This seminar explores the ways in which political theory can deepen our understanding of contemporary political issues. Topics may include the following: cities and citizenship; multiculturalism and religious pluralism; the legacies of colonialism; global justice; democratic theory; the nature of power.
Area of Focus: Political Theory

The Black radical tradition is a modern tradition of thought and action which began after transatlantic slavery’s advent. Contemporary social science and the humanities overwhelmingly portray the Black radical tradition as a critique of Black politics in its liberal, libertarian, and conservative forms. This course unsettles that framing: first by situating the Black radical tradition within Black politics; second, through expanding the boundaries of Black politics to include, yet not be limited to, theories and practices emanating from Canada and the United States; and third, by exploring whether it is more appropriate to claim the study of *the* Black radical tradition or a broader network of intellectual traditions underlying political theories of Black radicalism.

Area of Focus: Political Theory

This course examines the concept of property as an enduring theme and object of debate in the history of political thought and contemporary political theory. Defining property and justifying its distribution has a significant impact on how citizens experience authority, equality, freedom, and justice. The course will analyze different theoretical approaches to property in light of how they shape and/or challenge relations of class, race, gender, and other lines of difference and inequality.

This seminar course is intended for students interested in deepening their understanding of methodological issues that arise in the study of politics or advanced research techniques.

Examines political dynamics and challenges through exploration of fiction and other creative works with political science literature. Topics and focus will vary depending on the instructor but could include subjects like climate change, war, migration, gender, multiculturalism, colonialism, etc.

This course is an introduction to rational choice theories with applications to the international realm. A main goal is to introduce analytical constructs frequently used in the political science and political economy literature to understand strategic interaction among states.
Area of Focus: International Relations

Examines the challenges faced by humanity in dealing with global environmental problems and the politics of addressing them. Focuses on both the underlying factors that shape the politics of global environmental problems - such as scientific uncertainty, North-South conflict, and globalization - and explores attempts at the governance of specific environmental issues.
Area of Focus: International Relations; Public Policy

While domestic and international political factors have discouraged pro human development public policies in much of the global south, there have been some important success stories. This course examines the economic and social policies most successful in contributing to human development and explores the reasons behind these rare cases of relatively successful human development.
Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics; Public Policy

Same as IDSD90H3

This course examines contentious politics from a comparative perspective, beginning with the foundational theories of Charles Tilly, Sidney Tarrow, and Doug McAdam. It explores questions such as why people protest, how they organize, and the outcomes of contention. The second half of the course challenges students to examine popular contention across a range of states in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. It asks students to interrogate the applicability of the dynamics of contention framework to illiberal states in a comparative context.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

This course will provide an introduction to theories of why some dictatorships survive while others do not. We will explore theories rooted in regime type, resources, state capacity, parties, popular protest, and leadership. We will then examine the utility of these approaches through in-depth examinations of regime crises in Ethiopia, Iran, China, the USSR, and South Africa.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

Topics vary according to instructor.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

A research project under the supervision of a member of faculty that will result in the completion of a substantial report or paper acceptable as an undergraduate senior thesis. Students wishing to undertake a supervised research project in the Winter Session must register in POLD95H3 during the Fall Session. It is the student's responsibility to find a faculty member who is willing to supervise the project, and the student must obtain consent from the supervising instructor before registering for this course. During the Fall Session the student must prepare a short research proposal, and both the supervising faculty member and the Supervisor of Studies must approve the research proposal prior to the first day of classes for the Winter Session.

Advanced reading in special topics. This course is meant only for those students who, having completed the available basic courses in a particular field of Political Science, wish to pursue further intensive study on a relevant topic of special interest. Students are advised that they must obtain consent from the supervising instructor before registering for this course.

Policy analysts frequently communicate quantitative findings to decision-makers and the public in the form of graphs and tables. Students will gain experience finding data, creating effective graphs and tables, and integrating those data displays in presentations and policy briefing notes. Students will complete assignments using Excel and/or statistical programs like Tableau, STATA, SPSS and/or R.

This course provides an introduction to the study of public policy. The course will address theories of how policy is made and the influence of key actors and institutions. Topics include the policy cycle (agenda setting, policy information, decision making, implementation, and evaluation), policy durability and change, and globalization and policy making.
Areas of Focus: Public Policy, Comparative Politics, Canadian Government and Politics

This course is a survey of contemporary patterns of public policy in Canada. Selected policy studies including managing the economy from post-war stabilization policies to the rise of global capitalism, developments in the Canadian welfare state and approaches to external relations and national security in the new international order.

Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics; Public Policy

This seminar course explores some of the major theoretical approaches to the comparative analysis of public policies across countries. The course explores factors that influence a country’s policy-making process and why countries’ policies diverge or converge. Empirically, the course examines several contemporary issue areas, such as economic, social or environmental policies.
Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics; Public Policy

A review and application of theories of public policy. A case-based approach is used to illuminate the interplay of evidence (scientific data, etc.) and political considerations in the policy process, through stages of agenda-setting, formulation, decision-making, implementation and evaluation. Cases will be drawn from Canada, the United States and other industrialized democracies, and include contemporary and historical policies.

This course provides an opportunity for students to work with a faculty member, Students will provide assistance with one of the faculty member's research projects, while also earning credit. Students will gain first-hand exposure to current research methods, and share in the excitement of discovery of knowledge acquisition. Progress will be monitored by regular meetings with the faculty member and through a reflective journal. Final results will be presented in a written report and/or a poster presentation at the end of the term. Approximately 120 hours of work is expected for the course.

Current issues involving physical science in modern society. Topics include: complex nature of the scientific method; inter-connection between theory, concepts and experimental data; characteristics of premature, pathological and pseudo-science; organization and funding of scientific research in Canada; role of communication and publishing; public misunderstanding of scientific method. These will be discussed using issues arising in chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics and physics.
Note: Where PSCD01H3 is a Program requirement, it may be replaced by PHY341H with the approval of the Program supervisor.
Prerequisite: Completion of at least one-half of the credits required in any one of the programs offered by the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences.

Topics of current prominence arising in chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics and physics will be discussed, usually by faculty or outside guests who are close to the areas of prominence. Topics will vary from year to year as the subject areas evolve.

Communicating complex science issues to a wider audience remains a major challenge. This course will use film, media, journalism and science experts to explore the role of science and scientists in society. Students will engage with media and academic experts to get an insight into the ‘behind the scenes’ world of filmmaking, media, journalism, and scientific reporting. The course will be of interest to all students of environmental science, media, education, journalism and political science.

This course provides exposure to a variety of theoretical concepts and practical methods for treating various problems in quantum mechanics. Topics include perturbation theory, variational approach, adiabatic approximation, mean field approximation, Hamiltonian symmetry implementation, light-matter interaction, second quantization.

This course provides a general overview of topics including research techniques in psychology, evolutionary psychology, the biology of behaviour, learning and behaviour, sensation, perception, memory and consciousness. The most influential findings from each of these areas will be highlighted.

This course provides a general overview of topics including language, intelligence, development, motivation and emotion, personality, social psychology, stress, mental disorders and treatments of mental disorders. The most influential findings from each of these areas will be highlighted.

The course will provide introductory knowledge and hands-on training in computer-based implementations of experimental design, data processing and result interpretation in psychology. The course covers implementations of experimental testing paradigms, computational explorations of empirical data structure and result visualization with the aid of specific programming tools (e.g., Python).

This course focuses on the fundamentals of the theory and the application of statistical procedures used in research in the field of psychology. Topics will range from descriptive statistics to simple tests of significance, such as Chi-Square, t-tests, and one-way Analysis-of-Variance. A working knowledge of algebra is assumed.

Surveys a wide range of phenomena relating to social behaviour.
Social Psychology is the study of how feelings, thoughts, and behaviour are influenced by the presence of others. The course is designed to explore social behaviour and to present theory and research that foster its understanding.

Developmental processes during infancy and childhood.
This course presents students with a broad and integrative overview of child development. Major theories and research findings will be discussed in order to understand how the child changes physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively with age. Topics are organized chronologically beginning with prenatal development and continuing through selected issues in adolescence and life-span development.

This course is intended to introduce students to the scientific study of the whole person in biological, social, and cultural contexts. The ideas of classical personality theorists will be discussed in reference to findings from contemporary personality research.