Department of Political Science

The Department of Political Science at UBC is a vibrant and diverse community of scholars, students, and alumni. We are committed to research and teaching excellence. Our faculty members are leaders and innovators in the key subfields of our discipline: International Relations, Comparative Politics, Political Theory, Canadian Politics, and US Politics.

Our Graduate Program is one of the best in North America. We bring together innovative students and faculty who are thought leaders in the Political Science community. We are a hub for ground-breaking research, and we are focused on providing high quality graduate education with an emphasis on scholarship and the preparation of future professionals and academics. We are proud to see many of our PhDs in faculty positions and in successful careers throughout the world. We value collaboration and collegiality, and we strive to create an atmosphere of trust, respect, and professional courtesy to ensure a diverse intellectual community.

30
Master's Students
41
Doctoral Students
24
Graduate Degrees Awarded
 
 

Research Supervisors

Name Research Interests
Afsahi, Afsoun Democratic theory and practice, Gender in politics, Challenges, opportunities, and best methods of inclusion, Representation of marginalized communities in democratic decision-making processes
Arneil, Barbara Identity politics, history of political thought
Baier, Gerald Canadian politics, federalism, constitutional law, courts, federal-provincial relations, Constitution, federalism and public law in Canada
Baum, Bruce Political Culture, Society and Ideology; critical social theory; feminist theory; critical hermeneutics; issues of cross-cultural interpretation; American political thought and cultural politics; political theories of Mill and Marx; philosophy of political inquiry; liberal and democratic theory
Bloemraad, Irene consequences of migration on politics and understandings of membershi; immigrants become incorporated into political communities; intersection of migration studies and political sociology
Borwein, Sophie intersection of political economy, political behaviour, and public policy
Byers, Michael International relations; Public international law (except international trade law); international law; international relations; Outer Space; Arctic; Law of the Sea; Laws of War; International Human Rights; International Environmental Law
Cameron, Maxwell Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Monarchy, Federalism, Parliamentarism, etc.); Social Organization and Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom
Chowdhury, Arjun Failed states, intervention, civil war, autocrats, revolution.
Coleman, Katharina Pichler International organizations, international relations, international security/peace operations, interntional rules, noms and legitimacy, sun-Saharan Africa
Coulthard, Glen First Nations politics – national; political theory
Cutler, Frederick Social movements and democracy; public opinion; Political Methodology; Canadian Politics; Elections; Electoral Systems; Federalism; Academic Publishing Systems
Dauvergne, Peter Social sciences; international relations; global environmental politics; sustainability governance; global South; Developing countries; transnational corporations; technology; consumption; Plastic Pollution; social movements; environmentalism; activism; deforestation
Doberstein, Carey Political science and policy administration; Agencies and arms-length bodies in Canada; Public servant behavior in Canada; How citizens engage with government as part of local consultations and public engagement; Homelessness (politics, governance, policy); Local government or governance
Ellermann, Antje Political science; Migrations, Populations, Cultural Exchanges; Migratory Flows; Public Policies; Identity and Transnationality; Role of Governments and Institutions; Comparative Public Policy; Migration and Citizenship
Givens, Terri Elizabeth
Harrison, Kathryn Canadian politics, environmental politics, environmental policy, climate change, global warming, climate change policy, Canadian public policy
Hopkins, Vincent Political science; Democratic theory and practice; Federalism and Local Politics; Migration Policy and Politics; Public Management; public opinion
Huebner, Kurt European integration; euro and global currency regimes; international trade and fdi; sustainability and innovation policies; global macroeconomics;European politics, Money and currency regimes, politics and economics of European integration as well as on contradictions and complementarities of sustainability and international competitiveness
Hummel, Calla Why and how communities with little political power organize and negotiate with their governments, Civil society, LGBTQ+ policy, Labor politics, Health policy, Latin American politics
Jacobs, Alan Michael Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; economic inequality; Political economy; public opinion; Public Policy; Research Methodology
Janara, Laura Language and symbolism especially in gendered and familial thinking, politcal theory
Jeong, Gyung-Ho Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; Congress; Foreign Policy; Immigration Policy; Legislative Politics; Public Choice; Trade Policy; US politics
Jurkevics, Anna critical theory, democratic theory, and the history of German political thought
Kam, Christopher Nature and evolution of parliamentary democracy, historical development of institutions
la Selva, Samuel Political theory, legal philosophy
Li, Xiaojun international and comparative political economy with a focus on China; Does Conditionality Still Work? China
Lightfoot, Sheryl Indigenous policy and policy administration; Indigenous politics; global and comparative Indigenous politics; international relations; Human Rights; non-state actors
Ostwald, Kai comparative politics; ethnic politics, public policy, and the politics of development
Price, Richard Political science; International Cooperation; Ethics and World Politics; Global Norms; international relations; International Relations Theory; Moral Psychology
Quirk, Paul United States Politics, US Politics, American Politics, Congress, Presidency, US elections, US politics
Sultan, Nazmul Political science; history of political thought; empire and anticolonial thought; popular sovereignty; modern conceptions of the global
Sundstrom, Lisa nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), global activism, human rights, Democratization, authoritarianism, civil society, Russian/ post-Communist politics, Western aid, and NGOs in global politics
Tiberghien, Yves Political science; global politics
Weaver, Michael Politics of violence; Ethnic politics and media; Causes and consequences of ethnic violence; Lynching; Legitimacy of state and non-state violence
Wright, Matthew Political science; American politics; Comparitive politics; immigration; Immigration Policy; migration; National identity; Political behaviour; Political psychology; public opinion

Stories

Leah Shipton

Student
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
Martina Zago's headshot

Martina Zago

Student
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)

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