Bachelor of Global and International Studies (Honours) in Global Religions - Identity and Community

at Carleton University Canada

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.

Biology 
Biology in the 21st century is among the most diverse and exciting of the sciences. Many of the challenges we face as a society, from climate change to the development of novel health therapies, involve biological solutions. As a Carleton Biology student, you will gain broad experience through core science courses and options that suit your individual interests and needs.

Earth Sciences
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.

Economics may be a specialized area of knowledge, but it is relevant to almost every aspect of our lives. At its core, it is the study of reasoned choice in the context of scarce resources and competing interests. The need to make such choices pervades the day-to-day lives of all of us—as individuals and in society as a whole.

In Carleton’s Bachelor of Economics (BEcon), you will study the operation of market-based economies, examining the causes of economic growth, inflation, unemployment and international trade.

Professionals working with children and youth face many challenges involving complex relationships with families, communities and governments. Childhood and Youth Studies at Carleton prepares you for careers in this demanding area. The program was originally developed for graduates of Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs, but the broader scope of the new curriculum allows for entry into the program without an ECE diploma. Through core courses in childhood and youth studies, as well as other relevant disciplines, you will learn about a wide range of topics (e.g., children’s rights, policy and practice) pertaining to children and youth in Canada and around the world.

The BA Geography program at Carleton focuses on human and environmental geography, exploring and analyzing a wide range of topics such as local food systems, urban poverty, cultural landscapes, adaptation to climate change and natural resource management. Students in the BA Geography (Honours) program may take a concentration in Physical Geography or Urban Geography. Our professors have extensive expertise in social, political and cultural geography; resource management and environmental assessment; and the study of physical processes of the Earth’s vegetation, climate, water and soil systems. Field courses, workplace opportunities (1 day a week practicum; full term co-op), and training in tools like geographic information systems, remote sensing and cartography also provide an opportunity to gain practical experience while you study.

According to the executive summary of the “White Paper” on International Development Studies in Canada published by the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID) and the North-South Institute in October 2003, “the study of development provides a window on the world of inequality and the possibilities of overcoming it both internationally and domestically.” At Carleton, students pursuing the Global Development specialization will gain a multidisciplinary perspective on this broad and important field by taking foundational courses in anthropology, economics, geography, and political science. The program’s core courses together with a rich selection of electives will help students understand the way the world is unfolding in the face of increasingly urgent challenges from climate change to human security to global epidemics. This specialization will be of particular interest to students who aspire to work on development issues in various government departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and certain types of companies operating internationally.

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 ideas, including what it means to know a language, how we process and produce language, language structure, how children acquire language, variation and diversity in languages across the globe, language disorders and delays, and how languages change over time.

At Carleton, students learn to study linguistics from a dedicated faculty with a diverse set of research interests, including theoretical and experimental approaches and methods.

Students in the BA Honours can choose from two concentrations to tailor their Linguistics degree to their interests: Linguistic Theory or Psycholinguistics and Communication Disorders. Qualified students in the Psycholinguistics and Communication Disorders concentration have the opportunity to take a practicum course that provides clinical experience in speech-language pathology.

In the twenty-first century, literature has become one of the most compelling ways to enter into the many cultural worlds that converge in contemporary societies. This BGInS specialization responds to the dramatic rise and transformation of global literatures since the era of decolonization by exploring the following questions: How do writers express experiences of living in multiple national communities? How do we understand colonialism, diaspora and migration through literature? How can we reimagine the study of literature as a transnational and global field rather than one that is bounded by national borders? Building from the commitment of the English department to a wide range of global literatures and approaches, the specialization offers students the rich experience of looking at these literatures in dialogue with other interdisciplinary contexts in global studies.

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 study of history allows us to recognize and understand the complex issues that shaped the contemporary world. The History Department offers courses in African, American, Asian, Canadian, Caribbean, European, Latin American and South Asian history. Some courses trace the history of social, political and cultural change of a region or period. Others are thematic and may examine women’s history, the histories of science, sexuality, food and drink, or slavery. In the Public History concentration, Honours students explore how history appears in our everyday lives, not just in museums and monuments, but also in movies, reality television, video games, music and the stories families and communities pass from one generation to the next.

In first year, history students may choose a small seminar class or a larger lecture course with a tutorial group. Both formats foster debate and discussion. All history courses encourage student research which may draw on the rich array of libraries and archives in the national capital, including Carleton’s own valuable collections and resources.