2027 Arts and Social Sciences Fair
Saturday, January 30, 2027 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- In-Person event
- Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre , Ottawa , ON , K2P 0E2
Our Arts and Social Sciences Fair brings students — current and future — and professors together at our downtown Arts, Performance and Learning Centre, the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, to celebrate what makes the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences a great place to study. Attendees can pick-and-choose from a panel discussion, interactives, and informational booths to discover all the Arts and Social Sciences at Carleton University has to offer.
| Affiliated Program(s) or Spaces | Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| African Studies | African Studies at Carleton University | The African Studies program is suited for students who wish to enrich their training by developing advanced expertise in the field of African Studies through interdisciplinary dialogue and field research. It offers experiential learning opportunities in Africa or in organizations working on African issues in Canada’s capital region. African Studies provides students with in-depth knowledge of Africa, enabling them to excel in careers in the public, private, or non-governmental sectors; or to continue post-graduate or professional degrees. The traditional classes are complemented with a study abroad course taught by a Carleton faculty member in an African country every summer, as well as experiential placement courses that enable students to undertake research at an organization (typically based in Ottawa) working in Africa. |
| Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies | Words and Meaning | What do words mean? What about new words—how do they gain their meaning? And what about old words—how do their meanings change? Visit the Department of Applied Linguistics to explore lexicography through the words used and defined by current university students. You’ll also be invited to contribute new coinages and definitions to our collection. |
| Art and Architectural History | Where Art, Architecture, and History come alive! | Art History and History and Theory of Architecture examines intimate encounters with art and architecture, both in Ottawa and abroad. Check out recent books by Art and Architectural History faculty and learn about exciting courses held in Venice, Rome, and Istanbul. Hear how students get behind-the-scenes access at some of Ottawa’s major museums and galleries and work with the City of Ottawa’s planning department to help make a difference in our communities. |
| Centre for Initiatives in Education | The Centre for Initiatives in Education invites you to visit our booth and explore two supportive pathways to university success. | Enriched Support Program (ESP): Learn how ESP offers a supported first-year experience with for-credit courses, small workshops, and academic coaching. Meet our team and discover how ESP builds confidence, community, and a clear path into a Carleton degree. Academic Prep: Whether you’re just starting or already in university, the summer course How to Be a University Student helps strengthen your writing, critical thinking, and study strategies. Chat with our staff about how this summer course supports your success. |
| Carleton University Art Gallery | Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG) | CUAG is a vibrant, inclusive space where art, communities, learning and experimentation converge to challenge the status quo and foster transformative dialogue, for a more just and sustainable society. CUAG will have materials on hand related to our winter exhibitions and related programs, as well as sample publications. |
| Childhood and Youth Studies | TBA | TBA |
| Cognitive Science | TBA | TBA |
| English | Read. Write. Inspire. | In our department, we study literature, language, and literary culture to learn about our past and envision possible futures. We also offer a Creative Writing Concentration, a hands-on Book Arts Lab, Co-op, Digital Humanities, Environmental Humanities, a student-run literary magazine, and more! Our small, supportive classes are taught by award-winning professors who take pride in the personal attention they offer students. Come meet professors and current students, check out books written by our department members, and pick up some bookmarks for your next great read! |
| Film Studies | Film Studies | Find out what makes Film Studies at Carleton a unique destination for those passionate about film. Learn about our small class sizes and renowned professors, the diverse courses in global cinema, video games, Indigenous filmmaking, documentary, and more. Ask us about opportunities to work for local film festivals and production companies. |
| French | The Bilingual Advantage: French at Carleton | Did you study French in high school and don’t want to lose it when you come to university? Have you never learned French but are curious to discover the language? The Department of French is the place for you! Our department has something for everyone: new learners, advanced speakers, future French teachers, and government employees who want to improve their bilingualism. Our programs range from standalone language courses to a minor or major in French. As a student, you will learn about French linguistics and French literature from around the world. Exposure to a variety of francophone cultures and accents will allow you to explore social issues across French-speaking contexts. If your curiosity for French is accompanied by a sense of adventure, our exchange opportunities in France and Belgium and our course in Québec city might be right for you! Our department offers students numerous opportunities to discover the world of academic research through research assistantships. Check out our website or follow us on Instagram (@french_carleton) to learn more! |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | Geography & Environmental Studies: Where Science, Society, and Place Connect | Want to understand climate change, sustainability, cities, global issues, and the future of our planet? Students in Geography and Environmental Studies explore how people, environments, and places are connected. You’ll combine science, technology, social issues, and real-world problem-solving while studying topics such as climate change, environmental conservation, GIS mapping, urban development, food systems, and environmental justice. Through field courses, experiential hands-on projects, co-op and practicum opportunities, and research experiences, you’ll develop practical skills that employers value and gain the knowledge to make a difference in your community and around the world. Whether you want to work with data and technology, protect the environment, influence policy, or tackle global challenges, Geography and Environmental Studies can help you turn your curiosity into impact. |
| Greek and Roman Studies | Greek and Roman Studies Program | The Ancient Greeks and Romans are at the heart of our culture and are a constant, pervasive part of our lives. Their legacy includes elements of our democratic and legal systems, athletics, literary themes still inspiring modern storytelling, fundamental parts of the English and French languages, and even the modern calendar. Explore the literature, language, history, philosophy, mythology, religion, technology, art, architecture and archaeology of the ancient world through Carleton’s Bachelor of Arts in Greek and Roman Studies (Classics). |
| History | History is All Around US | You might not realize it, but history is everywhere. It is in the headlines, in social media, even in our common everyday speech. We are always evoking the past. When we think about how the past is spoken about or represented, we see our own world in a new light. Join us to learn what it means to think like an historian. How do we retrieve forgotten stories and question familiar narratives? Where do we look to investigate how people lived, how societies have changed, and how our own ideas have come to take shape? And whose stories take center stage, whose voices are missing, and how does that affect what we know about the past? If you are curious about people, ideas, and the forces that shape our world today, come discover how studying history helps sharpen your critical thinking, opening up new perspectives to understand the here and now. We’ll also talk about what you can do with that knowledge, and what a history degree can help you achieve after your studies. |
| Human Rights and Social Justice | Why you Should Care About Human Rights and Social Justice | As nations and provinces retreat into nationalism and geopolitics becomes rivalry, upholding the positive principles of human rights and social justice is more important than ever before. Join us to meet professors and students who study issues pertaining to human rights and social justice. |
| Humanities (Great Books) | Think Deeply, Live Fully: the Bachelor of Humanities (Great Books) Experience at Carleton | Humanities students read the world’s most influential books and explore exciting topics in philosophy, literature, religion, history, art, music, and political theory. They study everything from Plato to Gandhi, from Medieval architecture to the Tao Te Ching, and from Italian Opera to contemporary film. The Bachelor of Humanities program delivers a comprehensive and structured liberal arts education, yet is flexible enough to be combined with another major – for example, in Journalism, Biology, or English. And its small size encourages a strong sense of community. |
| Indigenous Studies | TBA | TBA |
| Linguistics | What does your name look like? | Record your name, and then see what each of its sounds look like on a waveform and spectrogram! You’ll be able to take away an image of your name, along with its transcription in the International Phonetic Alphabet. |
| Modern Languages | Words Without Borders | Discover how learning a modern language can open doors to new cultures, connections, and opportunities. Meet the Department of Modern Languages, explore the languages we offer, and imagine where your next conversation could take you. |
| Music | Mbira Melodies Music Improvisation | Learn about southern African music and play melodies on a kalimba, a version of a handheld instrument called a mbira practiced by the Shona people of present-day Zimbabwe. |
| Philosophy | Philosophy and the Art of Living | Professor Kyla Bruff and current students will be available to talk about different approaches to living well, engage in ‘thought experiments,’ and discuss all facets of the Philosophy program, including the Philosophy Honours, Combined Honours, and Minor programs, as well as the concentration in Philosophy, Ethics, and Public Affairs. Find out more about our lively community, including information about CUPS’s activities (Carleton University Philosophy Society), the student-run blog Begging the Question, and Departmental events. Learn about our professors’ research and check out their published books. Stop by, share your thoughts, and ask us all your philosophical questions, big or small! |
| Psychology | Being Mindful of Psychology | The Department of Psychology’s booth will be staffed by faculty and current students so that you can learn about the program from various perspectives. The booth will feature hands-on activities focused on psychological testing. You can also preview some examples of capstone projects that students in our program are working towards in their final year. Students will learn how to customise their program based on their interests, along with information on gaining experience, and the different concentrations that are available such as health and forensic psychology. |
| Religion | Studying Religion as a Human Phenomenon | The Religion program approaches religion as a human phenomenon that influences art, culture, politics, philosophy, and more. We offer courses on specific religious traditions as well as a variety of fascinating topics classes (e.g., magic and witchcraft, religion and the body, the Bible in film, death and the afterlife). In these courses, you will have the opportunity to explore how myths, rituals, religious art, and religious communities have shaped, and continue to shape, the worldviews of billions. Studying Religion will help you become intellectually mature and confident, and give you considerable practice speaking and writing clearly and effectively. Our students are very good at learning new and complex tasks. They easily master the skills taught in a subsequent professional degree, postgraduate degree, or on-the-job. Consequently, they typically move quickly into positions of responsibility in their organisations. |
| Sociology and Anthropology | Sociology and Anthropology: Engaging the Community and the Wider World | Are you curious about how society works, and why gender, race, and class are such persistent ways in which society is structured? Are you curious about culture in other parts of the world? Are you interested in developing understandings of the world in order to improve society? Sociology and anthropology focus on big questions of social inequality, social change, climate change, and colonialism, in local and global societies. In sociology and anthropology courses, students combine academic skills with a range of experiential learning opportunities to develop a richer understanding of society and global cultures. Experiential learning opportunities include courses in community-based sociology that focus on projects with community groups, courses that focus on multi-media creative projects, and work placements in a variety of community organizations. |
| Women’s and Gender Studies | You need Women’s and Gender Studies in your life… | What would life be like without Women’s and Gender Studies? What are the consequences of assuming we’ve achieved a sustainable level of equity, diversity, inclusion, or access? Should we worry about rollbacks to marginalized people’s rights and entitlements? What does it mean culturally when the most marginalized are silenced—or worse, contained? Our Institute helps students explore these complex, relevant questions and more. Stop by our booth to talk about them! We promise you’ll learn something new 🙂 |