3 programs, side by side

Rows marked with a dot are where these differ. Everything is each university’s own published wording; the “your average” row is yours, calculated the way each program does it.

	Carleton Public Affairs and Policy Management OUAC CPX Remove	Ottawa Conflict Studies and Human Rights and Master in Security and Defence Studies (4 years) OUAC OGA Remove	McMaster Wilson College Leadership and Civic Studies I OUAC MWC Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–82%	80%	83–87%“A minimum of mid-80s is required for consideration. Admission is by selection.”Admission by selection — the real bar may sit above this
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	No course codes parsed — see prerequisites	No course codes parsed — see prerequisites	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	Optional concentrations: Development and Human Rights; International Policy; Public Policy and Administration Combined honours with Communication and Media Studies available 6 best 4U/M courses Alternative Offers Find more information about alternative offers +1 more on the program page	ENG4U or FRA4U	English 4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Yes OUAC Application Deadline: January 15, 2027 To be considered, you must provide a completed supplementary application Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	No	No
Degree	—	Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts, BA/MA, Bachelor of Social Science, BSocSc	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	—	60
What you study	International Development Media and Communication Studies Others in Business & Administrative Studies Politics	Interdisciplinary Studies Politics Social Policy	Interdisciplinary Studies Politics Social Policy
What it is	You study how governments, organizations, and institutions make decisions and solve public problems, combining politics, policy analysis, and communication. The program lets you focus on areas like international development, social policy, or media's role in public discourse, and you can pair it with a communication degree if you want. It suits people interested in working in government, non-profits, advocacy groups, or international organizations where understanding policy and public issues matters more than technical expertise.	You study how conflicts arise between groups and nations, and how human rights law and institutions work to prevent or resolve them. In your final years, you shift focus to security policy, military strategy, and defence issues at national and international levels. This combined degree suits people interested in diplomacy, international organizations, law, or government policy work who want exposure to both the rights and security sides of global politics.	This program combines study of political systems, social policy, and leadership theory across multiple disciplines to prepare you to understand and influence how communities and institutions work. It differs from a straight political science degree by explicitly weaving in civic engagement and practical leadership skills alongside theory. It suits students who want to think critically about social problems and are drawn to roles in government, non-profit work, or community organizations.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	16 published, 9 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	Carleton University on OUInfo	University of Ottawa on OUInfo	McMaster University on OUInfo

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Ranges are what each university publishes, not guaranteed cutoffs, and limited-enrolment programs often admit above them. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the university; each column links to its source.