McGill for International Relations

Hi
My son is interested in McGill, and in studying International Relations. We live in the US. His SAT is 690 math, 780 verbal, super scored, and he has a 3.95 unweighted GPA so we think he has a decent chance of acceptance.

My concern is that McGill does not appear to have an IR major but rather a minor in the political science program. His goal is to work in international politics, perhaps for the US Dept of State or an NGO. He is also considering American Univerisity, William and Mary, and several other schools in the US.

I’d love to get feedback on the poly sci/IR minor program at McGill and any input as to how McGill might compare with American. He’s very intrigued by the idea of studying in Canada. Thank you!

I think your son will find McGill significantly more rigorous than AU. My daughter is studying Poli Sci/IR at McGill and loves it, but it is demanding. She chose McGill over W&M (and other US schools) to get both a diverse student body and a more broad world view. Montreal is also an amazing and fun city!

@Happy4u is correct. The rumors of McGill’s rigor are very, very true! My son is in the Faculty of Arts…Econ major/Poli Sci minor…and he is definitely working his tail off…and having a ton of fun.

A good idea for him would be a double major in International Development and
Political science/IR.
It’d mean 18 credits in 3 areas of political science, 18 credits in IR, 36 credits divided into economics, culture& society, states& institutions, and Environment& agriculture.
McGill requires more autonomy and reading skills. There may not be any small class. The degree is recognized world wide.