Université de Montréal / Faculty of Arts and ScienceDepartment of Political Science

Choose Political Science and International Studies

Politics is everywhere. From the war in Ukraine to healthcare reforms in Quebec, from demographic changes in China to climate negotiations at the United Nations, from fighting inequalities in Brazil to immigration in France, our collective choices are political in nature.

More than ever, the world needs political scientists. The return of government, deep economic transformations, the more disturbing echoes of geopolitics and the decline of democracy in several parts of the world require rigorous training in the analysis of political phenomena, backed by cutting-edge knowledge and the development of specific technical and social skills.

Ranked among the best in Canada, the Department of Political Science at Université de Montréal has prepared students for research and the practice of public and international affairs since 1958. Its 35 professors, selected for their scientific impact beyond borders, reach for excellence and cultivate openness to the world, primarily in the French language.

Global by nature, the Department of Political Science also attracts an international student body, about a third coming from abroad.

A scientific and professional community serving the public interest

Choosing political science and international studies means opening up your horizons. Our programs in communication and politics, economics and politics, philosophy and politics, international studies, as well as political science, provide an introduction to law, commerce, history, foreign languages, the media, gender studies and the quantitative analysis of big data.

We encourage practical experience, whether that means doing an internship in an international organization in Rome or in a community organization in the Côte-des-Neiges district, spending a semester abroad in a German university or doing field research in the Philippines.

This interdisciplinary and versatile training focused on politics prepares our graduates to serve the public – even when working in the private sector, in Quebec or elsewhere on the planet.

From the bachelor’s degree to the PhD through our professional and research masters, we train students who will be managers, teachers, activists, regulators, journalists, strategic advisers, political attachés, public relations officers, data analysts, community leaders, diplomats and trade unionists. Entrepreneurs too, and sometimes even elected officials!

Whatever your trajectory or your ambition, I invite you to join a global community that marries the science of politics, the art of the possible and a genuine concern for the public interest.

FRÉDÉRIC MÉRAND
Professor and Chair