Bachelor of Arts in European and Russian Studies

at Carleton University Canada

Carleton’s English program ranges from some of the most famous names in English writing to lesser-known authors, taking into account regional, national and global perspectives. You will have a chance to discuss the pressing issues and enduring ideas behind literature, as well as examine the ways in which books spring from cultural contexts and fit into the arc of literary history. You will explore how British and Canadian literary traditions have evolved and how alternative, underground and non-Western voices trouble and enrich those traditions. You may take workshops in creative writing and drama, either as electives or in the context of the department’s concentrations in Creative Writing and Drama Studies. We also offer a minor in Professional Writing, as well a minor in Drama Studies.

From war zones to capital cities, from courtrooms to boardrooms, and in hospitals, police stations, sports arenas and church basements, journalists rush to places where events occur. They ask questions, report what they see and hear, and offer analysis of the changes and issues that shape our society.

As key players in the workings of every democracy, journalists should be well educated, thoughtful, analytical, conscious of the responsibility that comes with their job, and equipped with a moral compass to guide their decisions.

We live in a world on the move. Not only are there more than 200 million people now living outside their country of their birth, but new technologies have allowed for the movement of ideas around the world and connections between communities like never before. Behind the statistics are the lived experiences of migrants themselves, the contributions they make to their new societies and the links that they sustain with their countries and communities of origin. This multidisciplinary specialization is the first undergraduate program in Canada to address the intertwined phenomena of refugees, migration, mobility and diasporas that shape the modern world. It brings together a broad spectrum of practitioners and academics from the humanities and the social sciences to examine the cultural, social, economic and political implications of the movement and transnational settlement of people. It supports historically informed and forward looking accounts of cultural and social identities, diversity and integration, exile and memory, forced migration and refugee communities. It prepares globally conscious students for journeys of intellectual discovery and rewarding careers in public service, creative industries, cultural institutions such as museums, migration and humanitarian INGOs, and migration and settlement-related agencies, as well as for Law School and graduate programs in a variety of disciplines. 

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.

Mathematics and statistics are driving forces behind many of today’s advancements in medicine, economics and business, and science and technology. As a Bachelor of Mathematics student you can choose from a broad range of program options according to your interests and career goals. The solid mathematical knowledge and skills you acquire at Carleton will give you a competitive edge in a wide variety of careers and prepare you to contribute to the next generation of innovations.

The Honours program prepares you for a career as a professional statistician, for work in actuarial science, or for further advanced studies.

Linguistics is the scientific study of one of the most fundamental aspects of being human: using language to communicate. Linguists explore a range of fascinating areas, including how language is represented and processed in the brain, the psychology of language, clinical applications of linguistics in treating language disorders and delays, how children acquire language, and the biological and evolutionary aspects of language.

Carleton is home to the oldest and largest BA program in law in Canada. In the program, you will acquire a strong understanding of the dynamics of law, including its rules, agents, institutions and power structures. You will study legal theory and its application in everyday life and you will be taught by award-winning researchers and extensively published professors. Carleton’s proximity to Canada’s important public institutions, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, Parliament and the Department of Justice can lead to unique work and volunteer opportunities for our students. As an Honours student, you will have the choice of a concentration in Law, Policy and Government; Business Law; or Transnational Law and Human Rights.

A key feature of the late-twentieth and early-twenty first centuries is the emergence of law as a technology for governing global identities and for framing global issues. Legal recognition and law reform are increasingly relied upon as instruments to both imagine and manage global issues and identities. This specialization focuses attention on this critical facet of globalization. You will learn about the institutional structures, objectives, and history of global law, covering topics such as immigration, trade, human rights and armed conflict.

Carleton’s Department of French makes it easy to integrate French into your studies, whether you wish to major in French, expand your BA with a minor in French or enrol in a single course. The department’s comprehensive approach allows students to benefit from language courses that are culturally grounded in the francophone world. Our course structure spans beginner to advanced levels, targets both oral and written proficiency, and focuses on students’ full development as competent readers, speakers and writers. Courses in our BA programs in French offer students the opportunity to specialize in literary studies or French linguistics. You may engage academically with topics ranging from emerging voices in Quebec literature to writers from Africa and the Caribbean to the social dynamics of language. Exchange opportunities are available to students majoring in French.

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.