Focuses on the analysis of the processes whereby public policies arise and are enacted in Canada. The course compares theories and models of policy making and decision-making to illustrate the special requirements of the Canadian environment and examines the roles of various participants in the policy process: legislators, political parties, interest groups, administrators and administrative structures, citizens, and the judiciary.

Focuses on the analysis of the processes whereby public policies arise and are enacted in the northern regions of Canada and the Circumpolar North. The course applies the theories and models of policy-making and decision-making within the unique northern environment and examines the role of its participants and interest groups.

This course introduces students to academic writing and the skills relevant to a research degree. Students will learn the form and function of key academic documents, such as a summary, research paper, and literature review, and about academic integrity and strategies for avoiding plagiarism.

This course will introduce government and other professional communication relevant to the North. You will learn the form and function of key documents, such as professional email and briefing notes, as well as principles of oral communications in a professional environment. You will learn to analyze various components of communication strategy, including purpose, audience, context and style and learn to develop, edit and revise your own work. You will apply the communication concepts and skills you have learned in this course to prepare both your internship proposals and your final research reports.

This course looks at the manner in which scientific and technological innovation, or the commercialization of technology-based products and services, is shaping the Circumpolar world.

Will explore the economic concepts related to the management of renewable and non-renewable resources in the northern world. Students will examine competing theories and learn to apply analytic models and policies that enhance their understanding of how resources are distributed and managed. This course will have a field school component that will involve international travel.

The goal of the Applied Research Project is for students to learn community-based project development and knowledge discovery. The project topic is in relation to issues identified as important to the prosperity of the community and significant to northern governance and sustainable development. It is anticipated that as graduate learners, students will develop confidence, capacity, and skills in project management, inter-professional collaboration, leadership, critical analyses and knowledge mobilization.

This seminar series provides an introduction to contemporary issues and research related to governance and entrepreneurship in northern and Indigenous areas. All graduate students in the GENI program are required to register and attend regular seminars provided by academics, experts and traditional knowledge holders. The seminar series hosts the Northern Saskatchewan Field School.

Students are required to write a research paper of 12,000 to 15,000 words (40-45 pages) related to Northern and Indigenous communities, often building on the research completed during the applied research project and throughout the program courses. The research paper is the final required component of the program.

This online ethics module is a course requirement in the IND-3012 course, but students must register for it separately during the registration period.

This course provides insights into quantitative and qualitative methodologies, emphasizing their theoretical and technical foundations. It fosters skills relevant to designing research, selecting appropriate methods, collecting and handling data, and writing up research. It also provides guidelines for identifying and addressing practical challenges associated with research in difficult and post-conflict settings. It introduces students to the ethical questions and requirements surrounding research related to Indigenous peoples. Students are required to successfully complete this course before undertaking IND-3013 Applied Research Project.

This course is an interactive examination of Indigenous consultations and Negotiations. Consultations and negotiations are central to managing relations among Indigenous governments and organizations, municipal, provincial, and federal/central governments, and industry. This course has three objectives: (1) Provide an overview of the state of the legal and political environment on consultation, including legal benchmarks arising from court decisions on the duty to consult and accommodate, (2) Examine seminal and current research on consultation and negotiations between among Northern actors, and (3) Provide applied learning experience through negotiation simulation exercises. (Note: The course number has not yet been confirmed.)

The GENI Thesis requires students to reflect and write independently on a theme from the program,  drawing broadly on the research, courses and seminars they completed. Students are expected to participate consistently in monthly thesis seminars, sharing their own work and commenting on the work of others.

This course offers the students an overview of legal protections for the rights of indigenous peoples to enjoy their culture, lands and livelihood. The teaching will be based on international legal instruments of relevance to indigenous peoples such as, among others, the 1989 ILO Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 2007 United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. National law protecting indigenous livelihood in Norway will also have a wide place in the course.

This course will introduce students to theories of governance so they can apply them in the northern context, as well as give them knowledge about different historical experiences of colonization and state integration, and contemporary policies and management of selected circumpolar countries. The course consists of two main parts. The aim of the first, the theoretical and conceptual framework, is to give students the necessary tools to analyze different aspects of governance in northern areas. In the second part, the goal is to introduce students to different cases of governance, both to illustrate different aspects of governance and to understand the variety of challenges in Northern areas.

No. During the first year of the program, you will need to attend two separate week-long field schools (one in northern Norway and one in northern Canada).

Online MPA Fall 2024 JSGS 891 Residency Dates will be September 4-8, 2024 in Saskatoon at the JSGS USask Campus Location.

In order to be accepted into the GENI program, a preferred bachelor’s degree in social science, law or education. Degrees in natural science, business, engineering or related fields are in general not sufficient. However, a combination of education and experience might make you eligible without one of these degrees, please feel free to contact us with the specifics of your case.

Applicants with Higher Education Entrance Qualification (GSK) from a Norwegian High School are exempt from the University of Saskatchewan’s English-language proficiency requirements. An applicant with a three-year degree from an eligible English-language institution may also be exempt (see USask requirements).

NORD 870 Applied Research Project provides the opportunity for students to complete a community-based project with a community partner and an academic supervisor. 

The research generally takes place in the country of your home institution, although other arrangements can be made on a case-by-case basis. 

The host may be a business, an organization, a governmental body, a northern community, or some other institution. The Applied Research Project is a consultation process, in which the student works on an issue that the host has identified as a priority.

Students are often entering the program with a community partner in mind, although some students work with the GENI program team to find a community partner. The NORD 870 Applied Research Project course accommodates both approaches.

The project thesis starts in the third year and continues through the fourth year. Students develop a topic in conjunction with their supervisors, often building on the research completed in their applied research project. The resulting paper is expected to be between 12,000-15,000 words (40-45 pages).

No. Your research may extend beyond these countries, but it should focus on Indigenous peoples and/or northern communities in the circumpolar/geographic north (eg. northern Europe, northern Asia, northern Canada, and Alaska).

Great question! Students are usually responsible for covering the costs of the field schools. However, the GENI program team has been successful in securing grants to cover local costs for the field schools for 2022-2026 and has identified additional scholarships to assist in covering airfare and travel.

The GENI courses are delivered via a blend of flexible delivery course formats, including online asynchronous courses, video conferencing (zoom) lectures, and hybrid. A detailed course schedule is provided to students.

Because of the time difference between students in Saskatchewan and Norway, there are limited options for scheduling seminars involving all students. Depending on where you live, video-conferencing seminars and other meetings usually take place either in the early morning (Saskatchewan/Central Standard Time) or in the late afternoon (Norway/Central European Time).

A relatively high-speed internet connection and quality microphones are important to facilitate video conferencing and course connectivity.

Past students following the standard course plan have found that they needed to spend an average of 20 hours per week on their studies, including class time.