Prospective Student FAQ

Our programs are offered primarily in person at the Carleton University campus. Some courses may be available as online only or as hyflex (mix of online and in person), but you will not be able to complete our programs unless you are in Ottawa as all required courses and most electives are offered in person.

Courses for our Diploma in Work & Labour (PECO 5002, PECO 5503 and PECO 5504) will be offered in person, with an online option for students not in Ottawa.

Applicants should make sure their application files are complete by the dates indicated below. Note that you must have at least one letter of recommendation uploaded to your application, along with the other application items prior to your file being assessed for admissions.

Type 2 Diploma:  If you miss the deadline, email the IPE Administrator to discuss.

Summer: April 1
Fall: August 1
Winter: December 1

Type 3 Diploma: If you miss the deadline, you will need to wait until the next admission cycle to be considered.

Summer: April 1
Fall: August 1

We require two letters of recommendation. Your referees should be qualified and prepared to comment on your training and potential for the program. Both letters should be from professors (university faculty members) who have taught you in upper-year courses, or who have supervised your academic work. Your referees will submit their letters of recommendation directly to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs. Please inform them that they will receive an email with a link to the referee form that they need to fill out. The email will be from “Graduate Studies” and they should check both their inbox and junk mail folder to find it. This email will only be sent once you have paid for your application to the program.

Type 2 Diploma

Applicants must be enrolled at Carleton University in a master’s or doctoral program in a related discipline. Not available to students enrolled in the MA in Political Economy.

Type 3 Diploma

Applicants must possess an honours bachelor or equivalent four-year undergraduate university degree in a social sciences, humanities, or disciplinary program relevant to Work and Labour. Applicants without these qualifications may be considered for admission with a non-honours bachelor’s degree and significant relevant work or volunteer experience in the area of labour issues. Contact the IPE Institute Administrator to discuss your admission if you do not have a bachelor’s degree.

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.

Please note that the collaborative PhD in Political Economy is not a standalone program. Students must first be admitted into a participating doctoral program at Carleton.

All students admitted into the Collaborative PhD in Political Economy will need to complete PECO 6000 (offered in Winter) as well as complete all requirements for their specific program. You can see a condensed breakdown here of what is required or look at the full list located here. You can also speak to your home department or the IPE Administrator.

Students who have been accepted into any of the following programs can apply for the Collaborative PhD in Political Economy:

• School of Canadian Studies
• Department of Geography
• School of Journalism and Communication (Communication)
• Department of History
• Department of Law
• Department of Political Science
• School of Public Policy and Administration
• School of Social Work
• Department of Sociology and Anthropology (either program)

We require one letter of recommendation for your application to the Collaborative PhD program. This recommendation should come from your thesis supervisor. Once you have completed your application to the program, the IPE Institute Administrator will send a request directly to your referee to submit their recommendation.