Program

The application deadline for the GENI program is March 15 for entry in the following academic year. The GENI program welcomes a new class each August.

ProgramExpected LengthProject and/or thesisCourse based
M.G.E.N.I.A.2 years

The Joint Master Degree in Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (GENI) is delivered and administered with the Arctic University of Norway (UiT). GENI is interdisciplinary and is open to students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

GENI will provide competence in the fields of governance, consultation and entrepreneurship for northern and indigenous communities. The graduates will form an international network that strives to understand the current and future challenges of the north such as climate change and globalization, and how to best resolve them in ways that strengthen the position of the communities and the peoples of the region.

Mobility is an integrated part of the program. Students are expected to participate in short-term exchanges in the form of field schools, both in Northern Saskatchewan and Northern Norway. Flexible education and online teaching will be a part of all core courses in the program. Through the applied research project, the program will provide students with a unique opportunity to gain work experience from industry, government and indigenous peoples concerning natural resource management, consultations and negotiations, and economic development or other governance issues in the circumpolar north.

An important outcome of the program is to provide students with the ability to take a leadership role in supporting their communities with economic development by using innovative and entrepreneurial approaches. 

Research supervisors

It is not necessary to find a potential supervisor before you begin an application. However, the list below may be helpful to learn about the research interests of faculty involved with the GENI program.

Name Research areas
Loleen BerdahlCanadian politics; Election studies; Energy Policy; Federalism; Indigenous; Intergovernmental relations; Internal trade; Political behaviour; Public opinion; Public policy; Regionalism; career skills; western alienation
Martin BoucherSmall modular reactors, energy transitions, public sector entrepreneurship, energy democracy, post-secondary education policy
Kurtis BoyerMétis/Indigenous governance, policy, and politics
Joel BruneauInternational trade; environment; pollution; resource; water
Jen Budney
Douglas ClarkIndigenous co-management of resources and ecosystems; Polar bear-human conflicts; Wildlife and protected area management; Environmental governance
Ken CoatesRegional innovation, Higher education, Aboriginal rights & land claims, Science & technology policy, Canada-Asia relations, Northern development
Kalowatie DeonandanLatin America; development; foreign policy; human rights; indigenous; mining; nuclear; politics; resource development; women
Merelda Fiddler-Potter
Kelly FoleyApplied econometrics; Earnings inequality; Economics of Education; Labour Economics; Socioeconomic status and education
Don GilchristRegional economics; public economics; urban economics
Richard GrayGenomics and agricultural innovation; Agricultural and environmental policy; Grain marketing and transportation
Jill HobbsSupply chains, Consumer behaviour, Food policy
Niels KoehnckeOccupational health screening and surveillance, industrial hygiene, occupational noise exposure aviation / aerospace medicine teaching
David McGraneCanadian Political Parties; Canadian Politics; Federal NDP; Federalism; Quebec; Saskatchewan Politics; elections; nationalism; poltical theory
Haizhen MouPublic finance
David PalmerBiocatalysis; Enzymology; Inhibitor design and synthesis; Medicinal chemistry; Organic Chemistry and Natural Products; Organic chemistry; Reaction mechanisms; biological chemistry
Peter PhillipsScience, tech, & innovation policy, International political economy, Regulation, gov. & trade policy, Decision making & behavioural experimentation
Marc-Andre PigeonMoney, banking and the financial sector; fiscal and monetary policy,co-operatives
Dionne Pohler
Michelle PrytulaLeadership and leadership policy, educational finance, financial accountability in higher education, public sector leadership, education policy
Jeremy RaynerGlobal forest governance, Resource, environmental and energy policies, Policy theory (especially institutionalism and problems of policy change)
Kara SomervilleImmigrant Families; Indo-Canadians; International Migration; Race/Ethnicity; Second Generation; Transnationalism
Keith WalkerLeadership & followership systems, development of flourishing learning organizations, fostering well-being, good governance & ethical decision making
Yang YangConsumer behaviour, Food economics, Experimental economics, Food policy

Tuition and funding

Funding

The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is pleased to offer funding scholarships for qualified students.

Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.

Tuition

Program Canadian students International students
Joint Master of Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas $28,662.00 CAD *

Students admitted prior to 2019-20 will be charged the standard graduate per term tuition rate as well as the international differential if applicable.

Note that GENI students will be required to pay student fees at both USask and UiT.

*International students admitted in 2019-20 and beyond are not assessed an international differential.

Student fees

Fall 2023 Winter 2024 Spring 2024 Summer 2024
Student fees $57.97 CAD $57.97 CAD $17.50 CAD $17.50 CAD

Note that GENI students will be required to pay student fees at both institutions. For 2020, the semester fee at UiT is approximately NOK 500 and is due mid-August and mid-January. Note that the UiT fee payment is required by the due date.

Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.

Admission requirements

Master of Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (M.G.E.N.I.A.)

Applicants will be selected by the GENI Program Board, which will include representatives of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and the Sami Study Centre (SESAM, UiT).

  • A cumulative weighted average of at least 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of full-time study (i.e. 60 credit units USask equivalent)
  • A four-year undergraduate degree, or equivalent from a recognized college or university in academic fields of the social sciences, law or education, or
    A three-year first cycle undergraduate degree, in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study, from an institution that meets the criteria set forth in the Bologna Declaration, will be acceptable as the equivalent of an undergraduate honours degree
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English

Application process

Submit an online application

Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.

During the application, you'll be asked for:

  • Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
  • Contact information of your three referees
    • For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
  • Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions

The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.

At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable $120 application fee. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.

Submit Required Documents

Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application, and upload the documents outlined below.

Preliminary Statement of Marks

  • Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
  • The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college, and must include a grading key/legend.
  • All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
  • Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.

Uploading documents

Post-secondary Transcripts

If you receive an offer of admission, you will then be required to have your official post-secondary transcripts sent (by mail in a sealed envelope directly from the institution) to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place 
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

  • Transcripts usually indicate the institution’s name, grading scheme (typically on back of transcript), your name, course names, numbers, credits, and the grades you have received. Depending on the country or institution, some features may not be available.
  • Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
  • If you are a current University of Saskatchewan student completing your undergraduate program then a letter of completion of degree requirements will be required from your college.

Proof of English language proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.

For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:

  • It is your responsibility to have completed an official and approved test with the appropriate score before the application deadline.
  • Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
  • Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.

Uploading documents

If you receive an Offer of Admission you may be required to have your official language test scores sent to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building - 110 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

In addition to the above official documents, please upload the following documents:

  • Statement of Purpose (approximately two pages), and should include the following:
    • What has motivated you to pursue an online master's degree focused on northern and Indigenous areas?
    • How has your personal background, education, and/pr professional experience prepared you for the core themes and research methods you will encounter in the program?
  • Scanned image of your valid passport.
  • Writing sample, such as a term paper or essay, that demonstrates writing and analytical ability.
  • All students are required to complete and submit a waiver form to share student information with UiT the Arctic University of Norway.
  • All international students need to provide proof of Higher Education Entrance Qualification (such as High School Diploma or verification of the completion of upper secondary education.)

Contact

Graduate Affairs Committee
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
141-101 Diefenbaker Place
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8

Manager, Graduate Programs (Distance Delivery)
Emmy Neuls
Email: emmy.neuls@usask.ca
Telephone: 306-966-1380