students are therefore not allowed to enroll in a Specialization after they have begun their program. 

You will be notified of your Field with your offer of admission.

Students can request a change of Field during their program.  If space is available in another Field, these requests are typically granted.

Please note that students must have completed the relevant Field economics course to fulfill their Field requirements.

Students who wish to change Fields should therefore request that change prior to completing their economics course.

NPSIA is designed as a two-year, full-time, in-person master’s program. Our expectation is that students should be able to attend classes in person during the day.  All of the required courses for the program are only offered during the day.

The program has a part-time option. Part time students are required to complete the same requirements of the full-time program and are given 6 years to complete the MA degree with a maximum of 1.25 credits per term.

Part time students must register for a minimum of one term in three and must successfully complete INAF 5016, INAF 5017, INAF 5018 and their economics course requirement within their first 2.5 program credits.  Part time students must be able to attend classes in-person during the day.

The Office of Graduate Studies will permit a student to temporarily change their status to part time for one to two terms if the student is enrolled in the coop program and is taking a course.

Please note students are enrolled in the coop program are allowed to take one course (0.5 credit) offered in the evening.

Please note that coop students with funding packages will not receive funding while on part-time status. Their funding, including TA funding, is moved to the next full-time term.

Once coop students return to full time status, their funding package will resume.

The Office of Graduate Studies will permit a student to permanently change their status to part time if:

• The student has received a full-time permanent work contract that would prevent them from studying full time; or,
• The student has received a full-time work contract that will extend a year or longer, preventing them from studying full time.

Please note that students with funding packages who permanently change their status to part-time will lose their funding.

Part time students must register for a minimum of one term in three and must successfully complete INAF 5016, INAF 5017, INAF 5018 and their economics course requirement within their first 2.5 program credits.

NPSIA hosts a mandatory orientation session during the first week of classes in September for all incoming MA/JD-MA NPSIA students. In August of each year, NPSIA sends out an email to all incoming students with full orientation details and itinerary.

The university regulations that apply to graduate students are set by Carleton’s Office of Graduate Studies.  These rules and regulations can be found here:

https://calendar.carleton.ca/grad/gradregulations/

General academic policies can be found here:

https://gradstudents.carleton.ca/resources-page/forms-policies/#academic-policies

If you are feeling well, you should attend class.

At the graduate level, much of the learning revolves around the discussion of the concepts with your professor and your classmates during seminars.  The class environment is enriched by the presence of all graduate students, as each of you has unique perspectives on the course material.  By not attending class, you will miss this important learning opportunity and could potentially also miss pertinent information related to the course requirements. Your absence will also be reflected in your final grade.

If you do have to miss a class, it is a courtesy to inform your professors that you will be absent.

There are time limits for withdrawal from graduate courses.  These time limits will impact on course fees and determine if the course (and its grade) shows up on the student’s university transcript.

Students should pay close attention to the dates for withdrawal from courses.  These dates are listed on the academic calendar for graduate students, found here: https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/

As per Section 7.15 of Carleton’s Graduate Regulations, Carleton has an agreement with the University of Ottawa that facilitates students enrolling in University of Ottawa courses.  Students submit this form, the non-NPSIA course request form, and a copy of the course outline to request permission to enroll in University of Ottawa graduate courses.  NPSIA students cannot take more than 1.5 credits of non-NPSIA courses and 1.0 credits of non-NPSIA courses from any one department.

Link to correct form.  We should ensure that this is listed in the forms page.

Ontario universities participate in an Ontario Visiting Graduate School (OVGS) program that enables graduate students to register in graduate courses in other universities in Ontario.  Students pay tuition at their home university and are hosted at another university.

NPSIA students interested in participating in this program are responsible for obtaining permission from the host university, and for ensuring that the necessary paperwork is completed.

Students will submit the OVGS form, the non-NPSIA course request form, and a copy of the course outline to obtain the approval of the Associate Director to enroll in University of Ottawa graduate courses.  NPSIA students cannot take more than 1.5 non-NPSIA courses and 1.0 non-NPSIA courses from the same department.

NPSIA uses Carleton’s grading system, outlined in Section 10 of the Graduate Studies Regulations.  The grading system is outlined below.

As per Carleton’s Graduate Studies Regulations 11.3, NPSIA’s program requires its students to obtain a grade of B- or better in each course that counts towards their degree.  NPSIA does not permit exceptions to this rule.

Students should pay close attention to the dates for withdrawal from courses and withdraw from courses if there is a risk that they will not obtain the necessary B- grade.  These dates are listed on the academic calendar, found here: https://calendar.carleton.ca/academicyear/

As per Carleton’s Graduate Studies Regulations 11.3, NPSIA’s program requires its students to obtain a grade of B- or better in each course credited towards their master’s degree.

Failure of a Single Course:

If you receive a grade of C+ or less in a single course, it is a ‘failed course’ and cannot count towards your degree.

You will receive a letter after the end of the term indicating that you have failed a course.  The letter will outline two options.

• You may repeat and successfully pass the failed course should you wish for it to count for credit.
• You may replace the failed course with another eligible course. If you select this option, the failed course code and the grade will be listed as “extra to your degree” on your transcript.
• When you repeat a course, the attempt with the best grade will count in the audit and be included in your CGPA calculation. The attempt with the lower grade will be bumped out of your degree and moved to a section of your audit called “COURSES SET ASIDE”. Both grades will always appear on your transcript.

Failure of Two or More Courses:

You will receive a letter after the end of the term indicating that you have failed two courses. Students will be withdrawn from the program if they receive two grades below B-.

The rules governing Academic petitions and appeals are outline in Section 15 of Carleton’s Graduate Studies Regulations.

As outlined in Section 15.2 of Carleton’s Graduate Studies Regulations, within 20 working days of the release of final grades, students may request that one or more of their grades be reviewed.  The policy governing the process of grade appeals is outline in the Coursework Grade Appeals Policy from Graduate Studies.

All students must provide proof of second language proficiency prior to the completion of their program.

We recommend students complete this requirement as soon as possible. Do not leave it until the end of their degree or you will experience graduation delays.

As outlined here, students have various options to fulfill the second language requirement.

Students with no prior knowledge in a second language are encouraged to contact the Language Advisor (Cristina Trevisan) during their first term to discuss their options for completing the language requirement. All students must begin their language training no later than the first semester of their second year in the program.

If students complete a language course at Carleton to obtain their second language requirement, the course grade will be listed on the transcript, but will not count towards their degree requirements or towards their CGPA.

Link to the section of the website on language requirements

Yes, NPSIA offers a Rosetta Stone Package to all incoming students in September of each year. We will send out an email to students prior to the start of the fall term to enroll in the Rosetta Stone Program. Note, this option is only available in September and will not be available after the enrollment deadline. Students can complete the requirement through Rosetta Stone on their own, however, you will need to coordinate your completion of the program and language test with Cristina Trevisan (Cristina.Trevisan@carleton.ca).

Important: Please be aware that your Rosetta Stone license will expire after one year.

Detailed information about the coop program is provided here.  MA students at NPSIA can apply for co-op in their first term provided they meet the eligibility criteria, namely:

• Students must successfully complete the required 1.5 credits in the Fall term to apply to Coop;
• For students to continue in the second term of coop, they must complete 3.0 credits, including their mandatory economics course.

Co-op applications are managed by the Carleton Co-Op office.

NPSIA will host an information session on Coop for students in the Fall Term. An email will be sent out to students with application details and deadlines each term.

The Coop office works hard to recruit employers for our Coop students. In the past, some employers have complained about students taking classes during the day.

Therefore, to protect the integrity of the Coop program and ensure that it is available for NPSIA students in the future, students enrolled in the Coop program are only permitted to register in one evening classes.

Please note that students can apply for part-time status while they are on a coop work placement and taking one evening class.  Their status will revert to full time after the end of their coop work placement. Students can enroll in 0.5 credits while on coop (1.0 credits if they are enrolled in an MRE).

Please note that coop students with funding packages will not receive funding while on part-time status. Their TA funding will resume with the next full-time term of enrolment.

All outgoing exchanges are managed through the International Student Services Office (ISSO). Please visit their website for more information and deadlines on outgoing exchanges.

Exchange applications must be initiated well in advance (approximately 1 year) prior to going on exchange. Therefore, you will need to begin the application process during your first year at NPSIA for an exchange during your second year of studies.

Please note that NPSIA will not be able to provide extensive administrative support to prospective exchange students given the number of international universities with whom Carleton has exchange agreements, the differences in their programs, and the complexities of the exchange process.  It is the student’s responsibility to verify the exchange requirements and ensure that the courses taken on exchange can be counted towards their NPSIA requirements.

Carleton’s MacOdrum library has a dedicated librarian for international affairs who is available to meet and support the research needs of NPSIA students.  You can contact Aleksandra Blake at aleksandra.blake@carleton.ca

Carleton’s Office for Graduate Studies provides writing support for students.  This includes sessions on academic writing for students whose first language is not English, professional writing, and preparing for your Masters Research Essay or Thesis.  Further information can be found on their website: https://carleton.ca/gradpd/writing-support/

Carleton’s Centre for Academic Support provides writing support services for Carleton’s students, including graduate students. You can book a 50-minute consultation session to discuss challenges you face with your written assignments.  The Centre also coordinates online support services.  Further information can be found on their website:  https://carleton.ca/csas/writing-services/

Graduate Professional Development Services provides extensive support to graduate students who are planning to write a research essay or thesis.  You can book a writing support appointment and attend writing workshops held throughout the term.  Further information can be found on their website: https://carleton.ca/gradpd/writing-support/

Please refer to the guidelines for Masters Research Essays (MREs) and Theses. 

The MA Associate Director will provide an information session in the Fall term for all those interested in undertaking an MRE or thesis.

Any students expressing interest in an MRE or thesis must enroll in INAF 5015 – Research Methods in their first Winter term at NPSIA.

We recommend that students search for a supervisory team in their first semester at NPSIA.

Students indicate their interest in pursuing an MRE or thesis option when they fill out the Program Completion form on January 31 of their first year.

The MRE or Thesis proposal is due on March 1 of their first year. 

Please note that the Office of Graduate Studies provides graduate students with advice on how to plan their research project.  Please consult their website for details: https://carleton.ca/gradpd/research-project-planner/

We all want you to succeed in your MA programme at NPSIA, so please let the MA Administrator and MA Associate Director know if you are facing challenges so that we can help you navigate through them and assist you in successfully completing the program requirements.

Carleton has many support services designed to help students cope with stress.  Please take advantage of these resources if you are finding it difficult to manage your coursework this term.

This Carleton University Website provides a list of resources for students:
https://students.carleton.ca/wellness/?utm_source=Web&utm_medium=Pillar_Home-Icon&utm_campaign=Service_Pillars-Wellness.

This link outlines resources dedicated to serve Carleton’s graduate students:
https://gradstudents.carleton.ca/counselling-and-wellness-services/

Carleton’s Graduate Studies Regulations establish the time frames for program completion.

Full-time

All master’s students admitted as full-time students must normally complete their degree requirements within two calendar years after the date of initial registration. Terms of non-registration are equated to full-time registration terms when calculating the overall time to program completion. Each term students participate in the coop program extends the completion timeframe by one term.

Part-time

All master’s students admitted as part-time students must normally complete their degree requirements within six calendar years after the date of initial registration, unless their program states otherwise. Terms of non-registration are equated to part-time registration terms when calculating the overall time to program completion. A change of a student’s status from part-time to full-time status will result in a pro-rated reduction in the required time to completion for each subsequent term of full-time study.

Failure to complete the program within the prescribed timelines or failure to maintain continuous registration will require reevaluation of the student’s entire program and may result in termination.

The Audits are unfortunately not updated by the Office of Graduate Studies until prior to graduation.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have completed the requirements for the NPSIA program. Please consult the program completion checklist.

Any courses that were approved to count for degree credit (e.g. non-NPSIA courses) that sit on your audit as ‘Courses Not Used – Extra to Degree’ count for degree credit as part of the review of audits for graduation. Any courses not counting for the correct requirement or courses that are not correctly listed (for example, economics requirements) will be corrected at the same time.

If you have satisfied your second language requirement during your program, this will be updated during the graduation audit process.

All these changes will be made prior to graduation during the audit review process, no further action is required by the student.

All students must apply to graduate once they have completed all program requirements. Students can apply to graduate through their Carleton Central student portal. Note, if you are unsure if you will complete your requirements on time, we recommend you submit an application to graduate. Should you not complete your degree requirements, you can simply cancel your application or contact NPSIA to request a cancellation. Please review all graduation application info here as well as dates and deadline for each graduation cycle.

Convocation is not managed by NPSIA. Please visit Carleton’s convocation website, which provides complete convocation information for graduates and guests.