Canadian Political Science Application Thread 2018-2019

[Dwar]

12 hours ago, JoshL said:

UBC:

1. How does it work?

- the procedure is exactly the same as domestic Canadian students

2. Funding?

- yes, they do fund foreign students and there is no difference between domestic and international students. In the past, people may receive different funding package because their supervisor may have additional sources. But as far as I know, all students now have the same funding package (you may get more if you receive some UBC scholarship). 

3. Visa?

- it will not affect your student visa process. You will be fine. I have never heard anyone who got rejected. I think what you want to say is the change regarding the student-work permit change. I do not know how the new work permit change will affect graduate students (I am still a student). But from my friends who are applying for working permit, they say it is just formality issue and no big essential change. However, you may want to consult UBC directly.

U of T:

1. How does it work?

- the procedure is exactly the same as domestic Canadain students. However, unlike UBC, U of T has a quota system for international students. This quota system is not erected by the school--it is provincial regulation. In other words, they will recruit domestic students first. And they need to fight for each international student they want to admit. The tricky thing about American is that American is not as international as students from other countries. You may want to consult U of T directly (not the students, not the professors, but the administration). I am sorry but I cannot tell how this quota system may impact your application. I have heard various stories. You may want to check their current Ph.D. students webpages and you will find that UBC is much more diverse and international compared with U of T.

2. Funding?

- yes, they do fund foreign students. Please be noticed that they do not fund MA graduate students.

3. Visa?

- Same as UBC.

Hope it helps.

Thank you so much for such a long and detailed answer! honestly both UBC and U of T are amazing schools and I would love to attend them! If I do end up applying to the schools, ill be sure to contact them about the visa/application process. 

While I am on the subject, do you or does anyone on here by chance know the ranking systems of the two schools? US news only ranks American schools, so they do not show up in them, and I am honestly not familiar with Canadian schools so I don't know if their placements are good or not. So any help on this question would be greatly appreciated!

[Dwar]

30 minutes ago, dm45 said:

Hi all! First time posting. 

I've also been accepted to UBC. Still waiting to hear back from UofT and McGill. 

I did my MA at UBC, so if anyone has questions about the department, or living in Vancouver, feel free to send me a message.

Hey! I am really interested in UBC for the next cycle, my only concern is the insane cost of living in Vancouver, and from what I gather the stipend that is generally awarded appears less then the cost of living. Do you have any info in how grad students usually get on with that in the program? like does the department generally give more then their website would lead on? or is there outside funding readily available for students? 

 

Thanks!

[PBandMachiajelly]

10 minutes ago, Onwarrdz said:

I did an MA in the UK two years ago. So far I've gotten into Michigan, so likely going to go there over the Canadian schools. But god, I would way rather live in Montreal or Toronto than Ann Arbor any day. 

Still, that's really exciting!!

[Onwarrdz]

Just now, PBandMachiajelly said:

Still, that's really exciting!!

Thanks!

[sarah_B]

49 minutes ago, dm45 said:

Hi all! First time posting. 

I've also been accepted to UBC. Still waiting to hear back from UofT and McGill. 

I did my MA at UBC, so if anyone has questions about the department, or living in Vancouver, feel free to send me a message.

Hey! How and when did you hear back from UBC?

[dm45]

1 hour ago, Dwar said:

Hey! I am really interested in UBC for the next cycle, my only concern is the insane cost of living in Vancouver, and from what I gather the stipend that is generally awarded appears less then the cost of living. Do you have any info in how grad students usually get on with that in the program? like does the department generally give more then their website would lead on? or is there outside funding readily available for students? 

My sense is that there is room to pick up additional funding within the department -- whether it's through taking a RAship, or an extra TAship. There's also opportunities to apply for some university-wide or government funding sources too. 

Vancouver is definitely expensive. But so is Toronto. And my understanding is that UofT funding is generally lower than UBC.
 

47 minutes ago, sarah_B said:

Hey! How and when did you hear back from UBC?

I heard back on the 14th via email. 

[Dwar]

16 minutes ago, dm45 said:

My sense is that there is room to pick up additional funding within the department -- whether it's through taking a RAship, or an extra TAship. There's also opportunities to apply for some university-wide or government funding sources too

Thank you so much for that information! 

I’ll be sure to keep that in mind should I end up applying! 

[JoshL]

@Dwar

About ranking: Unlike the US, Canada does not have R1/R2 distinction. And as far as I know, there is no official or systematic ranking to compare between US and Canadian schools. However, this polisci rumors (please take this website with a grain of salt) thread may give you some idea: https://www.poliscirumors.com/topic/canadian-depts In a nutshell, it seems U of T is around Top 20-30 programs in the US, and UBC/McGill is around Top 25-35. However, I would like to argue that this comparison favors US schools: it is a reflection of US-centric in a way that it emphasizes the US placement record, methodology (quant. But UBC and U of T are strong at their Political Theory programs. UBC is also strong at CP), etc. 

About placement: I personally prefer placement record than ranking comparison. Sadly, neither UBC nor U of T provides official placement record (UBC has a summarization, but no detailed info like year-placement, etc.). However, McGill has one and it seems these Top 3 schools do a good job regarding placement, at least their record outside the US. It is no surprise that they did not place well in the US (to be honest, non-US schools are not welcomed in the US). But if your goal is to get a TT job in Canada/Australia/UK, then all three schools would help you land a job in the long term. UBC did very well in the early 2000s, lately, they have placed people at U of T, Victoria, Sheffield, etc. U of T has a large program, thus the results may vary. But generally speaking, U of T is strong at PT. Again, they do not place well in the US, if you want to work in the US, do a post-doc at least or do your Ph.D. in the US. In the past few years, UBC has two (as far as I know) US R1 placement, Pitss and one also. I heard from a prof that U of T also placed some R1, but I forgot the name of the school, need to check.

About cost: Both Vancouver and Toronto are expensive. There is no way for you to save money/get rich through Ph.D. programs. However, you are able to "survive"/"decent graduate life" at UBC/U of T. UBC funding is indeed better than U of T. And because UBC is smaller,  the competition within the program is not as intense as it is at Toronto. Except for the fellowship (means no work required), UBC also offers TA--and they need people--to both MA and Ph.D. students. I know at least three students who are taking two TA jobs: TA salary is around 1500CAD/month. By the way, Vancouver is expensive but Metro Vancouver is not. If you do not mind staying at North-Vancouver, Richmond, and other places (one-hour or longer transportation depends on where you plan to stay), UBC is easily affordable. Even if you do plan to stay near UBC (within 30 mins), you can also find a decent place if you want to have a roommate. A studio would be beyond the budget (well, you can talk additional TA/RA. I am just talking about basic money). Be simple: UBC 18000 (minimum and guarantee first 4 years, 15000 5th year + TA/RA (depends) + additional UBC/Canada scholarship (competitive, but not as difficult as U of T). U of T 16000 (basic package, require two--or three--year TA + additional TA/RA + other scholarship (very competitive, big cohort). The living cost at Toronto is difficult to measure. U of T has a huge student intake every year and its cost location is not like UBC--it could be very expensive. But, give it 45-min commute, you will be fine (means not struggle).

@sarah_B

They sent out some offers on Feb.14/15.

Seems we have a UBC student there. I am sure (s)he will give a better answer than me. But I can help with U of T. Enjoy Canada!
 

[Dwar]

@JoshL

Thank you so much for all that info! I truly appreciate it!

[Onwarrdz]

Anyone claiming the McGill acceptance? 

[PolisciappDZ]

8 hours ago, dm45 said:

Hi all! First time posting. 

I've also been accepted to UBC. Still waiting to hear back from UofT and McGill. 

I did my MA at UBC, so if anyone has questions about the department, or living in Vancouver, feel free to send me a message.

He! congrats to you! what is your subfield? do you know any IRn that have heard back from ubc?

[PolisciappDZ]

5 hours ago, JoshL said:

@Dwar

About ranking: Unlike the US, Canada does not have R1/R2 distinction. And as far as I know, there is no official or systematic ranking to compare between US and Canadian schools. However, this polisci rumors (please take this website with a grain of salt) thread may give you some idea: https://www.poliscirumors.com/topic/canadian-depts In a nutshell, it seems U of T is around Top 20-30 programs in the US, and UBC/McGill is around Top 25-35. However, I would like to argue that this comparison favors US schools: it is a reflection of US-centric in a way that it emphasizes the US placement record, methodology (quant. But UBC and U of T are strong at their Political Theory programs. UBC is also strong at CP), etc. 

About placement: I personally prefer placement record than ranking comparison. Sadly, neither UBC nor U of T provides official placement record (UBC has a summarization, but no detailed info like year-placement, etc.). However, McGill has one and it seems these Top 3 schools do a good job regarding placement, at least their record outside the US. It is no surprise that they did not place well in the US (to be honest, non-US schools are not welcomed in the US). But if your goal is to get a TT job in Canada/Australia/UK, then all three schools would help you land a job in the long term. UBC did very well in the early 2000s, lately, they have placed people at U of T, Victoria, Sheffield, etc. U of T has a large program, thus the results may vary. But generally speaking, U of T is strong at PT. Again, they do not place well in the US, if you want to work in the US, do a post-doc at least or do your Ph.D. in the US. In the past few years, UBC has two (as far as I know) US R1 placement, Pitss and one also. I heard from a prof that U of T also placed some R1, but I forgot the name of the school, need to check.

About cost: Both Vancouver and Toronto are expensive. There is no way for you to save money/get rich through Ph.D. programs. However, you are able to "survive"/"decent graduate life" at UBC/U of T. UBC funding is indeed better than U of T. And because UBC is smaller,  the competition within the program is not as intense as it is at Toronto. Except for the fellowship (means no work required), UBC also offers TA--and they need people--to both MA and Ph.D. students. I know at least three students who are taking two TA jobs: TA salary is around 1500CAD/month. By the way, Vancouver is expensive but Metro Vancouver is not. If you do not mind staying at North-Vancouver, Richmond, and other places (one-hour or longer transportation depends on where you plan to stay), UBC is easily affordable. Even if you do plan to stay near UBC (within 30 mins), you can also find a decent place if you want to have a roommate. A studio would be beyond the budget (well, you can talk additional TA/RA. I am just talking about basic money). Be simple: UBC 18000 (minimum and guarantee first 4 years, 15000 5th year + TA/RA (depends) + additional UBC/Canada scholarship (competitive, but not as difficult as U of T). U of T 16000 (basic package, require two--or three--year TA + additional TA/RA + other scholarship (very competitive, big cohort). The living cost at Toronto is difficult to measure. U of T has a huge student intake every year and its cost location is not like UBC--it could be very expensive. But, give it 45-min commute, you will be fine (means not struggle).

@sarah_B

They sent out some offers on Feb.14/15.

Seems we have a UBC student there. I am sure (s)he will give a better answer than me. But I can help with U of T. Enjoy Canada!
 

Thanks for the long and precious reply. Regarding UofT do you know if they have quotas for int students?

[brownie_z]

I applied to both UofT and McGill. I heard back from McGill today (im one of the posters on the results page). Comparative P subfield. Nothing from UofT yet!

[JoshL]

1 hour ago, PolisciappDZ said:

Thanks for the long and precious reply. Regarding UofT do you know if they have quotas for int students?

Yes, U of T does have quotas for international students. I have heard this from many students, and I have confirmed this with two professors. However, it is not school policy, it is a provincial regulation. There is nothing U of T can do with it (unless the school is able to secure some other sources of funding). Ontario is one of a few provinces that impose a hard cap on the number of international graduate students and the schools have to fight for each spot of a limited quota. Nevertheless, as a student, I do not know how many quotas they reserve for international students. You may want to check their Ph.D. student webpage to have a basic idea. Or, you may want to contact them (the administration) directly. Good luck! Toronto is amazing.

[plzuniverse]

8 hours ago, JoshL said:

@Dwar

About ranking: Unlike the US, Canada does not have R1/R2 distinction. And as far as I know, there is no official or systematic ranking to compare between US and Canadian schools. However, this polisci rumors (please take this website with a grain of salt) thread may give you some idea: https://www.poliscirumors.com/topic/canadian-depts In a nutshell, it seems U of T is around Top 20-30 programs in the US, and UBC/McGill is around Top 25-35. However, I would like to argue that this comparison favors US schools: it is a reflection of US-centric in a way that it emphasizes the US placement record, methodology (quant. But UBC and U of T are strong at their Political Theory programs. UBC is also strong at CP), etc. 

About placement: I personally prefer placement record than ranking comparison. Sadly, neither UBC nor U of T provides official placement record (UBC has a summarization, but no detailed info like year-placement, etc.). However, McGill has one and it seems these Top 3 schools do a good job regarding placement, at least their record outside the US. It is no surprise that they did not place well in the US (to be honest, non-US schools are not welcomed in the US). But if your goal is to get a TT job in Canada/Australia/UK, then all three schools would help you land a job in the long term. UBC did very well in the early 2000s, lately, they have placed people at U of T, Victoria, Sheffield, etc. U of T has a large program, thus the results may vary. But generally speaking, U of T is strong at PT. Again, they do not place well in the US, if you want to work in the US, do a post-doc at least or do your Ph.D. in the US. In the past few years, UBC has two (as far as I know) US R1 placement, Pitss and one also. I heard from a prof that U of T also placed some R1, but I forgot the name of the school, need to check.

About cost: Both Vancouver and Toronto are expensive. There is no way for you to save money/get rich through Ph.D. programs. However, you are able to "survive"/"decent graduate life" at UBC/U of T. UBC funding is indeed better than U of T. And because UBC is smaller,  the competition within the program is not as intense as it is at Toronto. Except for the fellowship (means no work required), UBC also offers TA--and they need people--to both MA and Ph.D. students. I know at least three students who are taking two TA jobs: TA salary is around 1500CAD/month. By the way, Vancouver is expensive but Metro Vancouver is not. If you do not mind staying at North-Vancouver, Richmond, and other places (one-hour or longer transportation depends on where you plan to stay), UBC is easily affordable. Even if you do plan to stay near UBC (within 30 mins), you can also find a decent place if you want to have a roommate. A studio would be beyond the budget (well, you can talk additional TA/RA. I am just talking about basic money). Be simple: UBC 18000 (minimum and guarantee first 4 years, 15000 5th year + TA/RA (depends) + additional UBC/Canada scholarship (competitive, but not as difficult as U of T). U of T 16000 (basic package, require two--or three--year TA + additional TA/RA + other scholarship (very competitive, big cohort). The living cost at Toronto is difficult to measure. U of T has a huge student intake every year and its cost location is not like UBC--it could be very expensive. But, give it 45-min commute, you will be fine (means not struggle).

@sarah_B

They sent out some offers on Feb.14/15.

Seems we have a UBC student there. I am sure (s)he will give a better answer than me. But I can help with U of T. Enjoy Canada!
 

Thanks so much! This is really helpful! I applied for the Master program at UBC. Any idea when they might release decisions?

[AZS]

Hey guys, anyone applied to McGill university for PhD Political Science IR subfield and heard back?

[JoshL]

19 hours ago, plzuniverse said:

Thanks so much! This is really helpful! I applied for the Master program at UBC. Any idea when they might release decisions?

I am sorry but I do not know when UBC will release their MA decisions. What I do know is that they sometimes transfer some of their Ph.D. applicants to their MA programs. It is the same for U of T. For U of T, there is a clear option asking applicants if they want to transfer their Ph.D. files to MA if they fail the Ph.D. admission. Therefore, my idea is that both UBC and U of T will send out their MA offers after the Ph.D. cycle, probably mid-late March (this is my own assumption).

[plzuniverse]

14 hours ago, JoshL said:

I am sorry but I do not know when UBC will release their MA decisions. What I do know is that they sometimes transfer some of their Ph.D. applicants to their MA programs. It is the same for U of T. For U of T, there is a clear option asking applicants if they want to transfer their Ph.D. files to MA if they fail the Ph.D. admission. Therefore, my idea is that both UBC and U of T will send out their MA offers after the Ph.D. cycle, probably mid-late March (this is my own assumption).

I actually didn’t know that they allow Ph.D applicants to do that! Thanks so much for the info! I think your analysis sounds pretty right so i guess i will just have to wait.

[sarah_B]

On 2/20/2019 at 5:48 PM, brownie_z said:

I applied to both UofT and McGill. I heard back from McGill today (im one of the posters on the results page). Comparative P subfield. Nothing from UofT yet!

When did you end up submitting your application?

[sarah_B]

On 2/20/2019 at 5:48 PM, brownie_z said:

I applied to both UofT and McGill. I heard back from McGill today (im one of the posters on the results page). Comparative P subfield. Nothing from UofT yet!

Also are you an international student?

[as2472]

Have any other UBC admits gotten more info on funding? The initial email mentioned a 5 year fellowship with more info coming in a few days, but that was 8 days ago. 

[as2472]

18 hours ago, as2472 said:

Have any other UBC admits gotten more info on funding? The initial email mentioned a 5 year fellowship with more info coming in a few days, but that was 8 days ago. 

Never mind, funding information has arrived! 

[gradqs]

I applied to McGill and still haven't heard back. Is there a way to check on the application portal? I'm not seeing anything.

[outtosea]

Is anyone claiming the York acceptance? So far, it looks like acceptance have gone out at: UBC, McGill, Queens, York, Wilfred Laurier, Calgary, SFU. Feel free to add to the list if I am missing any. 

[brownie_z]

On 2/22/2019 at 10:31 AM, sarah_B said:

Also are you an international student?

Yes!!

On 2/22/2019 at 9:55 AM, sarah_B said:

When did you end up submitting your application?

I actually applied the day before the deadline (Jan 13) to both UofT and McGill ?? so since I heard back from McGill, I assumed they start looking at applications only after the deadline?