The following is a collection of pre-readings for the summer months, in preparation for the four core policy courses in the fall of 2025. All incoming students, no matter your academic or work background, should read these descriptions carefully and do the readings appropriate for your own background.
Technical Refresher for MPP Program
Many aspects of the design, analysis, and implementation of public policy require modest levels of mathematical, statistical, and economic analysis. You probably learned many of these skills in high school, though perhaps you haven’t used them in a while and so they might be rusty. Some other skills, perhaps, you did not learn at all during your high school or university years.
Several courses in the MPP program will require moderate levels of mathematics, statistics, and economics. To ensure that you are fully prepared for the MPP program, please make sure you carefully review the following collections of videos from the Kahn Academy. Some of you can review this material quickly; for others it will take more time and careful study. But our expectation is that all of you will be very comfortable will all this material by the time you arrive at the Max Bell School to begin the MPP program.
Basic Math
Basic Statistics
Basic Economics
The two courses in economics in the MPP program (one in microeconomics and the other in macroeconomics) use the following textbooks as core material (in addition to other readings):
- Microeconomics, 18th Canadian Edition, by Christopher Ragan, Pearson Education Canada
- Macroeconomics, 18th Canadian Edition, by Christopher Ragan, Pearson Education Canada
We recommend that you get the above two textbooks early and begin reading them. In particular, reading the first 5 chapters of the Microeconomics textbook during the summer will prepare you well for the fall term.
In addition, you should review the following videos from the Khan Academy:
Course-Related Readings
From Professor Andrew Potter | PPOL 611, The Canadian Political and Policy Landscape
All students should read at least one of the following books:
- A History of Canada in Ten Maps by Adam Shoalts
- The Making of Canada by Greg Koabel
- A Little History of Canada by HV Nelles
- Lament for a Nation by George Grant
From Professor Jennifer Welsh | PPOL 613, The Global Political and Policy Landscape
- Hale, Thomas and David Held, “Breaking the Cycle of Gridlock”, Global Policy 9:1 (2018).
- Vincent Pouliot and Jean-Philippe Therien, eds. Global Policymaking; The Patchwork of Global Governance (Cambridge University Press, 2023), Introduction and Chapter 1.
- Consult the Chatham House project on international order, especially the lead article by Leslie Vinjamuri
- Browse the UN Foundation's website on current challenges to and priorities for multilateralism
From Professor Taylor Owen | PPOL 607, Information and Media Literacy
From Professor Chris Ragan | PPOL 602, Microeconomics for Public Policy
From Professor Nick King | PPOL 606, Experts, Science and Evidence
In preparation for PPOL 606, please do the following two things:
- Learn the basics of Texas Hold 'Em poker in whatever manner is best for you.
- Listen to a few episodes (your choice) of the podcast Good On Paper.
From Professor Vincent Rigby | PPOL 614, U.S. Political and Policy Landscape
The following sources will provide a good general overview of the history of the relationship and the current challenges and opportunities at play.
- N. Hillmer and J.L Granatstein, For Better or for Worse: Canada and the United States into the Twenty First Century, 2007
- Expert Group on Canada-US Relations, Broken Trust: Managing an Unreliable Ally, 2025, Broken Trust: Managing an Unreliable Ally - Policy Magazine
- Edward Greenspon, Janice Stein, and Drew Fagan, Matter More: A Canadian Strategy for a Changing United Sates, 2024 PPF-MatterMore-CanadaUS-Sept2024-EN-2.pdf
- Ian Brodie, Jean Charest, Janice Charette, Christopher Sands and Jennifer Ditchburn, What is the strategic long game for Canada-U.S. relations?
