Advising FAQs

Bursaries are funds that you can apply to receive if you can demonstrate financial need. They are even nicer than loans, because you don’t have to pay them back. Odds are that if you qualified for OSAP, you’d likely qualify for a bursary. If you didn’t qualify for a student loan, but can demonstrate financial need, it doesn’t hurt to apply. You can apply online through Carleton Central, FAQ’s on bursarries can be found here. The deadline to apply is October 31 and the bursary would be awarded in January. You can only apply for a bursary once during the fall/winter session. Our Academic Advantage Coaches can help you fill out an application. Book an appointment.

The Awards Office at Carleton processes your student loan applications and communicates with you about the status via your Carleton email account. You need to set up your Carleton email account right away so that you don’t miss out on any instructions from our Awards Office. If you haven’t received any emails from Awards, don’t hesitate to contact them to inquire about the status of your application.

Yes, there is. Carleton’s Unified Support Centre (USC) runs a Food Centre that can help. To request a food hamper, log in to their secure portal and follow the instructions needed to register. ESP has a limited number of grocery gift cards. Book an ESP advising appointment to find out if you are eligible.

Sometimes. Inquire with the Awards office to find out more about the specific criteria.

Yes, have a look at this website for more information.

ESP students and all other Carleton undergraduate students who are taking at least 1.5 credits in the Fall term will be automatically covered under the CUSA Health & Dental plan. This plan helps toward the cost of prescription drugs, dental care and prescription eye glasses. 

ESP students are automatically enrolled in the plan but can opt out if they are already covered by an equivalent health and/or dental plan (such as a parent or spouse’s employee benefit plan). If you decide to opt out, you must do so during the Change of Coverage Period which runs from September 9th to October 2nd, 2026. You can only receive a credit to your account if you opt out during this period. All opt outs are done online here and require you to submit proof that you are covered by an equivalent extended health and/or dental plan. Ontario provincial health care doesn’t provide coverage equivalent to the CUSA Health & Dental Plan and therefore students can’t opt out if they’re covered only by OHIP or equivalent primary health-care coverage. 

In the Fall if you withdraw from a course and your Fall course load drops below 1.5 credits, you may lose coverage. If you withdraw during the  Change of Coverage Period which runs from September 9th to October 2nd, 2026 you will have the option to self enroll in the plan. For any Fall course withdrawals after this period your coverage will not be affected.

Students starting ESP in the Winter semester will  not be automatically covered but will have an opportunity to self enroll in January.

Please see the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) website for more information. If you have any questions, contact CUSA:

Email: cusa@cusaonline.ca
Phone: 613-520-6688
Office: Carleton University Student’s Association (CUSA) office in 401 Nideyinàn

You can book an appointment with an advisor to discuss your academic goals, explore degree options, and discuss any questions or concerns you have. Just click here (starting in October – for help in September just drop by our office in 1516 DT).

Book an appointment with a coach for academic help, writing papers, tutoring, doing research, dealing with procrastination and more! Just visit this page to book an appointment. You can meet with a coach once per week.

A major is the field in which a student focuses during the course of his/her degree. A student will generally complete half of their credits in their major subject area, the other half are electives. A minor is a secondary concentration of courses—this is one way that you can complete your elective course requirements. A minor is usually 4 required credits in a particular subject area.

A BA Honours or BSc Honours degree refers to a 20-credit program in which the average student taking a full course load could graduate within four years. The BA or BSc degree refers to a 15-credit program in which the average student taking a full course load may graduate within three years. Both degrees provide Carleton students with the critical skills and training required for a professional career. However, the honours degree offers an opportunity for more in-depth study and may lead to study at the graduate level.

A double major (or Combined Honours) is simply two majors completed in one degree—usually 7 credits are required in each major. Although it doesn’t necessarily take longer to complete a degree, pursuing a double major does reduce the student’s overall number of elective courses.

• Talk to an Advisor about the possibilities.
• Explore your options, choose a field that interests you. Visit: admissions.carleton.ca/programs.
• Check out the section on careers by major: admissions.carleton.ca/careers/.
• Have a look at the resources Career Services offers– they have a great website “What can I do with my Degree?”.
• Career services also has online tools to help you with your decision.
• Finally, if you login to Carleton Central and follow the link to myCareer, you can click on the “Resources” tab for info about career options, myths and planning information or click on the Career Advising tab to make an appointment with a Career counsellor.

Yes there are. Some Arts & Social Science programs that have co-op streams include: Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Communication Studies, Economics, English, History, Law, Political Science, and Sociology. In addition to co-ops, Carleton offers internships, placements, practicums, and field courses in many disciplines; check the calendar for details: carleton.ca/cuuc. Visit the co-op website for more information.

Login to Carleton Central and follow the link to myCareer. Once you’re on their website, click on the “Resources” tab for info about how to apply to med school, law school or teacher’s college.

Have a look at the Carleton Undergraduate Calendar: carleton.ca/cuuc and follow the link to programs. This site is handy too: carleton.ca/registrar/registration/.

It is a good idea to choose your major as you proceed from ESP to a degree program. You could apply as a undeclared which will allow you more time to choose. But after another term of study, you’ll have to declare a major. This site has more information about studying as an undeclared student and information about how to choose a major.

That depends. If you choose to take 5 courses per year after you’ve finished ESP, and if you take 2 credits over the summer(s), you can complete an honours degree in 3 more years and a general degree with 2 more years of study. (Note: Engineering degrees will take an additional 4 years minimum due to the structured nature of their program). Other students (most degree students in fact) choose to take fewer courses and take additional time to finish their degree. The choice is yours.

Maybe. Students who studied at college may be eligible for transfer credit as they move from ESP to a degree. Students with prior university credits may be eligible to transfer credits to a program. Come in and talk to an advisor about your situation.

Maybe. Many students have successfully transferred to other universities after completing the program (and transferred their credits as well). Each university has different requirements, so you should contact the university you are considering to ask what average they would require. Because you have not yet completed 5.0 credits, they would not consider you a traditional “transfer” student. This means that they’ll be looking at both your high school and university grades in considering your application. Talk to an advisor about your goals.

There are computer labs across campus available for student use and you can print in many of the labs, click here to find out where. The library also has a range of printing and photocopying services. Click here to find out more about the library’s study space and equipment services.

The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities arranges accommodations at the university. Their website outlines the registration process and requirements, as well as outlining the types of accommodations that they may provide. The PMC can offer support throughout your years at Carleton.

Carleton University has a clinic that offers health and counselling services for its students. Counselling services are free of charge.