On November 10, the first cohort of students graduated with a Master’s degree in Political Management from Carleton.
This intensive, one-year program was created to provide a professional foundation for students who will end up in leadership roles in Canada’s political offices and parties. It’s the first program in Canada to offer a formal education that prepares students for careers as senior staff members, elected representatives, political managers and strategists, government relations consultants and political liaison officers.
Ihor Korbabicz, a member of the graduating class, says that program, “provided me with invaluable insights into the political process, further developed my skills and opened doors in the industry in a way my previous involvement failed to do. I think this is reflective of the holistic way the program approaches political management. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
An integral part of the one-year program is a 10-week internship in which the students can observe and participate in the political process.
This year’s class had a diverse range of placements from working with MPs such as Libby Davies, Vic Toews, Rathika Sitsabaiesan and Peter Mackay on through to placements with strategy groups such as MacPhie and Company and Earnscliffe or Pollara, a public opinion and market research firm. One student did a placement with Democracy Watch, a national non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility while other students worked with World Vison, the Campaign for Re-Election of Senator Maria Cantwell for U.S. Senate, the International Republican Institute and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
A number of students have already found full-time work in the field, while others are considering their options or starting new academic work.
More information about the program is available on the Political Management website.
Read a story about another graduate from the program in Carleton Now’s November issue.
