The program takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of politics and is committed to critical thinking and political change. Its particular focuses include critical political economy; critical social theory; critical global politics; feminist politics; the history of political thought; social movements & social justice; theories of power, and justice & democracy. 

It features diplomas in democratic administration and international & security studies, although students may take other graduate diplomas offered at York concurrently with their MA or PhD in political science.

Program professors and graduate students are associated with such independent research institutes at York as the Centres for Asian Research, Feminist Research, German & European Studies, Global Labour Research, Refugee Studies, Research on Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies.