Sarah Ferencz
Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
Street-level bureaucrats in policy implementation: a study of drug decriminalization in BC, Canada
Overview
The Department of Political Science offers Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs that are structured around five substantive fields: Canadian politics, international relations, comparative politics, political theory, and U.S. Politics.
We offer in the range of 25 graduate seminar courses per year and ample support for mentoring grad students in their professional development, through research collaboration, workshops, and colloquia. We have the most successful doctoral graduates of any program in Canada, judged by our record of placing graduates in academic positions in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and elsewhere.
What makes the program unique?
One of the key criteria that sets the Political Science department at UBC apart is the methodological breadth and diversity of research interests of faculty members, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. We have particular strengths for graduate students in:
- indigenous politics, with indigenous faculty members in two different subfields
- critical political theory and identity politics
- democratic theory and practise
- political behaviour, parties and elections
- comparative public policy and institutions
- migration, social diversity, and identity
- environmental politics
- international norms, institutions and goverance, and human security.
Quantitative Methods: we are particularly strong on quantitative methods for students using this kind of approach, with the deepest lineup of persons engaged in systematic quantitative research and the country’s most robust sequence of graduate methods courses for those students wishing to acquire a sophisticated understanding of quantitative analysis.
Regional Area Strengths: we are exceptionally strong in the study of Asian politics, the politics of the Americas, European politics, U.S. politics, and Canadian politics.
Quick Facts
Program Components Dissertation
Career Outcomes
47 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 44 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
McMaster University (2)University of Toronto (2)
University of Victoria (2)
Memorial University of Newfoundland (2)
University of South Florida
University of Saint Andrews
Sophia University
Macquarie University
University of the Fraser Valley
Western University (Ontario)
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Asia Pacific Foundation on CanadaGovernment of Canada
Government of Manitoba
Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation
Supreme Court of Canada
United States Department of Defence
Through Conversation
Employment and Social Development Canada
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Senior Policy Analyst (2)Program Manager
Judicial Clerk
Executive
Director, Oversight
Freelance Writer, researcher
Associate Dean
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Career Options
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for this program
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
- Afsahi, Afsoun (Democratic theory and practice, Gender in politics, Challenges, opportunities, and best methods of inclusion, Representation of marginalized communities in democratic decision-making processes)
- Arneil, Barbara (Identity politics, history of political thought)
- Baier, Gerald (Canadian politics, federalism, constitutional law, courts, federal-provincial relations, Constitution, federalism and public law in Canada)
- Baum, Bruce (Political Culture, Society and Ideology; critical social theory; feminist theory; critical hermeneutics; issues of cross-cultural interpretation; American political thought and cultural politics; political theories of Mill and Marx; philosophy of political inquiry; liberal and democratic theory)
- Bloemraad, Irene (Political science; Sociology; migration & mobilities - politics, law, social movements; immigrants and refugees - integration & incorporation; comparative research design & mixed methods)
- Borwein, Sophie (intersection of political economy, political behaviour, and public policy)
- Byers, Michael (International relations; Public international law (except international trade law); international law; international relations; Outer Space; Arctic; Law of the Sea; Laws of War; International Human Rights; International Environmental Law)
- Cameron, Maxwell (Political science; Political Regimes (Democracy, Authoritarianism=; The State, Political Systems; Comparative Politics; Democratization; Latin America; Practical wisdom)
- Chowdhury, Arjun (Failed states, intervention, civil war, autocrats, revolution. )
- Coleman, Katharina Pichler (International organizations, international relations, international security/peace operations, interntional rules, noms and legitimacy, sun-Saharan Africa)
- Coulthard, Glen (First Nations politics – national; political theory )
- Cutler, Frederick (Social movements and democracy; public opinion; Political Methodology; Canadian Politics; Elections; Electoral Systems; Federalism; Academic Publishing Systems)
- Dauvergne, Peter (Social sciences; international relations; global environmental politics; sustainability governance; global South; Developing countries; transnational corporations; technology; consumption; Plastic Pollution; social movements; environmentalism; activism; deforestation)
- Doberstein, Carey (Political science and policy administration; Agencies and arms-length bodies in Canada; Public servant behavior in Canada; How citizens engage with government as part of local consultations and public engagement; Homelessness (politics, governance, policy); Local government or governance)
- Ellermann, Antje (Political science; Migrations, Populations, Cultural Exchanges; Migratory Flows; Public Policies; Identity and Transnationality; Role of Governments and Institutions; Comparative Public Policy; Migration and Citizenship)
- Givens, Terri Elizabeth
- Harrison, Kathryn (Canadian politics, environmental politics, environmental policy, climate change, global warming, climate change policy, Canadian public policy)
- Hopkins, Vincent (Political science; Democratic theory and practice; Federalism and Local Politics; Migration Policy and Politics; Public Management; public opinion)
- Huebner, Kurt (European integration; euro and global currency regimes; international trade and fdi; sustainability and innovation policies; global macroeconomics;European politics, Money and currency regimes, politics and economics of European integration as well as on contradictions and complementarities of sustainability and international competitiveness)
- Hummel, Callan (Comparative politics; Why and how communities with little political power organize and negotiate with their governments; Civil society; LGBTQ+ policy; Labor politics; Health Policy; Latin American politics)
- Jacobs, Alan Michael (Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; economic inequality; Political economy; public opinion; Public Policy; Research Methodology)
- Janara, Laura (Language and symbolism especially in gendered and familial thinking, politcal theory)
- Jeong, Gyung-Ho (Political science; Social Organization and Political Systems; Congress; Foreign Policy; Immigration Policy; Legislative Politics; Public Choice; Trade Policy; US politics)
- Jurkevics, Anna (critical theory, democratic theory, and the history of German political thought)
- Kam, Christopher (Nature and evolution of parliamentary democracy, historical development of institutions)
Intake
Application Open Date
Canadian Applicant Deadline
International Applicant Deadline
Program Enquiries
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Supervisor Search
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The city and the sea
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