Specializations and variants
Program Requirements M.A. Canadian Studies (4.0 credits)
M.A. Canadian Studies with Concentration in Heritage Planning and Studies (4.0 credits)
M.A. Canadian Studies with Collaborative Specialization in Digital Humanities (4.0 credits)
Ph.D. Canadian Studies (3.0 credits)
Ph.D. Canadian Studies with Collaborative Specialization in Political Economy (3.0 credits)
Program pathways and conditions
These tables reproduce the source requirements for the indicated period. Official interpretation is the responsibility of the university.
Pathway 1
| Requirements - coursework pathway (4.0 credits) | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| CDNS 5001 [0.5] | M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada | |
| 2. 3.5 credits in additional coursework, which may include up to 1.5 credits taken outside the program with approval of the graduate supervisor. See Note below. | 3.5 | |
| Total Credits | 4.0 |
Pathway 2
| Requirements - coursework pathway: | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| CDNS 5001 [0.5] | M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| CDNS 5401 [0.5] | Heritage Conservation: History, Principles, and Concepts | |
| CDNS 5402 [0.5] | Heritage Conservation: Theory in Practice | |
| 3. 0.5 credit from: | 0.5 | |
| CDNS 5400 [0.5] | Space, Landscape and Identity in Canada | |
| CDNS 5403 [0.5] | Heritage Conservation and Sustainability | |
| 4. 2.0 credits in approved elective courses, which may include up to 1.0 outside the program with approval of the graduate supervisor. See Note below. | 2.0 | |
| Total Credits | 4.0 |
Pathway 3
| Requirements - coursework pathway (4.0 credits) | ||
| 1. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| CDNS 5001 [0.5] | M.A. Core Seminar: Conceptualizing Canada | |
| DIGH 5000 [0.5] | Issues in the Digital Humanities | |
| DIGH 5800 [0.0] | Digital Humanities: Professional Development | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in approved Digital Humanities elective courses. | 1.0 | |
| 3. 2.0 credits in approved elective courses, which may include up to 1.0 taken outside the program with the approval of the graduate supervisor. See Note below. | 2.0 | |
| Total Credits | 4.0 |
Pathway 4
| Requirements: | ||
| 1. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| CDNS 6900 [1.0] | Ph.D. Core Seminar: Interdisciplinarity in Canadian Studies: Concepts, Theories and Methods | |
| 2. 1.0 credit in 5000- or 6000-level courses or tutorials (or the equivalent) offered by the School (or approved by the Graduate Supervisor); a GPA of 9.0 or better must be obtained in these courses for students to be allowed to proceed to the comprehensive examinations. | 1.0 | |
| 3. 1.0 credit in the successful completion of two 0.5-credit written comprehensive examinations. Students will be examined in two areas of research. (See note) | 1.0 | |
| 4. Language requirement: satisfactory demonstration of an understanding of a language other than English. | ||
| 5. A public defence, in English, of a written thesis proposal. Following the completion of their comprehensives, students will be expected to defend a proposal of the research and analysis they plan to undertake in completing their Ph.D. thesis. The thesis proposal defence should normally occur within six months after completion of a student's comprehensive examinations and within the first 27 months of registration in the program. The thesis committee will be composed of three faculty members. | ||
| 6. 0.0 credits in a Thesis, which must be successfully defended in English at an oral examination: | 0.0 | |
| CDNS 6909 [0.0] | Ph.D. Thesis | |
| Total Credits | 3.0 |
Pathway 5
| Requirements: | ||
| 1. 0.5 credit in: | 0.5 | |
| PECO 6000 [0.5] | Political Economy: Core Concepts | |
| 2. 0.5 credit in a relevant political economy course from the approved list or the comprehensive in the major field of Policy, Economy and Society. | 0.5 | |
| 3. 1.0 credit in: | 1.0 | |
| CDNS 6900 [1.0] | Ph.D. Core Seminar: Interdisciplinarity in Canadian Studies: Concepts, Theories and Methods | |
| 4. 1.0 credit in the successful completion of two 0.5-credit written comprehensive examinations. Students will be examined in two areas of research. (See note) | 1.0 | |
| 5. Language requirement: satisfactory demonstration of an understanding of a language other than English. | ||
| 6. A public defence, in English, of a written thesis proposal. Following the completion of their comprehensives, students will be expected to defend a proposal of the research and analysis they plan to undertake in completing their Ph.D. thesis. The thesis proposal defence should normally occur within six months after completion of a student's comprehensive examinations and within the first 27 months of registration in the program. The thesis committee will be composed of three faculty members. | ||
| 7. 0.0 credits in a Thesis (in the specialization which must be successfully defended in English at an oral examination): | 0.0 | |
| CDNS 6909 [0.0] | Ph.D. Thesis (in the specialization) | |
| Total Credits | 3.0 |
Courses
These courses were identified on the program source page. Their presence does not mean they are all required in every pathway.
Sources and references
Reference year : 2026-27
Dates and sources are retained to help you verify the information. Translations are provided to facilitate reading; the official source governs conditions and requirements.
Source reference : https://calendar.carleton.ca/grad/gradprograms/canadianstudies/