Winter Admission
- Program
- Information Nights
- Application
- Admission to a BA after ESP
- Costs & Funding
- Courses
- Registration Information
Program
Our program offers the opportunity to:
- take up to three first-year university courses (one core course and two electives)
- receive academic support in small, weekly workshops that help you make the transition to university-level work
- take advantage of personalized advising and academic coaching options
- get started on first-year university by earning credits that count toward your degree
- earn admission to a degree
ESP offers unique pathways to help you qualify for a variety of degree programs.
ESP Winter admission is only available for our Arts and Social Science Stream.
For Fall admission, please visit this page.
Information Nights
Learn more about what the program offers from our recruitment team and hear from former students about their ESP experience.
- Wednesday, November 12, 2025
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Application to ESP (Winter)
ESP does not base its admissions decisions on high school or college grades alone. For this reason, we ask you to submit an application including a form, two letters of reference from teachers, a personal statement and an application fee.
You cannot apply to ESP through the Ontario University Application Centre. Instead, please apply below:
Please note that International students may only apply for Fall Admissions.
Application Deadline
Our application deadline has been extended to December 15, 2025.
Minimum criteria
Click here to learn more about the minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the ESP.
Admission to a B.A. after ESP
Students in our Winter program can earn up to 1.5 credits (because they are enrolling in 3 half-credit courses and two non-credit workshops). ESP students (unless they qualify as mature applicants) must complete at least 2.0 credits before being admitted to a degree program. For more details, consult our ESP to Degree handout under the heading “Students that Started ESP in the Winter Term”.
This means that you will be continuing ESP in the subsequent Summer or Fall/Winter terms before entering a degree program.
You will qualify for degree admission once you have met one of the following criteria:
- After successful completion of 2.0 credits, you may be admitted to a B.A. program with a B average (8.0 on Carleton’s 12 point scale)
- After successful completion of 2.5 credits, you may be admitted to a B.A. program with a B- average (7.0 on Carleton’s 12 point scale)
- After successful completion of 3.0 credits, you may be admitted to a B.A. program with a C+ average (6.0 on Carleton’s 12 point scale)
- After successful completion of 4.0 or more credits, you may be admitted to a B.A. program as long as you would be in good standing (normally C- range on Carleton’s 12 point scale)
Students who meet the criteria above are eligible for admission to most of Carleton’s Bachelor of Arts Programs. Some B.A. programs may require a higher average, or have prerequisite subjects for high school (e.g. BA Biology, B. Economics).
Mature students may qualify for admission to a B.A. program after having completed a minimum of 1.0 credit with at least a C- or better standing in the first attempt, provided they meet the university’s formal definition of a “Mature” applicant, that is they:
- are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- have not attended a college or university as full-time student;
- have been away from full-time studies for at least two calendar years;
- do not meet the normal admission requirements (as published in the Undergraduate Calendar);
- have completed any required prerequisite subject (for example: applicants to a B. Economics must have completed grade 12 Advanced Functions with a minimum of 70%).
Costs and Funding
Winter 2026
Estimated costs for Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents residing in Ontario taking a full ESP course load:
| Course | Cost |
|---|---|
| Three 0.5 credit courses (two electives, one core class) | $2,050.07 |
| Two ESP Workshops | $1,300.00 |
| U-Pass + admin fee ($234.80 + $5.41) | $240.21 |
| Total | $3,590.28 |
Estimated costs for Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents residing outside of Ontario taking a full ESP course load:
| Course | Cost |
|---|---|
| Three 0.5 credit courses (two electives, one core class) | $2,464.07 |
| Two ESP Workshops | $1,300.00 |
| U-Pass + admin fee ($234.80 + $5.41) | $240.21 |
| Total | $4,004.28 |
Estimated costs for International students taking a full ESP course load:
| Course | Cost |
|---|---|
| Three 0.5 credit courses (two electives, one core class) | $12,207.47 |
| Two ESP Workshops | $1,300.00 |
| UHIP Fee (health insurance, mandatory fee) | $792.00 |
| U-Pass + admin fee ($229.07 + $5.29) | $240.21 |
| Total | $14,539.68 |
Payment Deadline
Payment of all Winter term fees is due November 25.
Students receiving OSAP may be eligible to defer this deadline to January 13, 2026, provided they meet the deferral conditions found here. Please contact our Student Accounts office if you have any concerns about meeting the payment deadline at 613-520-3626 or student_accounts@carleton.ca.
If you are planning to apply for student loans, be sure to apply as soon as possible (there’s no need to wait for an admissions decision to begin your application).
What if I pay after the deadline?
Late charges will apply. Detailed payment information can be found on the Student Accounts website: carleton.ca/fees. Please contact our Student Accounts office if you have any concerns about meeting the payment deadline at 613-520-3626 or student_accounts@carleton.ca.
Budget
Please see the Awards Office website for interactive resources to help you with calculating your costs.
Student Loans
Students (Ontario residents) enrolled in the ESP may be eligible for OSAP. Please note, not every provincial loan program will fund students enrolled in ESP. For further information about financial support, please contact Carleton’s Awards Office.
Courses
Students must choose classes from the list of courses supported by ESP. Consult the Course Schedule & Descriptions to review the dates and times and an overview of the courses offered.
Registration Information
Please read through our Student Guide for information on registration and rules and regulations that apply to you once you join the program.