FAQs

Please visit the Undergraduate Admissions Application page for more information about the online application process. There are many applicant types, and the application process varies for each applicant type.

Please find a list of deadlines on the Undergraduate Admissions Deadlines page. The deadlines may vary based on applicant type.

Please find more information about requirements on the Undergraduate Admissions Requirements page. International applicant requirements can be found here.

Please find more information about admissions forms on the Undergraduate Admissions Forms page.

As a general rule, once students have applied to Carleton their previous studies will be assessed for transfer credit on a case by case basis, subject to degree, grade and program requirements. Transfer of credit will be assessed upon admission; however, in some instances this may require submission of official course descriptions. Please note that Carleton will do its best to transfer the most credit possible for any previously completed courses, however, course transferability will vary depending on your grade point average, and relevance of previous course work to the degree program to which you have applied. For more information about transfer credits, please visit the Undergraduate Admissions Transfer Credit page.

Absolutely! Take a look at the information provided on the Undergraduate Admissions Events page for upcoming tours and events.

The program is offered as either a General degree requiring 15.0 credits and normally three years of full-time study or as an Honours degree requiring 20.0 credits and normally four years of full-time study. Please note that General and Honours degrees do not have to be completed within a three or four-year timeframe. For a variety of reasons, many students choose to take an extra year or so to finish their undergraduate program.

Every B.A. student must choose a major subject of study, called a Major. In Sociology, students can pursue a B.A. General (15.0 credits) or a B.A. Honours (20.0 credits). Some B.A. students may choose to do a B.A. Combined Honours (20.0 credits) in two subjects (i.e., two Majors). Each Major has a set of requirements that must be met in order to graduate. Students in any Major have to take a certain number of credits in their Major, and these will include mandatory courses that are essential to understanding their specific discipline.

We also offer a Stream in Social Justice (2.0 credits) which is open to all students in Sociology Honours and Combined Honours Programs.

If you are torn between several areas of interest or want to explore additional material that is related to your Major, then you could consider pursuing a minor. The Minor in Sociology is open to all undergraduate degree students in programs other than Sociology or the B.G.In.S. Specialization or Stream in Global Inequalities and Social Change.

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.

Estimating the cost of a year of study varies from student to student and depends on the program you are interested in. A breakdown of domestic tuition costs and other fees can be found here. USA and International costs differ and can be found here. In general, tuition fees can be found on the Student Accounts Receivable website.

Carleton University has one of the most generous scholarship and bursary programs in Canada. For more information about scholarships, please click here.

Living in residence at Carleton offers you the chance to become part of a vibrant community with many opportunities and conveniences. Please click here for more information about living in residence at Carleton. For more information about living in residence at Carleton, visit the Department of Housing and Residence Life Services website. The International Student Services Office also offers information about housing.

Please click here for more information about off campus housing.

The program is offered as either a General degree requiring 15.0 credits and normally three years of full-time study or as an Honours degree requiring 20.0 credits and normally four years of full-time study. Please note that General and Honours degrees do not have to be completed within a three or four-year timeframe. For a variety of reasons, many students choose to take an extra year or so to finish their undergraduate program.

In general, the course load for full-time study is 2.5 credits per term (5 courses). Please click here for more information on a reduced course load, and here for more information on a course overload. We recommend that you run your audit in Carleton Central and use that as a guide, in conjunction with the Undergraduate Calendar to determine which courses to take. This process can be confusing, so we encourage you to meet with the Undergraduate Administrator, Kim Mitchell, to clarify you are on the correct path. She can help answer any questions you may have.

The audit is a document that keeps track of your progress toward your degree. It lists all the requirements of your major and shows whether you have completed them. You should check it at least once a term to make sure you are on track. In addition to the audit, it’s a good idea to keep track of things manually by checking off the requirements listed in the Undergraduate Calendar (e.g., Breadth Requirements).

A step-by-step guide to obtaining and reading your audit can be found here.

You can submit an override request in Carleton Central. It is not guaranteed that you will get into the course. If a spot opens up, you will need to register through Carleton Central. Please click here for more information.

If you are currently in a B.A. program and wish to change your major to another B.A. program (e.g., switching from Anthropology to Sociology), then you will need to request a Change of Program Elements in Carleton Central. If you want to apply for changes to program elements without changing your degree, (i.e., you only want to change your Major, Minor, Specialization, Concentration, or Stream, or if you want to switch between General and Honours degrees), please use the Change of Program Elements.

If you are in another degree program (e.g., B.Sc.) and wish to switch to a B.A., then you will have to submit an Internal Admissions Application.

In either case, it is wise to meet with the Undergraduate Administrator and an Academic Advisor for these changes.

Graduate programs tend to be quite competitive, and successful applicants tend to have a GPA of A- in their undergraduate studies. You can book an appointment with the Undergraduate Administrator to discuss this further, but ultimately you will need to speak with the Graduate Administrator of the program(s) to which you are applying, in order to get the most comprehensive information.

Estimating the cost of a year of study varies from student to student and depends on the program you are interested in. A breakdown of domestic tuition costs and other fees can be found here. USA and International costs differ and can be found here. In general, tuition fees can be found on the Student Accounts Receivable website.

Carleton University has one of the most generous scholarship and bursary programs in Canada. For more information about scholarships, please click here.

Sociology majors develop a variety of skills (e.g., skills in social research, data collection, writing, problem solving, etc.). Please click here to learn more about common areas of employment and common career opportunities and job titles.

Many students pursue graduate school after they complete their B.A. If this interests you, have a look at our Sociology Graduate Programs page for more information about an M.A. or Ph.D. in Sociology. Click here to see what some of our very own M.A. and Ph.D. Sociology graduates are currently up to.

Core courses are central to an education in Sociology. There are 3.0 credits worth of core courses for students registered in the B.A. General, and they include SOCI 1001 (0.5 credit), SOCI 1002 (0.5), SOCI 2000 (0.5), SOCI 2001 or SOCI 3000 (0.5 credit), and SOCI 2005 (1.0 credit). There are 4.0 credits worth of core courses for students registered in the B.A. Honours, and they include SOCI 1001 (0.5 credit), SOCI 1002 (0.5), SOCI 2000 (0.5), SOCI 2001 or SOCI 3000 (0.5 credit), SOCI 2005 (1.0 credit), SOCI 3002 or SOCI 3004 (0.5 credit), and SOCI 3006 (0.5 credit). Click here for more information about program requirements.

Free electives can be fulfilled by taking any class, within or outside of the program. Pay close attention to what the requirements say for your program, though, and keep in mind the B.A. requirements listed in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Selected Topics courses are developed by instructors on an ad-hoc basis every year. They usually cover advanced material in the instructor’s area of expertise. These courses include SOCI 2810, SOCI 2820, SOCI 3210, and SOCI 3220. Not all courses listed in the undergraduate calendar are offered in a given year. For an up-to-date statement of course offerings for the current session, please consult the class schedule at Carleton Central.

With the Honours Capstone Seminar (SOCI 4700), students carry out a small-scale research project to hone transferable skills acquired over the course of the degree program. Students must have fourth-year Honours standing to register for SOCI 4700. It is a 0.5 credit course.

With the Honours Thesis (SOCI 4900), students carry out an independent research project under the supervision of a faculty member. The seminar supports students through each stage of the research process, which includes development of a research question, designing the project, crafting a proposal, carrying out data generation and analysis, and writing the final thesis. To register for SOCI 4900, students must have fourth-year Honours standing in Sociology, with a CGPA of 9.00 or higher or permission of the instructor. Students are strongly encouraged to identify a faculty member to supervise their Honours Thesis prior to the start of this course. It is a 1.0 credit course.

Not necessarily. What you need is a writing sample that you can send together with your application. Different programs expect different kinds of samples, but in most cases, you need to show that you can conduct research independently and that you write well. An Honours Thesis is a logical way to produce such a writing sample, and it might otherwise strengthen your application and give you useful research experience, but it is not strictly necessary. Many students have been successful without writing one.

Yes! The Sociology and Anthropology Student Association (SASA) plan events throughout the year, and help create a space for members to connect with fellow classmates and faculty. They are always looking for Sociology and Anthropology students to come out to their events and to get involved, so please contact them if you are interested.

For more information, please contact SASA:
Email: sasareception@gmail.com
Facebook: Sociology and Anthropology Student Association – Carleton University
Instagram: @sasa.cu

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