Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science (Co-op, Internship)

at Carleton University Canada

How are new technologies changing the ways we interact with each other and live our lives? Why are many jobs becoming increasingly short term and how is this situation affecting people’s families, communities, and self-identities? Why do social problems like poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and ageism persist in the modern world? What can we do to address these problems? What is it like to live with discrimination when many of the doors to social participation are closed to you? How do we define what is ‘normal’ and what happens to those who don’t fit within these definitions?

Sociology asks these and other questions in order to understand the powerful forces that shape the world and societies in which we live today. It is also the study of our personal and lived experiences of those worlds and societies, and how our self-identities, future opportunities and ways of life are shaped accordingly. If you are interested in these kinds of questions, sociology is a good fit for you.

Co-op Opportunities
A co-op option is available to Honours students in Sociology and allows you to combine work terms with academic study. Work terms exist in a variety of public and private sector fields, and give you the opportunity to apply information and skills obtained in class, such as social survey design and both quantitative and qualitative data analyses, to practical social issues and problems. Students in co-op can gain the experience and develop the skills needed to acquire marketable areas of expertise. Work placements also offer a perspective on career preferences and interests, with an opportunity to develop job networks.

Carleton’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) is a wide-ranging and career-focused program that will provide you with the skills required to succeed in the rapidly changing worlds of medicine, biomedical research and healthcare research. You will gain a strong foundation in the scientific knowledge and methods involved in the study of human health, along with the capacity to engage in broader multidisciplinary, multi-sector, and multicultural approaches to finding solutions to some of the most crucial health issues of our time.

Health Throughout the Lifespan
This concentration focuses on health and illness through the stages of human life. There are few health sciences programs in Canada that include lifespan studies, and Carleton’s program is unique in featuring courses that explore the entire lifespan, from neonatal development to old age. You will learn about the biological aging process, including how events occurring early in life can have effects that appear much later, in the form of medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression. In addition, you will explore the biomedical basis of health and disease, and have the opportunity to learn how factors such as gender and social conditions can influence health.

The Earth Sciences program at Carleton offers you the opportunity to study the Earth’s systems, incorporating knowledge from other sciences including physics, biology and chemistry. You will learn about processes (such as evolution, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics and mountain building, formation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and mineral deposits) influential in the Earth’s geologic past that establish our present and future global development. The program offers the opportunity to participate in hands-on field courses that can take you to sites throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

The BSc in Interdisciplinary Science and Practice integrates concepts and knowledge from different science disciplines to be applied to real world problems through local and global perspectives. This program innovates the conventional science curriculum to entrench the principles and practice of interdisciplinarity, and includes a 15-credit degree and 20-credit Honours degree.

Students are asked to complete eight interdisciplinary science courses and one minor within the Faculty of Science. Honours students are also encouraged to complete a second minor within the faculty with learning culminating in an academic capstone experience (group research project, research essay or individual research project).

How do people interact with nature, and how does this impact the environment? How do societies transform nature? The environment consists of a complex set of human and natural systems of which people are an important, and sometimes dominant, element. Decisions made by individuals, institutions, governments, industries and other actors have the ability to impact the environment in both direct and indirect ways, with consequences for future generations. Understanding the costs and benefits of development and conservation, as well as the underlying values and ethical guidelines for good environmental practice are critical for informed environmental decision-making. It is critical, to both the present and future state of the environment, that dialogue and policy are precautionary, evidence-based, thoughtful and inclusive.

The Environmental Studies program at Carleton University prepares students to be informed, skilled individuals who can participate effectively in the resolution of environmental problems and in the larger environmental debates critical to our future. The program is interdisciplinary and flexible, so that students can focus on the conservation of natural systems, natural resource management, environmental organizations and institutions, sustainable economies, environmental education and activism, or research.

The Environmental Science program brings together the study of biology, chemistry, earth sciences and geography to enable its graduates to address complex and multidisciplinary environmental and conservation problems. Through lecture and seminar courses, hands-on laboratory work and field camps, students become proficient in topics such as water resource management, fish and wildlife ecology, ecological restoration, sustainable resource extraction, environmental monitoring, and environmental policy. In the upper years, students take courses in chosen areas of study and hone their skills in preparing research and thesis projects, working in teams and individually on current problems facing environmental science.

The Environmental Science program brings together the study of biology, chemistry, earth sciences and geography to enable its graduates to address complex and multidisciplinary environmental and conservation problems. Through lecture and seminar courses, hands-on laboratory work and field camps, students become proficient in topics such as water resource management, fish and wildlife ecology, ecological restoration, sustainable resource extraction, environmental monitoring, and environmental policy. In the upper years, students take courses in chosen areas of study and hone their skills in preparing research and thesis projects, working in teams and individually on current problems facing environmental science.

Where better to study politics than the nation’s capital? Our location in Ottawa provides you with numerous chances to see politics not only nationally but internationally. You will examine such topics of study as international relations, transitions to democracy, parties and elections, globalization and social movements, and the culture and ideas of politics.

International or local exchanges are an exciting possibility during your third year, and you may also choose to undertake an internship of your choosing, with permission of the undergraduate supervisor. In fourth year, an internship with the Washington Center is an option for consideration.

The biomedical and mechanical engineering program integrates life sciences with the traditional mechanical engineering topics of solid mechanics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials, robotics and control systems to analyze and solve problems related to biomechanical engineering, biotechnology and medicine. The program provides students with a skill set that enables the development of advanced components, systems and techniques for biomechanical applications that are crucial to modern health care. The curriculum is designed with an emphasis on the development of practical and problem-solving skills based on hands-on laboratory and design work.

The Bachelor of International Business (Honours) is a four-year degree program that gives students the foundation and global perspective they need to make a difference in the world. Intensive language training and intercultural skills gained through firsthand international experience prepares students for careers around the world.

International Marketing and Trade
This concentration develops the necessary skills to help companies successfully expand to, and compete in, international markets. You will learn how to adapt business strategy to the cultural, political, legal, economical, technological, geographic and historical factors that result in buyer behaviour and marketing strategy differences around the world. You will also learn how to assess various foreign expansion alternatives that companies face when going abroad.