Graduate

Policy Studies (PhD)

Courses

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Required Core Courses:

 

Policy Theories and Approaches

 

This course is designed to provide students with a critical examination of the intellectual and theoretical foundations of public policy studies. The course examines the history and evolution of policy studies and the various theoretical approaches and analytical concepts used in policy research. An emphasis is placed on policy theory and literatures from political science and several different disciplines to illustrate how different perspectives underpin various policy approaches.

 

Research Methods for Policy Studies

 

This course provides students with an overview of the wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods used in public policy research and policy analysis. Various policy research methods are compared in terms of their connection to different theoretical approaches, their strengths and weaknesses, how they are used in combination, and how they are employed to research different public policy issues. This course provides the foundation for students to develop their dissertation proposal. It may be team-taught and faculty members from different disciplines may be asked to make presentations on their research to highlight different research methods and interdisciplinary approaches to public policy research.

 

Required Field Foundation Courses:

 

Each of the field foundation courses is designed to provide students with the theoretical and methodological background to pursue more specialized research in their field.

PhD candidates are required to take the field foundation course in their selected field.
 

Public Policy and Administration

 

This course focuses on the interface of public policy and public administration, particularly relations of the private, non-profit and third sectors; public sector reform and public policy; new theories and models of governance and their impact on public policy; and transformation of the policy process under different models of governance. The emphasis is on theories and research related to the policy process; policy design, policy instruments and implementation. 

 

Immigration, Settlement and Diaspora Policies

 

This course provides advanced examination of policy challenges arising from global migration. A particular objective is situating Canada’s policy responses in a comparative context with other traditional countries of migration, as well as more recent countries of immigrant settlement. Attention will be devoted to analyzing the role of the state, markets and civil society in shaping migration-related policies. The role of research in policy development and analysis is a recurring course theme.  Topics of interest include the policy ramifications of immigration, settlement and diaspora related to such issues as: optimal population size, economic imperatives, multiculturalism, newcomer integration, dual citizenship, transnationalism and refugee admission.

 

Social Policy

 

This course takes a historical, comparative and critical approach to the study of social policy. The focus is on key theories and perspectives in social policy and the fluid boundaries between social policy, economic policy, health policy, environmental policy and justice policy underpinning interdisciplinary approaches to social policy research. Through an emphasis on the political economy of social welfare policy development at the local, national and international levels, the course provides students with an understanding of the evolution of social conditions and examines the influence of different policy ideas, institutions and interests on social policy development and change. This course also examines social capital, social cohesion, diversity and social justice movements. The emphasis is on defining and understanding the broad and inter-related field of social policy as a foundation for further research in a broad range of social policy areas.

Electives:

Students in the program will select 3 electives in related areas of interest from:

i) other PhD field foundation courses
ii) two new PhD course electives to be developed as the program is phased in;
iii) existing policy-related graduate courses (see below) or,
iv) a specialized readings course in a theoretical or methodological area related to their dissertation research. 

 

Students will be encouraged to consider policy-related course electives from existing graduate course offerings at Ryerson. This will also add another interdisciplinary element to the program and allow students to select more specialized policy-related courses related to their research interests.  The table below is not an exhaustive list and students wishing to take additional electives related to their preferred research methods will be encouraged to review existing graduate course offerings.

Policy-related Courses in Existing Graduate Programs at Ryerson:

Program	Course	Course Title
Policy Studies	PD9000	Policy Analysis
Policy Studies	PD9200	Directed Studies
Social Science	SS8000	Statistical Analysis for Social Science Research
Communication & Culture	CC8940	Politic Econ of Cult and Commun
Communication & Culture	CC8941	Issues in Commun & Cult Policy
Communication & Culture	CC8946
Communication Policy	CC8947	Cultural Policy
Communication & Culture	CS8931	Children and Canadian Policies
Environmental Applied Science and Management	EF8931	Internal Trade Theory, Policy
Environmental Applied Science and Management	ES8920	Environmental Law and Policy
Environmental Applied Science and Management	ES9001	Environmental Policy and Mgmt
Immigration & Settlement Studies	IS8901	The Cdn Immigration Experience
Immigration & Settlement Studies	IS8903	Imm Law Policy Politics Pract
Immigration & Settlement Studies	IS8934	Multicultural Cities–Planning Plcy
Nursing	MN8920	Hlth Policy: Compar Analysis
Nutrition	NC8201	Food and Nutrition Policy
Public Policy & Administration	PA8100	Public Admin & Governance
Public Policy & Administration	PA8102	The State & the Economy
Public Policy & Administration	PA8202	Comparative Public Policy
Public Policy & Administration	PA8218	Indigenous Law and Policy in Canada
Spatial Analysis	SA8907	Health in Urban Environments
Spatial Analysis	SA8911	Geodemographics
Social Work	SK8207	Critical Social Policy

 

There are many other social science methods and policy-related graduate courses at Ryerson. Students would be encouraged to consult the Graduate Studies calendar  http://www.ryerson.ca/graduate/graduate_calendar/  depending on their research interests.