Public Administration and Political Science

I think this program is great for students who want to explore political science and also gain a deeper understanding of the Canadian government and how it works at a deeper level. Personally, I found that political science and public administration are quite complementary, as you need a basic understanding of both to be able to deepen your understanding of the respective disciplines. Political science tended to be more theoretical, using theories to explain political events and phenomena. Political science is broken down into four main streams: Canadian politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political thought. In this program you will be required to take a few courses from each stream of political science. In your last year, you will be required to take an Honours Seminar in one of these streams, whichever one you choose. On the other hand, public administration can be more practical and is divided into the following streams: administration, management, and public policy. There are certainly still theories that are studied and applied, but there are also more application based courses as well (such as project management in the public sector or program evaluation). All in all, if you are going to be studying political science or public administration at the University of Ottawa, I would highly recommend doing some kind of Joint Honours program as I find they are very complementary and provides you with a more holistic understanding within political studies.