Cultural, Social and Political Thought

The concentration in Cultural, Social, and Political Thought is available to students in either the MA or PhD programs. It gives students the opportunity to grapple with the big thinkers and big issues of our time, in a context that puts aside disciplinary boundaries, and encourages intellectual exploration and critique. It features a small cohort of committed students who study how critical theory can help us understand contemporary social and political phenomena. Please note that the concentration is highly theoretical, and does not offer much in the way of case studies or concrete empirical studies.

MA students who do the CSPT concentration must complete the Thesis Option in English, including 4.5 units of English courses and 3.0 units of CSPT or equivalent courses; their thesis must also have a substantial theoretical component.

• Contemporary Cultural Social and Political Thought I
• Contemporary Cultural Social and Political Thought II
• Power and Resistance in the 21st Century
• Political Theory Graduate Seminar

Requirements

• You must have earned the equivalent of a "B" average over the last two years (or equivalent of 30 UVic units) of your degree to be considered.
• Diploma Specialist
• Practica, non-graded (pass-fail) courses, credit granted on the basis of life or work experience, or credit earned at institutions not recognized by the university will not be used in determining an applicant's grade point average or units completed.
• Any courses used in the calculation of the entering average cannot be used as credit toward a graduate degree program.
• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  For the internet-based TOEFL (IBT), we require a minimum of 90 with the following minimum section requirements: Listening 20; Speaking 20; Reading 20; Writing 20. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 575 on the paper-based test. Individual departments may set a higher standard. This requirement will not be waived.
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
  A minimum Overall Band Score of 6.5, with no score of less than 6.0 on each individual component on the Academic IELTS is required. Note than any IELTS test, other than the Academic test, will not be accepted.
• Transcripts

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

• Bursaries
• UVic awards and fellowships
• University of Victoria Graduate Donor Awards
• Canada Graduate Scholarship
• Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships