Outgoing Exchange: Learn About Exchange

The following eligibility requirements must be met at the time of your application.

Undergraduate Students must have:

• Minimum 2nd year standing in a degree program
• Completed at least one full academic year at Carleton University (4.0 credits at Carleton University)
• Minimum of 2.0 credits remaining in their degree to study full-time at the partner institution
• Minimum overall Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 7.0 in completed courses
• Students are expected to maintain their good academic standing throughout their participation in the Exchange Program
• For the Killam Fellowships Program, a minimum overall CGPA of 10.0 in completed courses is required
• Architecture students, a minimum overall CGPA of 8.0 and 10.0 studio GPA is required
• Engineering students must consult their academic advisor about eligibility
• Bachelor of International Business students must refer to the Sprott School of Business for eligibility requirements

Graduate Students must have:

• Approval from their graduate department in order to be eligible for an exchange placement abroad. We recommend you consult with your Faculty Advisor to discuss the possibility of exchange

The Exchange Team does not offer academic advising. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you meet with your departmental advisor to discuss where you stand in your degree, and how the exchange will fit into your studies.

• Most students complete their exchange during their third year of study. If you are considering an exchange during your fourth year, you will have additional considerations to discuss with your advisor. Going out on exchange in the last term of the final year of your program will definitely delay your graduation.
• Saving your electives for your exchange semester/year. This may make it easier for you to transfer courses back to Carleton. It is important to consider that you may not have access to specific required courses (e.g. major/specialization requirements) at a partner university.
• Taking summer courses. Some students complete summer courses at Carleton before or after their exchange to fulfill degree requirements they missed while abroad and to minimize the impact on their anticipated graduation date.

The Exchange Partner Institution list is a starting point only and the information listed is a general guideline. Students are responsible for thoroughly researching their partner institutions of interest. Some factors you may consider while doing your research are:

• You will need to rank three institutions on your application in order of preference. While the ISSO makes every reasonable effort to place students in their preferred choice, due to the competitive nature of the Exchange Program we cannot make guarantees.
• The language(s) of instruction: Many partners offer courses taught in English, so learning another language is not a requirement to go on exchange. If you are traveling to a country where English is not the first language, you might want to:
  • Take a language course as an elective.
  • Check out the conversation groups offered by the Language Resource Room to help practice your skills.
  • Review our Summer Programs website for information on summer language programs.
• Academic Calendar: Not all partner institutions follow the same academic year as Carleton. It is very important to consider approximate start and end dates when planning for your exchange.
• Review Legend: Not all our exchange agreements are open to all students. Please review the legend on the Exchange Partner Institution list carefully for more information.
• Course Equivalencies: The Registrar’s Office maintains a Course Equivalencies Database which includes a list of courses that former exchange students have taken. This is not a complete or current list of all available courses at your host university, but you can use it as a guide to determine what kinds of courses you can take.

Exchange Information Sessions are 45 minutes in length and run from September to December every year. We strongly recommend that you attend an information session before applying for exchange.

The ISSO also hosts an Exchange Fair in the University Centre (4th floor) which takes place annually in early October. This is a great opportunity to learn about our partner universities and programs. You will also be able to meet with students who have been on exchange. Due to COVID-19, the Exchange Fair has been cancelled for the Fall 2022 term.

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