NPSIA (Carleton) – MA International Affairs Fall 2026 Admissions

[MJHawke]

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m starting this thread for anyone applying (or who has already applied) to Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) for the MA in International Affairs – Fall 2026 intake.

I submitted my application at the end of August 2025, and my referees submitted their references on September 2nd.
My application status stayed at “Preliminary Review Required” until October 23rd, when it changed to “Review in Progress by Department.”
It’s been sitting at that stage since then — so now I’m waiting (and refreshing Carleton Central a bit too often 😅).

I thought it would be nice to connect with others in the same boat — to share our updates, timelines, and experiences, and maybe make some future classmates or friends along the way!

If you’ve applied, feel free to post when you submitted, what your current status says, and how you’re feeling about the wait. Looking forward to hearing from everyone and keeping each other updated through the admissions cycle!

[overunder4]

Hey!

Thanks for getting this started! Seems like a forum hasn’t been made in a few years and I’ve been anxiously combing over old ones lol.

I finished my application mid September and my final reference letter was submitted September 26th, which is when my app was officially market complete. My application status sat at “preliminary review required” for close to a month, sometime within the last week it has switched to “review in progress by department” 

If NPSIA is following a similar admissions timeline to previous years (that is, acceptances starting to roll out 1.5 months after the date they claim applications start being reviewed)  it seems like some of us might start hearing back about decisions in mid November! 
 

Side note: I just looked on the NPSIA website and saw they concentrated the field specializations which is interesting, my top choice was IIA so I’m most anxious about we reaching the stage of application status where NPSIA discloses what specialization we are being considered for.

Best of luck!!

[Bohm]

Hey guys, thanks for setting up this form! I also have been scanning this form but only seeing threads from years ago. 

I submitted on October 19th, all references were submitted by October 30th, and yesterday my status also changed to "review in progress by department".

It would be so great to hear back a decision before the new year, truly so great. I am hoping we get more updates soon! 

Thanks for highlighting the merging of the specializations lol... My top choice for specialization was Security and Defense Policy (SDP) which now is no longer an option. Second choice was Intelligence and International Affairs (IIA) which now seems to translate to the stream National Security, Intelligence and Defense (NSID). I hope that discrepancies does not have any impact on our applications! 

[Bohm]

Thinking about the change in specialization mores... is anyone planning on reaching out to admissions to see if they need anything updated?

In my statement of intent I specifically named Security and Defense Policy... 

[MJHawke]

On 11/4/2025 at 10:07 PM, overunder4 said:

Hey!

Thanks for getting this started! Seems like a forum hasn’t been made in a few years and I’ve been anxiously combing over old ones lol.

I finished my application mid September and my final reference letter was submitted September 26th, which is when my app was officially market complete. My application status sat at “preliminary review required” for close to a month, sometime within the last week it has switched to “review in progress by department” 

If NPSIA is following a similar admissions timeline to previous years (that is, acceptances starting to roll out 1.5 months after the date they claim applications start being reviewed)  it seems like some of us might start hearing back about decisions in mid November! 
 

Side note: I just looked on the NPSIA website and saw they concentrated the field specializations which is interesting, my top choice was IIA so I’m most anxious about we reaching the stage of application status where NPSIA discloses what specialization we are being considered for.

Best of luck!!

Hi overunder4. 
I always knew their official date begin reviewing apps was October 1st, which I knew nothing might happen right away, and so I waited (impatiently so) until the 9th and sent them an email to ask when we might hear anything back. I got this response:
"Thank you for your email. Application for Fall 2026 is now open. Admission is on a rolling basis, and students are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible. We keep reviewing files and will send out admission offers on a rolling basis until the program is filled. Please note that the application will not be reviewed until all required documents have been submitted. Applications typically start being reviewed towards the end of October."

This doesn't say much, but the new date of "the end of October" seems promising.

[MJHawke]

52 minutes ago, Bohm said:

Thinking about the change in specialization mores... is anyone planning on reaching out to admissions to see if they need anything updated?

In my statement of intent I specifically named Security and Defense Policy... 

Hey Bohm  
I attended an Online MA Information session on October 28th. Not sure if you were there?
That's where I heard for the first time about the merge of the specializations into only four. They said not to worry if we mentioned the old ones in our statements, as all the faculty and students were still to be informed of the new structure, so it didn't sound like this would be a problem. They are not expecting for us to be experts on such a recent change.

[Bohm]

1 minute ago, MJHawke said:

Hey Bohm  
I attended an Online MA Information session on October 28th. Not sure if you were there?
That's where I heard for the first time about the merge of the specializations into only four. They said not to worry if we mentioned the old ones in our statements, as all the faculty and students were still to be informed of the new structure, so it didn't sound like this would be a problem. They are not expecting for us to be experts on such a recent change.

Thanks so much for the reply! I didn't make it to the session on the 28th - but this info is so helpful and gives a lot of relief. All is well  

[overunder4]

2 hours ago, MJHawke said:

This doesn't say much, but the new date of "the end of October" seems promising.

Thanks for sharing! That does seem promising. Glad we are all seeing some movement in our applications so far. 

Out of curiosity, did they mention anything in the info session about funding? In past years NPSIA specifically seemed to be pretty generous in comparison to UofT and GPSIA, but that was a few years ago now (and prior to several schools experiencing increased financial strain). Info on scholarships on their website definitely don't give as much info as other schools I am applying to, so curious if they mentioned anything extra in the session.

[Bohm]

Are you guys applying to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and SSHRC for funding related to your proposed research? 

[MJHawke]

12 hours ago, overunder4 said:

Thanks for sharing! That does seem promising. Glad we are all seeing some movement in our applications so far. 

Out of curiosity, did they mention anything in the info session about funding? In past years NPSIA specifically seemed to be pretty generous in comparison to UofT and GPSIA, but that was a few years ago now (and prior to several schools experiencing increased financial strain). Info on scholarships on their website definitely don't give as much info as other schools I am applying to, so curious if they mentioned anything extra in the session.

They did mention funding. They said what you just said now; that they are a generous institution who provide a lot of financial support to students. They weren’t very specific but said that scholarships and bursaries are offered on a case-by-case basis, depending on your application and GPA. They also said early applications have a better chance for these kinds of offers, so I’m guessing it’s on a rolling basis too, much like admissions?!

Edited November 7, 2025 by MJHawke

[MJHawke]

Hey ya'll

No big news from me yet, but I received an email from 'International Affairs' yesterday (Nov 19th) about the merging of the fields and program structure. It went to my spam folder, so I thought I'd mention it here in case you missed yours too.

In the email they announced a change to the program structure starting Fall 2026.

Instead of the usual 8 fields, the program will now offer 4 broader fields, with some areas merged to reflect wider themes and offer more diverse course options. If you’ve already applied, no worries — they’ll map your selected field to the new structure automatically.

Here’s how the old fields line up with the new ones:

Old → New Field Mapping (Fall 2026 NPSIA MA Program)

• International Economic Policy (IEP) → International Trade and Economic Policy (ITEP)
   
• Conflict Analysis and Conflict Resolution (CON) → Health, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy (HDHP)
• Conflict, Fragility and Development (CFD) → Health, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy (HDHP)
• International Development Policy (IDP) → Health, Displacement, and Humanitarian Policy (HDHP)
   
• Intelligence and International Affairs (IIA) → National Security, Intelligence and Defence (NSID)
• Security and Defence Policy (SDP) → National Security, Intelligence and Defence (NSID)
   
• Diplomacy and Foreign Policy (DFP) → Diplomacy, International Organisations and Foreign Policy (DIFP)
• International Organizations and Global Policy (IOGP) → Diplomacy, International Organisations and Foreign Policy (DIFP)

The application form still shows the old 8 fields, but they’ll handle the translation on their end.

[overunder4]

Hey!

Thanks so much for passing this along! Good to know that they will handle the transition on their end. I must say I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the email come in because I thought it was a decision. I really thought some of us would have heard something by now and I'm fighting the urge to reach out to admissions. 

 

 

[Bohm]

On 11/20/2025 at 10:05 AM, overunder4 said:

Hey!

Thanks so much for passing this along! Good to know that they will handle the transition on their end. I must say I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the email come in because I thought it was a decision. I really thought some of us would have heard something by now and I'm fighting the urge to reach out to admissions. 

 

 

If you reach out, please let us know what they say! We are waiting so patient lol 

[phynpwdt]

---

Hi! I apologize if this question isn’t meant for this forum. I’m currently working on my statement of intent for NPSIA. The admissions FAQ says to “indicate the issues and the professors whose research you are interested in,” but when I emailed the program they said it isn’t necessary to include this, especially for the course-based master’s.

I’m wondering if it’s still advantageous to name a professor and their research interests to strengthen the application, since the website mentions it.

For those applying to or enrolled in the course-based option, did you include this in your statement? And if you did, did you contact the professor beforehand?

[Bohm]

1 hour ago, phynpwdt said:

---

Hi! I apologize if this question isn’t meant for this forum. I’m currently working on my statement of intent for NPSIA. The admissions FAQ says to “indicate the issues and the professors whose research you are interested in,” but when I emailed the program they said it isn’t necessary to include this, especially for the course-based master’s.

I’m wondering if it’s still advantageous to name a professor and their research interests to strengthen the application, since the website mentions it.

For those applying to or enrolled in the course-based option, did you include this in your statement? And if you did, did you contact the professor beforehand?

Hey! For myself, I am wanting to pursue the masters option - so I did name a professor in my statement who I thought would align with my research interests. I did not contact the prof prior to submitting my application. 

I would say if you are not wanting to complete any research, it might be more strategic to focus your statement's content on the relevancy of the courses you hope to take and perhaps why you feel the course-based option is the best approach for you, your interests, and your goals post-graduation. 

Curious what others might think! 

[MJHawke]

10 hours ago, phynpwdt said:

---

Hi! I apologize if this question isn’t meant for this forum. I’m currently working on my statement of intent for NPSIA. The admissions FAQ says to “indicate the issues and the professors whose research you are interested in,” but when I emailed the program they said it isn’t necessary to include this, especially for the course-based master’s.

I’m wondering if it’s still advantageous to name a professor and their research interests to strengthen the application, since the website mentions it.

For those applying to or enrolled in the course-based option, did you include this in your statement? And if you did, did you contact the professor beforehand?

Hey there.
This was actually asked in the Online MA Information session that was held on October 28th.
They were very "broad" in their answer, saying it is not really essential. But at the same time, they went on and on about how important each and every faculty member is and how each of them teach exclusively at NPSIA and nowhere else. To me, it sounded like they are really proud of their team (and in my opinion, they should really be). They further encouraged people to go on their faculty webpage to get to know and read about the members, but said that contacting them is not really important at this point, and perhaps not encouraged.
This is all to say that even though you're going with the course route, showing interest in their faculty and mentioning one or two of them in your statement, as well as how relevant they would be for your academic career based on your goals, would show them you are interested and that you have made your research. I personally see this as a positive when it comes to them making a decision on your application. 
I hope this helps.

[overunder4]

For what its worth (I plan on doing course based) I mentioned one or two professors who I thought were doing interesting research/had an aspect to their resume that I thought aligned with my career aspirations!

Also: are we all still sitting at "review in progress by department"?

I've started to heard back from law schools, never would've thought that would start before NPSIA based on their admissions timeline and wording on their website! Proud of us for being so patient guys lol, even if its killing me a little inside.

[MJHawke]

14 hours ago, overunder4 said:

Also: are we all still sitting at "review in progress by department"?

Congrats on starting to hear back. I hope you have some good options to make a decision on!  
No news from me yet, and it's still at "review by department" status. And I promise that after myself and my family, ya'll will be the next ones to know about any updates on my end. This is the sole purpose of this thread. To share news and be here for each other during this very annoying and trying stage of our lives.
With every update, I'll make sure to also show a timeline of my application. I predict it might be useful to others in the future as well.
I know what you mean by dying a little bit inside everyday. I'm literally planning to move countries and leave my entire life behind to pursue this, so this is very important to me. Being on this "limbo" for so long is no joke.

Edited November 28, 2025 by MJHawke

[Bohm]

Reporting movement on my end - status changed to Recommended for Assessment.

Did you guys have the same change? 

[MJHawke]

Well done on going to the next stage! 😀
Nothing on my end so far.

[overunder4]

congrats! from what this forum seems to indicate in past years, an acceptance could be on the way shortly after reaching that status! excited for you, keep us updated

 

[AAR]

Hey! I also had my status change to Recommended for Assessment but then it changed back to review in progress which freaked me out!! I hope that's not a bad sign... But a post from 2021 said the stages go, Review in Progress by Dept. >> Recommended for Assessment >> Review in Progress by Dept. >> Recommended for Assessment >> Review in Progress by Faculty of Grad Affairs >> Offer.

So, I am hoping everything is progressing positively. But for those who haven't seen "recommended for assessment" yet, it could have changed and then gone back like mine did. 

[Bohm]

Hey AAR, thanks for posting! Lol, just hopped on to say the same - mine has since returned to 'Review in progress by department', despite being at Recommended for Assessment yesterday. 

[overunder4]

i made a post on reddit a while back prior to knowing about this thread, someone just responded to it saying they received an acceptance today! 

Edited December 5, 2025 by overunder4

[MJHawke]

8 hours ago, overunder4 said:

someone just responded to it saying they received an acceptance today! 

Thanks for the update, overunder4! It’s good to know offers are being made. hopefully, we’ll all hear back soon ☺️