Applicants should make sure their application files are complete as of February 1st of the year they are applying for. Example: if you want to be admitted for Fall 2022, the first round deadline is due February 1, 2022. If space permits, we will review files that are uploaded after this date. If you are considering a late application, please contact the IPE Administrator to see if space remains. Note: International Applicants must apply by the first round deadline. We might not be able to process an application in time for Fall admission if you apply after this date.

Our application system will remain open until August 31, however, space is limited after first round and you should contact IPE prior to submitting an application after this date.

Early decision: As of 2024 we are able to process applications for early decision on a rolling basis prior to February 1st. If you wish to be considered for early decision please submit your application as soon as you are ready and contact the institute administrator.

Students who enter our MA Political Economy program come from a variety of backgrounds. As we are truly an interdisciplinary program, we do not have a single, specific type or discipline we are looking for. However, the majority of our students come from Social Science backgrounds, such as sociology, political science, humanities, international affairs, public policy, social work, history, law, etc. For students coming from a science, business or economics  degree, so long as you have taken social science courses during your degree, you will be considered for admission. Feel free to send a copy of your transcript via email to  the IPE Administrator at peco@carleton.ca to review admissibility.

All full-time MA applications will be assessed for financial support. Funding may include a Teaching Assistant position, scholarships or a combination of these items. Part-time students are not eligible for funding. Please note that we unfortunately have a limited ability to fund international students. To be considered for funding, you should apply by February 1.

Student who apply to the MA Political Economy program have the option of adding a specialization to their program.  If you are interested in one of the specializations we offer, make sure you check off the appropriate box on your application and include a statement for the specialization.

Concentrations open to MA Political Economy Students:

• Work and Labour

Specializations open to MA Political Economy Students:

• Accessibility
• African Studies
• Climate Change
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Didn’t know we had a specialization option and are already admitted into our MA? Email the IPE Administrator to see if you still have time to apply for the specialization. Generally speaking, students can enter the specialization  anytime within their first year in the program.

Applicants will not be assigned a supervisor if they are admitted into the MA Political Economy program and do not need to apply with a supervisor already secured. We do expect prospective students to review our cross-appointed faculty listing to make sure there are faculty who have similar interests. Students will typically secure their Research Essay or Thesis Supervisor during the first Fall or Winter term in the program.

All applicants accepted into the MA program must have a GPA of B+ (77%) or higher in order to be admitted. We will consider two calculations of your GPA: first by using all courses you have completed in your degree(s) and then calculate your final 10 credits (typically equals 20 single semester courses, your final two years if you average 5 courses per Fall/Winter).

Carleton University uses 0.5 credit/1.0 credit course units. A 0.5 credit course is typically a single semester course. If you are at an institution that uses 3 credits for a single semester course, our 0.5 credit is equal to your 3 credits.

All students entering the MA program must have at least a four year undergraduate degree or the equivalent. We will accept a three year undergraduate degree so long as additional courses/programs have been completed that would equal the same credit value as a four year undergraduate degree, along with 4^th year courses. For example, a three year undergraduate degree from Carleton University is a 15 credit program and a four year undergraduate degree from Carleton University is a 20 credit program.  If you complete a three year program at Carleton University (15 credits) and then a diploma program or courses that are the equivalent to 5 credits at Carleton University, you would have  the equivalent of a four year undergraduate degree. For students from Quebec,  the completion of CEGEP and a three year university degree are considered equivalent to a four year undergraduate degree.