The University of Toronto is one of the foremost institutions of higher education in North America. It is located in a metropolitan area with highly livable urban environments, and the University’s St. George campus, where most graduate training takes place, is found near the centre of the city and very close to provincial and local government offices. The population of the Greater Toronto Area exceeds 4 million, enough to support excellent public services, orchestras, jazz festivals, opera companies, major league sports, and a wide variety of entertainment and dining places.

The Department has a large and academically diverse research oriented faculty, well represented in the various sub-fields of the discipline (Political Theory, International Relations, Comparative Politics, Development Studies, Canadian Politics and Public Policy). The Department also participates in a wide range of interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Although the Department is one of the largest Political Science departments in the western world, it is committed to fostering a collegial environment for graduate students and personal interaction between faculty and students.

Each year about 20 to 25 students register in the PhD program and 35 to 40 in the various MA programs. Students come to the Department from all over Canada and from other countries. About 30 percent of the doctoral students and 20 percent of the masters students are admitted from outside Canada. Since entrance requirements and standards of work are high, so is the calibre of the students. Many students hold prestigious fellowships, and several have recently won major awards, including Canadian Political Science Association and American Political Science Association’s prizes for best doctoral theses in their areas. Graduates of the Department have gone on to academic careers, public service, and other work in all provinces of Canada, the United States, and many other countries. The University maintains an active Placement Service to assist graduate students seeking employment in the academic world. Graduate Students in the Department have established an organization, Graduate Association for Students in Political Science (GASPS), to foster intellectual exchanges, social events, and student participation in all aspects of Department life.