Frequently Asked Questions

Application deadlines are February 1^st for September admission and November 1^st for January admission for consideration of funding. Applications will be considered after these deadlines however we encourage applicants to apply early.

No. All applications are received through Carleton360. Click here to learn more about the process.

No. The application fee must be paid by credit card or debit card before access to the system will be granted.

No. At the time of application, all documentation submitted online is unofficial. An original transcript will only be required if an offer is made.

You should choose professors that you have previously studied under as referees. Ideally, choose professors who knew you personally, and provide them with information on yourself (including your application materials for graduate school) so that they can write a strong letter. Do not choose non-academic employers as referees; they will not provide the kind of information we require on your academic performance.

Referees cannot email their reference letters to the department. Your application should include at least 2 referees and their official email addresses (university email addresses only). The referees will receive an email invitation asking them to upload their reference letter into your electronic application. Paper reference letters are not accepted.

Your statement of intent, also known as a statement of research interests, tells the admissions committee about your background as well as the thesis research that you hope to complete with us. The statement should be two pages long, double-spaced. It should provide any necessary background on you, such as your past research and related experience (for example, a description of a previous honours thesis or master’s thesis that you have completed). The majority of the two pages should then be dedicated to describing, as best you can, the proposed research area of the thesis you would like to complete with us.

For Ph.D. applicants, this research statement will likely be quite specific and detailed. For M.A. applicants, it may be less developed. You may also suggest a potential supervisor and/or other faculty members in our program that you would like to work with.

Finally, if you are interested in one of our collaborative programs (e.g., Digital Humanities, African Studies, Climate Change, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Political Economy, etc.) you should mention this in your statement.

Most students submit a term paper or thesis written in their prior degree as a writing sample. A library research based paper or thesis generally makes the best kind of writing sample.

No. Please submit one application only. You can apply to the M.A. in Sociology and add the Concentration in Quantitative Methodology once admitted or you can apply directly to the M.A. in Sociology with a Concentration in Quantitative Methodology but please apply to one only.

Please visit the Graduate Calendar for the minimum requirements for the Sociology and Anthropology programs.

No. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology assigns a temporary advisor to each student admitted to our programs. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to our faculty to discuss the program and their projects. It is valuable to indicate individuals you would like to work with in your application for admission.

No.

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology may consider closely related fields for admission or may require additional courses to satisfy the degree requirements if admitted. This is determined on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Graduate Administrator to discuss your application.

The admission process is time-consuming and requires a committee meeting. The committee would normally meet approximately 3 weeks after the application deadline to discuss the files as a committee/group. Once decisions are made by the committee, there is a process required which involves staff, faculty and the Associate Dean before offers can be posted. Offers and responses may begin to be sent as early as mid-March but the admission process can be an ongoing process which can continue into late April or early May. We sincerely appreciate your patience.

There is no formal process for appealing admission decisions. You can discuss admission decisions with our Graduate Coordinators if you would like feedback on the reason for the decision.

A condition is placed on offers where the applicant must satisfy an outstanding requirement before being allowed to register in our programs. A common example of a condition is completing the degree for basis of admission (B.A. Hon, M.A.) and providing an original transcript confirming the degree is conferred. Other conditions can include reference letters and language requirements (if applicable).

Registration information and instructions can be found at the Registrar’s Office website. Registration in the program can only take place once conditions (if applicable) are removed.

Tuition fee information can be found here.

No. Please visit the fee schedule here for current tuition fees.

Your chances of receiving strong financial assistance are greatest if your basis of admission degree (undergraduate or M.A.) is from a Canadian university and your admission average is A- or higher. However, we endeavour to provide some funding to all domestic students who are offered admission.

Students may be offered either a full or half Teaching Assistant position (TAship) valued at over $10,000 per year for full and $5,000 per year for a half TAship.

Graduate scholarship funding varies slightly from year to year and can be between $2,000 and $10,000 per year for M.A. students or between $5,000 and $15,000 per year for Ph.D. students.

Chat with our Graduate Administrator or our Graduate Program Coordinators to learn more. You can find their contact information here.

Visit the Department of Housing and Residence Life Services website or the International Student Services Office (ISSO) website for more information.

Carleton University provides a fee estimator. This fee estimator is for tuition only. Please visit the Department of Housing and Residence Life Services for estimated cost of housing and living expenses. International applicants are encouraged to discuss costs with the ISSO.

Proficiency in English is necessary to pursue graduate studies at Carleton University. All applicants whose first language is not English must satisfy this requirement in one of the ways outlined in the calendar. Please visit 3.6 in the Graduate Calendar.

Your offer of admission is good for one term only. Read the “Statement of Standing on Admission” form carefully. If it says “Fall 2022,” you must start in September 2022. Applications for student visas vary depending on the country of application. It is important to apply by the February 1^st deadline to allow for sufficient time for a study permit.

Please allow 3 – 4 months for a student visa. It takes some time to get used to Canada, find a place to live, and so on. It is often better to delay until the following academic year than to arrive late. Please contact the Graduate Administrator regarding deferring an offer.

Carleton University provides a fee estimator. This fee estimator is for tuitions only. Please visit the Department of Housing and Residence Life Services for estimated cost of housing and living expenses. International applicants are encouraged to discuss costs with the ISSO. In order to obtain a visa, Citizenship and Immigration Canada requires that you prove that you have enough money to support yourself while studying in Canada. Please review the information here.

International applicants can apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) in the fall for funding in the following academic year. Please note, OGS is a very competitive process. The application and process is available on the FGPA website. Please contact the Graduate Administrator for more information.

Over the last several years, funding for international applicants was minimal. In most cases, recent offers sent to international applicants included self-funded or government sponsored applicants only. If you are self-funded or government sponsored, it is important to include this information in your application.

The M.A. programs in Sociology and Anthropology are 5.0 credits and are usually completed within 2 calendar years of full-time studies or 6 calendar years of part-time studies. Please review the Graduate Calendar for time limit details.

The Ph.D. programs in Sociology and Anthropology are 10.0 credits and are 5 years in duration for full-time studies or 9 calendar years for part-time studies. Please visit the Graduate Calendar for time limit details.

Typically, the course load is 1.5 credits (3 courses) per term in the first 2 terms of study. Please visit the student handbook for information on course choices and confirm your choice of courses with your temporary advisor.

You can take a course from another discipline and it will count towards your degree as long as you receive approval from your temporary advisor or supervisor before registering in the course. Please discuss your request with your temporary advisor and explain how a course from another discipline is important to your research and your degree.

Courses successfully completed in excess of your program requirements will be declared ETD (extra to degree).  At the time of admission to a new program, you can request consideration for extra to degree courses.

A tutorial course (such as ANTH 5900, ANTH 6900, SOCI 5900, SOCI 6900) is an in-depth investigation of selected problems in Sociology by means of directed study supervised by one of our faculty members.  An application must be submitted by the first day of the term before registration access/departmental approval will be granted. The department normally grants one 0.5 credit tutorial within a degree.

The application can be found on the Forms section of our website. Completed application forms should be submitted to the Graduate Administrator for approval by September 1st for fall term, January 2nd for winter term, and May 1st for summer term.

Tutorials must be approved and students register before registration closes for the selected term. The final grades are due at the end of the examination period for the term of registration.

Some course registrations require permission from the department. Please contact the Graduate Administrator to request permission.

No. M.A. students can choose to complete a Thesis, Research Essay or complete the M.A. by coursework only. Please visit the student handbook, departmental website, and calendar for details.

You must complete an academic change form and provide supporting documentation. The application is subject to FGPA approval. Please discuss this with your supervisor or the Graduate Administrator.

Please visit CURO for details

Courses can be completed at other universities and count towards a degree in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology providing there is support from the temporary advisor or supervisor prior to registration. To take elective courses at the University of Ottawa, please fill in a copy of the Graduate Exchange Form available from the FGPA website. This form needs to be signed by both the Department and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Courses at universities outside Ottawa can be taken with special permission from the temporary advisor/supervisor and the Graduate Coordinator. In order to fulfill Carleton University residency requirements, you must take at least 60 percent of your courses (4 of 6 or 5 of 8) at Carleton.

Yes, otherwise you will not graduate. Applications for graduation are submitted through Carleton Central. There is no cost to apply or cancel the application. Please apply for graduation before the deadline in your final term of study. The deadlines to apply to graduate are as follows:

• April 1 for Spring Convocation (June)
• August 31 for Fall Convocation (November)
• November 30 for Winter Convocation (February) There is no ceremony but you will be invited to participate in the Spring convocation.

First please note many students find graduate school very stressful. Talk to other students, find time to eat properly and exercise, and if you need help contact Health and Counselling Services. If you miss an assignment for health reasons, contact your instructor. If your health is affecting your TAship, please contact the instructor for the course and the Departmental Administrator. If you miss a final assignment for health reasons, contact the instructor and the Graduate Administrator in order to discuss an alternate arrangement or accommodation. If your health problems are interfering with your studies, it is vitally important to get proper documentation. Any health-related problem must be supported by a proper medical certificate.

External funding applications (SSHRC, OGS, CIHR) are submitted in fall for funding in the following academic year. The department and FGPA will hold workshops in September each year. Please visit the FGPA website for details.

Nominations for internal or endowed awards are submitted twice per year (in September for competitive awards and in January for departmental endowed awards). Please visit the FGPA website for the database of endowed awards and the criteria for nominations.

Travel funding is available for full-time students who have been invited to present at a conference, or who are travelling outside of Ottawa for thesis research. Please see the Graduate Studies for the travel application. Completed applications must be submitted to the Graduate Administrator for processing. One application per budget year is permitted (May through April). The department will also contribute travel funding (separate application is not required).

If you are a full-time student and have completed all of the TAships offered on admission (if any), you may then apply for an Outside Priority TA position through Carleton Central. Please see the Collective Agreement for additional details.

Research Assistant positions within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology are discussed between interested students and faculty with funding. The office does not offer, monitor, or arrange RAships. If you are interested in a RA position, please review our RA Guidelines document posted to the Resources & Forms page, and contact faculty directly.

Please visit our website for a current posting of events and notices. All notices (job announcements, conferences, talks) received by the Graduate office are posted here. Teaching opportunities are posted here.

Careers in Sociology and Anthropology range from employment in government, non-profit and private sectors including policy, management, education, law, medicine, social work, and communications. Please click here for a list of graduates and what they are doing at present.

Yes, mailboxes are found in B754 Loeb. Part-time students may share a mailbox. Please see the main office for a key.

No. Office space is assigned as requested. Please see the main office for space and a key for the office space assigned.

Graduate student offices are assigned per request and are shared (see above). The lounge (B742 Loeb) is available for booking through the main office and can be freely used by all members of the department when it is open and not booked for other purposes. The Library also offers shared space for booking. Please contact the Library directly.

Yes, although space is limited within the department. Space is also available through the central timetabling office. To book space in the department or through central timetabling, please email the Graduate Administrator or the Administrative Assistant. Space is also available in the Library (6^th floor). Please see the Library for library space.

For general inquiries, please contact soc-anthro@carleton.ca. If you have a specific question about the program, please email our Graduate Program Administrator or our Sociology Graduate Program Coordinator. Their contact information can be found here.

Some TA’s may require booking a departmental room for various reasons. TAs can use our graduate student office spaces however these offices are shared. There may be times (private TA and student meetings, interviews, events) that may require a departmental room. Departmental rooms can be booked through the main office (Loeb B750). We have a few departmental spaces that can be booked to fit your needs, however these rooms are limited.

TA office hours can be held in your assigned TA office space. If you don’t have a space already, please visit the main office (Loeb B750) to request a space and pick up a key.

There are two types of training available. 

The Compliance Training is mandatory for all new employees of Carleton University and is found on Carleton Central.  The Compliance training must be completed by October 15^th in fall term, February 15^th for new employees in the winter term and June 1^st for new employees in the spring term.

The Pedagogical Training is voluntary.  TAs will be paid up to 5 hours at the end of the term for completed pedagogical training. Please visit TLS website for more information, topics and sources of training. https://carleton.ca/tls/teaching-assistants/training/  

A PTA is a Priority TA and an OPTA is an Outside Priority TA. A PTA is when you receive a TA award as part of your funding package at the time of application. If you do not receive this, you may apply as an OPTA when you begin the program. An OPTA is a graduate student who has not been awarded a TA with their offer of admission or a TA that has completed all of their PTA assignments and is continuing in the program on extension. Both a PTA and OPTA must be registered full time in the program.

• TAships are usually part of the funding package offered to students upon admission. These PTAs are assigned to Fall and Winter terms only.  Some students who take a Leave From Duties (LFDs) for a term during their PTA may have their TAship carried over to the Summer term in which case this is considered a PTA in Spring/Summer. 

Students must be registered full-time and not have any future PTAs to apply for an OPTA in Spring/Summer term.  This is normally done in the 6^th term for Masters and 16^th term for PhD.  If you have a priority TAship in a future Fall and/or Winter term, the system will not permit you to apply for an OPTA for the Spring/Summer term. Students must complete all of their priority TAships before they can apply for an OPTA.   

TA assignment offers should be accepted as soon as possible so assignment of duties and planning for the term can begin.  The Collective Agreement states “TA assignment offers shall be accepted or declined within ten (10) working days of the date of the offer”. Accepting the TA assignment triggers payroll.  The instructor will then post duties and the TA must re-accept the duties to complete the contract.  Contracts must be completed by the end of the first month of each term.

The department will try to place TAs in an assignment that best matches their skills and abilities. However, this is not always possible. Most of our TA needs are in our 1000 and 2000 level courses where we have the highest enrolments. These classes often have discussion groups that the TAs lead.  To help the Department find an assignment that matches your skills and abilities, you can submit your TA assignment preferences through Carleton Central. 

The TA management system in Carleton Central provides space to indicate your preferences.  Students can list their expertise in specific areas or list courses that do not match their skill set (e.g., statistics, criminology).  As mentioned in Q. #6, we do our best to match skills and abilities to the assignments. The greatest need for TAs is in our 1000 and 2000 level courses.  You can request a specific course in your preferences and we will take your request into consideration.

Yes.  Please include this information in your preferences in Carleton Central by August 1^st.  If an assessment or verification is required for your medical accommodation, Labour Relations will be in touch.

The Associate Dean will review all profiles of the FASS TAs and will allocate them according to   departmental needs, and the students’ expertise.  If your preferences indicate you would prefer a certain area (e.g., DBST, WGST, STATS, CRIM, SLALS), you may be placed in the Department that is best suited to that area. 

On occasion, the Department may need to split a full TAship into two X 65 hours to balance resources with needs.  We realize this is not an ideal situation for either the TA or the instructor but this does happen occasionally.  If you are offered a split TAship, you may accept it as is or you can speak to the Associate Chair about potentially changing this assignment.

A TAship is part of the funding package provided to a student upon admission. Students must complete the first TAship at the beginning of their degree program, prior to deferring further TA assignments.  If a student declines or defers their first assigned TA, this will cancel all subsequent TA positions. 

If there are exceptional circumstances that require deferring the first term assignment, please contact the Graduate Coordinator and Administrator prior to the start of term. 

To defer a TAship, students must submit a Leave From Duties (LFDs) to a future term, through their Carleton Central account. 

Students can request a Leave From Duties (LFD) for a term, and depending on the circumstances, the TA funding may be carried to a future, unfunded term. Please notify the Graduate Administrator at least 6 weeks before the term begins if you plan on taking a LFD. Students can remain registered in the term with a LFD or they can take a LFD and LOA (Leave of Absence) in the same term.   Please speak to the Graduate Administrator about a LFD

In 2022/23 the university moved back to in-person teaching for the majority of courses.  As mentioned in Q #6, the greatest TA need in the Sociology and Anthropology courses is in our 1000 and 2000 level courses.  There are very few courses that require a TA, and are online or marking only.

You can expect some of these following duties during your TA assignment:

• Weekly office hours
• Preparation time
• Leading discussion groups
• Lecture attendance
• Grading and proctoring

TA duties vary depending on the assignment.  A TAship is usually 130 hours (or 65 hours for a half TAship) and although based on 10 hours per week, the hours can be distributed throughout the 13 weeks of the term depending on the needs of the instructor. The majority of hours can be assigned during mid-term and final exams.

The department strives to provide great experiences for all TAs.  While the majority of our TAs are placed in our 1000 and 2000 level courses with discussion groups, the Department guidelines allocates incoming 1^st year MA students to courses without a discussion group for the first term only to allow for the adjustment to graduate school.  If you have concerns about leading a discussion group, please include this information in your preferences in Carleton Central.

We are all here to help and it will depend on the type of support or advice needed.  You can reach out to the Instructor for the course, the Graduate Administrator, the Graduate Coordinators, the Departmental Administrator or the Chair.  Please visit our website for contact information at https://carleton.ca/socanth/our-people/administration/

You will find departmental support at https://carleton.ca/socanth/student-life/graduate/teaching-assistants/ .   You can also seek help through CUPE 4600 (https://cupe4600.ca/ ) and TLS (https://carleton.ca/tls/teaching-assistants/).   The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has Peer Mentors during the Fall and Winter terms to support our students.  This information is available on our website and will be advertised each term.

TAships are assigned at the beginning of each term.  Students must accept the TAship in Carleton Central to start the process and trigger payroll.  Once the student accepts the TAship, the instructor for the course will assign the duties.  If you have questions or concerns about the duties at that time, please chat with the instructor before accepting the duties.  Once the student accepts the duties in Carleton Central, the contract is complete. The contract should not be changed during the term without the consent of both the TA and the Instructor.   If you have questions or concerns about the duties during the term, we encourage TAs to chat with the instructor first.  If the concern cannot be resolved, please see Q #16 above.

The duties and hours are assigned at the beginning of the term and agreed upon in the contract on Carleton Central.  We encourage instructors and TAs to meet mid-term to discuss duties and hours and make any adjustments needed at that time.  TAs should not be going over the assigned hours.  There is no additional compensation for hours worked outside of those noted in the contract, so it is best to monitor hours throughout the term, and chat with the Instructor for the assigned course.

Access to Brightspace is provided to the instructors of each course at the beginning of each term.  The instructor must provide access to Tas to the course Brightspace page.  If you do not have access, please contact the instructor for the course.  Some instructors opt out of using Brightspace and communicate through email with the class and TAs.

Please visit https://cupe4600.ca/