Diversify your learning and growth by getting involved in the many exciting enriched learning opportunities UBC Political Science has to offer.
Arts Co-op
Graduate with more than a degree and explore your career options with Arts Co-op.
As an Arts Co-op student, you’ll gain 12 months of paid work experience and a network of professional contacts through a variety of opportunities in the public, private and non-profit sectors. During the course of your degree, you’ll alternate between study terms and three paid, full-time work terms.
Arts Co-op partners with a diverse range of employers to provide transformative workplace learning experiences for your personal, academic and professional growth while helping you prepare for your future career.
Master your job search
Enhance your job search skills through extensive and specialized pre-employment training, including resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, personalized career coaching and ongoing workplace support.
Expand your skill set
Diversify your degree and stand out to employers by gaining transferable skills and experiences in a broad range of roles.Some professional skills that you can develop include:
- Critical thinking and creative problem solving
- Research, analysis and project management
- Communications and writing
- Digital media and technology
- Leadership and teamwork
Apply
Intake for the program occurs every September and is open to students in second or third year. Visit artscoop.ubc.ca in August for application deadlines and information session dates.
International Experiences
Supplement your UBC Political Science studies with credit earned on exchange at partner universities around the world.
Imagine studying Middle Eastern politics in Turkey or the south of France, learning about ancient political thought and ideologies in Singapore or Germany, or taking part in Political Science research in Ethiopia.
Go Global Exchange
Go Global has partner universities in over 35 countries and some of our partners offer programs and courses that will complement and enhance your UBC Political Science degree. You can explore all of Go Global’s partner institutions by visiting Go Global’s website. Once you’ve completed the research, you can submit an application with your top three university choices.
Topics that are not common in courses here at UBC can be pursued in Political Science courses all around the world in places like the United Kingdom, South Africa, Sweden and many others. Some of these topics include: Ancient Political Theory; Gender Politics and Policy; Development; and African and Middle Eastern Politics.
African and Middle Eastern Politics
- Sciences Po (Menton Campus), FRANCE
- Lunds Universiteit, SWEDEN
- University of Copenhagen, DENMARK
- Universite Lumiere Lyon II, FRANCE
- University of Nottingham, UK
Gender, Politics and Policy
- Lunds Universiteit, SWEDEN
Development
- University of Nottingham, UK
- Uppsala Universitet, SWEDEN
- Lunds Universitet, SWEDEN
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NORWAY
- Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
Ancient Political Theory
- National University of Singapore, SINGAPORE
Please refer to the following information to help guide you in your selection of partner university and course work:
- Major and Honours students are required to complete POLI 380. Students are advised to complete this requirement at UBC. If you find a course that appears to be equivalent at the partner university, please submit for pre-articulation prior to completing your course registration abroad.
- Major and Honours students must complete one fourth-year POLI seminar.
- Majors must take at least 42 but not more than 60 credits of Political Science. When selecting courses abroad towards this requirement, review the course content to evaluate if it would be considered a Political Science course.
- Is the course offered by the Political Science department abroad?
- If not offered by an equivalent Political Science department, is the course content parallel to a course offered at UBC?
- At least 30 of a Major’s Political Science credits must be from courses numbered 300 or above. To evaluate this, consider the following:
- Does the course have a lower level requirement?
- Is it offered as an upper year course abroad? Keep in mind that degree structures differ. For example, in the UK, 2nd and 3rd year correspond to UBC’s 3rd and 4th year. In the rest of Europe, the third and final year of the Bachelor corresponds to UBC’s 3rd year while the first year of the MA corresponds to the 4th year of the UBC degree. These are rough parallels but offered here to help you interpret courses abroad.
- Review the Go Global transfer credit database to a list of courses taken abroad that have transferred back as POLI. You will notice both unassigned (POLI 3rd year – 3 credit) or specific credit (ex. POLI 350). Both types can be used to meet your degree requirements.
There are a variety of forms of financial assistance for study abroad. Here is a specific example directed to Political Science students.
UBC and University of Warwick International Learning Award
Deadline: To be determined
Value: $4,000 (2 awards available; one for outbound UBC student, one for inbound Warwick student)
Eligibility: The UBC-University of Warwick International Learning Award offers awards totaling $8,000 for undergraduate and graduate UBC students specializing in History, Political Science or English who are participating in a Go Global program between UBC and University of Warwick. The intention of these awards is to support academically strong students who are interested in deepening their understanding of Anglo-Canadian relations. Minimum requirements are that undergraduate students have an average of at least 70% on your best 24 credits in the Winter Session before your exchange (with no failed or incomplete courses). Undergraduate students who have been on a co-op work term in this session, must have at least 70% on your best 12 credits in the other term. Graduate students must be in good standing with their program and have the support of their program to participate in the exchange or research placement. Students must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent residents. University of Warwick students must be British citizens.
UBC Political Science maintains a special exchange relationship with Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München).
Under this arrangement, students from UBC are guaranteed access to some of their preferred courses at LMU. We work with the International Student Exchange Office and the Department of Political Science at LMU to make this possible.
LMU is one of the top-ranked universities in Germany and Europe, and is located in the beautiful city of Munich in the German State of Bavaria.
The Department of Political Science (the Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science) at LMU and the Department of English and American Studies at LMU offer a large variety of courses taught in English every year. The Geschwister Scholl Institute conducts research and teaching in political science in ways similar to UBC Political Science, so students will find the program complements ours very well.
Additional resources:
- Student-designed slideshow: Living and Studying in Munich
- Study at LMU overview
- LMU International Student Handbook
- Key Data for LMU Exchange Incoming Students
- LMU Courses Taught in English
- International Office of LMU Munich
- Go Global at UBC
NATO Field School Program
The NATO Field School is an annual summer program coordinated by Simon Fraser University for third/fourth year students who are interested in furthering their experience in the realm of international relations, security studies and defence studies.
The 12-credit, nine-week extended field school begins with five weeks in Western Canada and four weeks in Europe.
Political Science Students’ Association
The academic and social activities organized by the Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) are important informal components of the major and honours programs in political science.
The PSSA is operated entirely by students and is recognized by the department as officially representing undergraduates. Students are encouraged to join and participate in the PSSA.
UBC Journal of Political Studies
The Journal of Political Studies is a student-run journal operated by the Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) and is one of the premier undergraduate research journals in the country.
Each year, the journal seeks to publish the best undergraduate papers on politics by current and former UBC students. Papers are selected on the basis of originality of research, conceptual innovation, topicality of subject matter, and overall quality of writing. For these reasons, submissions that have received a grade of 80% or above in an upper-level course are favoured.
Each September, the journal accepts applications to serve on the editorial board, and the deadline for essay submissions is typically in December. Publication and a launch celebration occur every April.
Gain formal experience in academic publishing and take part in, and learn from, a rigorous peer-reviewed editing process.
Career Development
Career Resources
- Arts ePortfolio: Record and reflect on your learning experiences at UBC and beyond so you can present them for jobs and further study.
- Careers Online for UBC Students: Explore job postings by local employers on and off campus
- UBC Careers – Human Resources: Explore job postings at UBC
- UBC Student Services – What can I do with my Arts degree?: Read more about how your Bachelor of Arts degree will prepare you for future careers
- Career Cruising: Career Cruising is a self-exploration and planning program
- Youth and Student Employment – the Government of Canada: View federal student employment programs and opportunities
- Charity Village: Explore job postings for positions in the non-profit sector
- ECO Canada’s student site: A Canadian environmental job board
- Transitions Abroad: Comprehensive site about working, living, and volunteering abroad
- Go Abroad: Resources about traveling, working, volunteering, and studying abroad
- NGO Abroad: A paid service to facilitate participation in international humanitarian work
Internship Resources
- Directory of Federal Government Internships: Private database of Canadian Government internships and internships in other areas
- Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP): The Government of Canada’s Student job program
- The Washington Center: Academic Internship Program in Washington, D.C.
- Internships Abroad – Transitions Abroad: Learn and work on an international internship
- Internships Abroad – AIESEC: Paid and volunteer internships across the world