Application Date for Collaborative PhD in Political Economy is Oct. 31

If you’re thinking of applying for the Collaborative PhD program in Political Economy, the application deadline is October 31.

The program takes an interdisciplinary approach that makes it one of the most unique graduate programs in Canada. This also allows for professional and personal connections that would not be possible otherwise.

For Maggie FitzGerald, a current PhD student, the collaborative aspect of the program is something that is beneficial not only on an intellectual level, but also personally and professionally.

“You are able to engage with students and faculty from a variety of disciplines – many of whom you wouldn’t necessarily have the opportunity to meet otherwise,” she said. “I have met amazing friends through the Institute.”

Faculty members come from a wide range of disciplines including Canadian Studies, Geography, History, Communication, Journalism, Law, Sociology, Political Science, Public Policy and Administration, Social Work, and Women and Gender Studies.

For FitzGerald, and other PhD students, this allows for a dynamic learning environment that becomes invaluable for their research.

FitzGerald thinks about the Institute of Political Economy as a network of faculty, students, and researchers, who share a common interest in critical thinking and social justice.

With this approach, the Institute provides an opportunity for students to carry out research that they care deeply about.

FitzGerald has taken this critical approach to her own research and has excelled.

She has won the Directors of the Institute of Political Economy Prize for her paper entitled Towards a Deeper Epistemology of Work: Uncovering the Relations of Value behind Categories of Work.

After completing her PhD, FitzGerald hopes to find work at a university so that she can continue her research and share what she has learned with students.

Many Collaborative PhD graduates have found teaching jobs across Canada at schools such as the University of Western Ontario and Concordia University.

A highlight of the program is the two Distinguished Visiting Scholars who visit the Institute every year. Renowned scholars from Sweden, France, Great Britain, Australia, India, South Africa and other countries also participate in the academic activities of the Institute.

“The Distinguished Visiting Scholars are always accessible and eager to become involved with the students,” said FitzGerald.

“They often teach courses, participate in the Institute of Political Economy’s graduate student conferences and workshops, and their office doors are always open (especially to students).”

More information about the Collaborative Political Economy PhD degree is available by clicking here.

Information about other graduate programs is available on our Admissions website.

–Story by Mitch Jackson