Registration: Science Stream
ESP students register in courses differently than other Carleton students, review this page to complete your course selection.
Registration 2026-2027
How do I register for my courses?
ESP students will take three courses per term: one First Year Seminar (FYSM) and two elective courses. With each of your Elective Courses, you will also attend a weekly ESP Workshop. See the Student Guide for information about Workshops.
Follow the steps below for detailed instructions on how to complete your ESP course selection.
Registration Steps: Science Stream
1. Familiarize yourself with our course offerings
- Students in the Science stream can choose a First Year Seminar and they have one elective choice in the winter term.
- Use the dropdown menus below to read about which First-Year Seminars and Elective courses we will be offering this year.
- For each course you’ll find a course description, instructor name, course time, workshop time and tutorial and/or lab time (if applicable).
- You will take 2 electives courses in the fall and 2 elective courses in the winter.
- First-Year Seminars (FYSM) run in both the fall and winter semester, so you’ll be registered in one FYSM from September to April.
2. Plan your schedule
- Using the First-Year Seminar Course Offerings, rank your top choices from 1 to 4, where 1 is the course you are most interested in taking.
- Use the course descriptions and times to make your selections. You can also use a Blank Timetable to help you understand how your elective courses will fit with your FYSM rankings.
- We will try our best to give you your #1 choice of FYSM, but this is dependent on course availability.
- You will also be asked to choose between taking CHEM 1002 in the Winter (Option A) or taking NEUR 1203 in the Winter (Option B).
3. Submit the online course selection form
Once you’ve reviewed the course offerings below and are ready to choose your courses, please fill out the course selection form below.
Need support with your course selection?
See our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at esp@carleton.ca or (613) 520-2804
After submitting your course selection form
- Approximately 5-7 days later: See the Student Guide for more on how to view your schedule and pay your fees.
- Check our registration page for information about fees, program or course withdrawal, summer welcome program, academic prep and campus tours.
- Use our checklist to make sure you’re on track.
- Mandatory Academic Orientation is on September 8th and classes begin September 9th.
First-Year Seminar (FYSM) Course Offerings
You’ll rank these First-Year Seminars and we will place you into one of your top choices. Please note that FYSM 1900 F is only available to students who choose OPTION B (Neuroscience in the winter) for their elective courses.
-
- Instructor: Rosie Kerr
- Course Day and Time: Monday 2:35pm-5:25pm
Course description: Ever wonder about the state of the world? If you are interested in international issues, this seminar is for you! We will explore global issues affecting all of our lives and dig into the history that led to where we are today. The course will cover: colonization, slavery, industrialization, agricultural modernization, structural adjustment, free trade and globalization. We will explore current issues affected by this history through the lens of systems thinking and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This approach will allow us to look at aspirational collective goals and tackle aspects of issues such as inequality, power, knowledge, food, water, climate change and biodiversity. In class, we will engage in many activities and discussions together where students will be invited to ask questions, share perspectives with each other, consider multiple perspectives on an issue and reflect on their learnings. There will be several short writing assignments, quizzes on readings, a news journal and presentation about an issue you are passionate about . This course will develop your writing skills, critical thinking and systems thinking to prepare for any course you will take in your university career.
-
- Instructor: Beth Hughes
- Course Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 10:05am-11:25am
Course description: News reports show a world that feels like it’s falling apart—social injustices everywhere. If you’ve ever wondered how to make sense of what’s happening in Canada, this course is for you. In this class, we’ll build a clear understanding of Canada as a society by exploring how privilege, power, and difference shape our everyday lives. We’ll ask big questions: What counts as a social problem? Who benefits, and who gets pushed to the margins? Why do certain injustices persist? How can we challenge harmful ideas and create meaningful change?
You’ll learn to critically analyze oppressive social structures and the narratives that reinforce them. And yes—our first class absolutely slaps, because we start by looking at how slang and language evolve alongside social ideas. (It’s more fun and less cringy than it sounds.)
Throughout the year, we’ll dig into themes like identity, consent, crime, immigration, addiction, poverty, racialization, and disability. We’ll also explore how pop music, memes, and visual artists spark resistance and inspire social change. (Bring examples from your favourite artists!)
In the second semester, you’ll choose a social issue and present your findings instead of writing a final exam. You can do a work of art, podcast, music, and even a formal presentation.
What can you expect? We’ll move step‑by‑step through the course with a thoughtful, collaborative approach. I use game‑based learning, real‑world examples, and lots of discussion to help you connect the dots between theory and everyday life.
Why take this course? Because wrestling with these ideas will sharpen your critical thinking, strengthen your academic skills, and help you understand people and society in a deeper way — skills that will serve you throughout university and your future career. Welcome to ESP and Carleton University—I’m excited to teach you and learn with you.
-
- Instructor: Susan Burhoe
- Course Day and Time: Wednesday 11:35am-2:25pm
Course description: Popular culture is everywhere – from the shows we binge, the games we play, and the music we love – to the ads, memes, and celebrity gossip that flood our feeds. But what does it all mean? In this course, we’ll explore how 20th- and 21st-century popular culture both reflects and shapes how we see the world, ourselves and others. From Hollywood fantasies to video game panics, pop culture is more than entertainment; it’s a powerful lens through which we understand society.
You’ll be introduced to key concepts in cultural theory and learn how to “read” cultural “texts” like music videos, ads, memes, TV shows, and brand names. We’ll examine themes of identity, power, and resistance through the lenses of race, gender, class, sexuality, and dis/ability. Why are we so fascinated by celebrities? How does advertising shape our sense of self? What does the response to The Last of Us II tell us about cultural anxieties?
We’ll also dig into broader debates about representation. Who gets seen and heard in popular culture—and who doesn’t? Whose stories dominate, and whose are left out? Expect lively discussions, engaging media clips (from TV and film to internet culture), and collaborative activities. Assignments include short reflections, an exam, and a project where you’ll analyze a pop culture topic of your choice in an essay, video, or podcast. Along the way, you’ll also build key academic skills to support your success in university.
-
- Instructor: Kory Smith
- Course Day and Time: Wednesday 6:05pm-8:55pm
Course description: Law touches on all aspects of modern society. It structures our political, economic and social relationships; it defines crime and regulates our behaviour; it is used to resolve disputes; and it acts as a catalyst in the process of social transformation. As our legal institutions become more influential, it becomes increasingly important for you to understand how the law works and how it affects society.
This interdisciplinary first-year seminar will provide you with an introduction to the field of socio-legal studies. You will explore legal questions from sociological, historical, philosophical, and political perspectives. Questions that will be addressed include: What is the definition and meaning of law? What functions does law have in society? How does law shape our lives and identities? Can law be used to bring about social change? Whose interests does law serve? How can law perpetuate social inequality? Through these and other questions, this course will introduce you to foundational debates in socio-legal studies, combining attention to theory and methodology with engagement with different areas of study, including the organization of legal institutions and the legal profession; law and social control; law and social change; and law and social exclusion.
Since the focus of socio-legal studies is “law in action”, this course is designed to be as experiential as possible. Methods of instruction include interactive lecturing, class discussion, student presentations, and guest speakers. Assignments and in-class activities will be used to help you develop the following academic skills: research, writing, and oral communication. Your grade in the course will be based on several different types of evaluation, including attendance and participation, written assignments, and a class presentation.
Science Stream Elective Course Offerings
All students in the Science Stream will take MATH 1007 and MATH 1107 along with the associated tutorials and workshops. Students will choose either Option A (Chemistry in the winter) or Option B (Neuroscience in the winter).
-
You’ll take: Mathematics (MATH) in the Fall AND Mathematics in the Winter
FALL: MATH 1007 B: Elementary Calculus l
Course description: Limits. Differentiation of the elementary functions, including trigonometric functions. Rules of differentiation. Applications of differentiation: max-min problems, curve sketching, approximations. Introduction to integration: definite and indefinite integrals, areas under curves, fundamental theorem of calculus.
- Instructor: Brandon Fodden
- Course Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 1:05pm-2:25pm
- Tutorial Day and Time: Thursday 4:35pm-5:25pm
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Monday 11:35am-1:25pm OR Friday 9:35am-11:25am
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Justin Deogrades OR Makayla Windross
WINTER: MATH 1107 I: Linear Algebra for Engineering or Science
Course description: Systems of linear equations. Matrix algebra. Determinants. Invertible matrix theorem. Cramer’s rule. Vector space R^n; subspaces, bases. Eigenvalues, diagonalization. Linear transformations, kernel, range. Complex numbers (including De Moivre’s theorem). Inner product spaces and orthogonality. Applications.
- Instructor: Inna Bumagin
- Course Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 2:35pm-3:55pm
- Tutorial Day and Time: Tuesday 7:05pm-7:55pm
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Tuesday 4:05pm-5:55pm
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Justin Deogrades
-
You’ll take: Chemistry (CHEM) in the Fall AND Chemistry in the Winter
FALL: CHEM 1001 B: General Chemistry l
Course description: Topics include atomic structure, periodic trends, structure and bonding, gas laws, intermolecular forces, equilibrium, acids and bases, and buffers. Examples relate to health, energy, materials, and the environment.
- Instructor: Katherine Marczenko
- Course Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 11:35am-12:55pm
- Tutorial Day and Time: Friday 2:35pm-3:25pm
- Lab Day and Time: Several different lab times offered:
- Monday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- Monday 6:05pm-8:55pm
- Tuesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Wednesday 11:35am-1:25pm
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Asfiya Aziz
WINTER: CHEM 1002 B: General Chemistry ll
Course description: Topics include thermodynamics and spontaneity, kinetics, electrochemistry, organic chemistry, transition metal complexes, and green chemistry. Examples relate to health, energy, materials, and the environment.
- Instructor: Daniel Gregoire
- Course Day and Time: Wednesday and Friday 11:35am-12:55pm
- Tutorial Day and Time: Friday 10:35am-11:25am
- Lab Day and Time: Several different tutorial times offered:
- Monday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- Monday 6:05pm-8:55pm
- Tuesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Thursday 11:35am-1:25pm
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Asfiya Aziz
-
You’ll take: Chemistry (CHEM) in the Fall AND Neuroscience (NEUR) in the Winter
FALL: CHEM 1001 B: General Chemistry l
Course description: Topics include atomic structure, periodic trends, structure and bonding, gas laws, intermolecular forces, equilibrium, acids and bases, and buffers. Examples relate to health, energy, materials, and the environment.
- Instructor: Katherine Marczenko
- Course Day and Time: Tuesday and Thursday 11:35am-12:55pm
- Tutorial Day and Time: Friday 2:35pm-3:25pm
- Lab Day and Time: Several different lab times offered:
- Monday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- Monday 6:05pm-8:55pm
- Tuesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 8:35am-11:25am
- Wednesday 1:35pm-4:25pm
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Wednesday 11:35am-1:25pm
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Asfiya Aziz
WINTER: NEUR 1203 B: Neuroscience of Mental Health and Neurological Conditions
Course description: An overview of neurological conditions, examining biological, developmental, experiential and environmental contributions. Topics may include stroke, multiple sclerosis, seizure conditions, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease and concussion.
- Instructor: Matthew Holahan
- Course Day and Time: Monday and Wednesday 10:05am-11:25am
- ESP Workshop Day and Time: Wednesday 2:35pm-4:25pm
- Workshop Facilitator Name: Aurora Tracy
Frequently Asked Questions: Choosing your Courses
-
Reach out to us, we’re happy to support you in this process. Feel free to email us at esp@carleton.ca or call us at (613) 520-2804 with any questions.
-
Let us know in the ‘Notes’ section of the course selection form. Use this space to indicate if you have a preference for your lab time or any other important information we should know as we build your timetable.
-
For students in the Science Stream, all courses taken in ESP will count towards your degree, either as electives or mandatory components of your degree program.