Our Graduate Diploma provides an opportunity to acquire some specialized academic skills and training without committing to full year of study.

The Graduate Diploma in Political Science is perfect for those looking to acquire additional academic credentials or coursework at the graduate level, but not interested in completing the requirements of our MA program.

Formal Program Requirements

The Graduate Diploma does not provide the same level of training, or carry the same academic weight, as an MA degree. Instead, it is intended to expand on their knowledge of a particular discipline and may also be used for professional development within their careers.

Students are required to take 9 credit hours (or 3 courses) at the graduate-level (6***) Political Science in order to qualify for the Diploma. Students may take this program on either a full- or part-time basis. Admissions to the Graduate Diploma are made once a year.

Applications for the Graduate Diploma are due by March 15^th each year for a Fall semester start. You may apply at any time, but your application will only be considered after this date.

Deferring Your Admissions Offer

The Department of Political Science recognizes that students may encounter opportunities or circumstances that warrant a request for deferred admission. Applicants who are admitted to full-time study in our Master of Arts and Graduate Diploma programs, may request a deferral for one year. The deferred offer must be taken up by the program application deadline the following year. 

Students who are approved for deferral must relinquish their offer of funding, and will be reconsidered for funding the following academic year. Students who request a deferral for longer than one year, or who need a second deferral, will lose their guaranteed space, and must reapply for admission to the program. 

Students who are granted permission to defer their admission will still have to satisfy any conditions of the admission offer, such as completion of courses in progress, and maintenance of a satisfactory academic performance.

Note that deferral will not be available to applicants who wish to attend another post-secondary institution before taking up their offer of admission at Memorial University. Applicants who attend another institution during their deferral will lose their guaranteed space and will have to reapply for admission.