political science seeks to describe, analyze, understand and assess the principles and power relations that govern social life. it revolves as much around the structures and institutions that define these relations and principles as around the ideas and practices that drive them. it studies everything that influences political life and institutions (ideologies, groups, social movements, etc.) on a local, regional, national and international scale.

the university of ottawa's programs offer in-depth training in political science and encourage critical reflection on pivotal issues like citizenship, identity, political participation, globalization and development, governance and the state, and ethics and democracy. a discipline open to many theoretical and methodological approaches, political science constantly exchanges and shares with other fields. at the university of ottawa's school of political studies, students build their knowledge in four subfields of political science: political thought, canadian and quebec politics, comparative politics, and international relations and global politics.