At Carleton, we have the distinct advantage of being situated in the nation’s capital, which offers our students unique opportunities. We live in a city renowned, both at home and abroad, for its natural beauty and its quality of life.
Ottawa, the seat of Canada’s federal government, is home to over 1,800 high-tech companies, more than 130 embassies and high commissions, national museums and a large percentage of Canada’s major medical, clinical and life sciences research centres.
Consistently ranked as one of Canada’s most liveable and safe cities, Ottawa combines big city opportunities with a small town feel.
The city is also one of the most picturesque capitals in the world – with lots of neighbourhood parks and tranquil green spaces, waterways that wind through the city, and historical and architectural landmarks scattered throughout.
Thinking of making Ottawa the location for your studies? Start capitalizing on life in the nation’s capital. It has lots to offer — no matter where your tastes and interests lie, you’ll find something here for you! Find out more about life in Ottawa.
By studying in Canada's capital city, located on unceded Algonquin Anishnaabeg territories, FASS students have a meaningful opportunity to consider what it means to talk about Identities, Communities and Social Justice while living on stolen land.By completing a Minor in Community Engagement offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, students can participate in impactful work on social justice issues that extend far beyond campus borders.Students can partake in practicum placements at local, national, and international organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Oxfam Canada, and the Elizabeth Fry Society of Ottawa.They can also gain hands-on experience helping local communities through course partnerships with the many museums, art galleries, libraries, activist groups, and public institutions located in the national capital region.These practical opportunities are born from the many rich research collaborations between FASS professors and Ottawa-based organizations working together on social justice issues in Canada and beyond.
Ottawa is the place where federal health policies are conceived, shaped, and voted into existence. The city is also the headquarters for many mental health-focused NGOs and non-profit organizations that provide resources and support to communities across the country.As a result, Carleton students have access to a wealth of local and provincial organizations directly engaging with Canada’s biggest questions and challenges related to Mental Health and the Mind.Additionally, Ottawa is home to some of the country’s top research hospitals, including the Royal Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital, and CHEO – institutions that often collaborate with FASS professors on progressive and life-changing research.FASS students can gain real-world experience by working with these many Ottawa-based organizations through practicums and co-op terms offered by most Carleton programs.Past FASS experiential learning practicums and co-op placements have included positions in Ottawa’s health care, the federal government, local school boards, and non-profits.
As the effects of climate change increasingly become our new lived reality, the world will need more graduates with the expertise to address these ecological shifts.Climate change policies are debated and shaped just down the road from Carleton on Parliament Hill, as several of the country's leading organizations tasked with caring for and conserving our environment are based out of Ottawa—many of which regularly collaborate with FASS professors and programs.Carleton students can work for federal government departments during their co-op and practicum placements, including Environment and Climate Change Canada and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.They can also gain hands-on experience with local government through the City of Ottawa, as well as through organizations like the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.In addition to the many experiential opportunities available, FASS students who choose to focus on Sustainable Futures get to engage with globally celebrated Carleton professors who research diverse topics that will critically shape our sustainable future – from permafrost and climate change in the western Arctic to precarity and equity in housing, planning, and urban governance issues.
For those interested in studying the Power of Creative Expression in an academic setting grounded in hands-on artistic practice, FASS offers many unique opportunities, including access to the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre (CDCC), Carleton University's Arts, Performance and Learning Centre. Housed in a beautiful downtown heritage building, the CDCC is dedicated to fostering diverse, inclusive programming and learning opportunities for FASS students and the Ottawa community at large.As home to the Canada Council for the Arts, Ottawa is the perfect spot for creative-minded students to learn and grow – in fact, our campus houses one of the city’s celebrated exhibition spaces, the Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG).Through the Department of English Language and Literature, FASS students can concentrate in drama studies or hone their creative writing skills, all the while gaining experiential knowledge by taking part in local theatre productions or attending the Ottawa International Writers Festival.FASS students enrolled in one of the School for Studies in Art and Culture's many programs also benefit from our location in the nation’s capital through co-op placements with local arts and culture organizations like the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa Chamberfest, the Canadian Film Institute, and the Ottawa Art Gallery.
Over the years, Carleton has forged strong connections with many agencies and organizations in the National Capital Region, opening doors to outstanding research and work-placement opportunities for our students: