Colleges Carleton University

Carleton University https://carleton.ca/

Carleton University was founded by the community in 1942 to meet the needs of veterans returning from the Second World War. Today, Carleton is a dynamic, research-intensive institution committed to providing students with an outstanding learning experience and great career outcomes. The university offers co-op placements within the engineering, business, arts, and social sciences programs. The university typically enrolls more than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students, and has more than 188,000 alumni worldwide. Extensive support programs help students succeed, including around-the-clock support for students with disabilities. Located in the national capital of Ottawa, a G7 city, Carleton is situated on 62 hectares (150 acres) just south of Ottawa’s city center and is bordered by pleasant residential neighborhoods as well as the Rideau River and the historic Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The campus is also a short distance from Parliament Hill, a world-class high-tech hub, and a large concentration of national and international organizations. The beautiful Carleton campus is considered the most accessible in Canada and features five kilometers of underground tunnels that conveniently link the university’s buildings.

Academics

Carleton is a research-intensive university with world-renowned scholars and scientists. The university’s many research strengths include aerospace, autonomous vehicles, environmental science, data science, cybersecurity, physics, health, biomedical engineering, and global affairs. Innovative programs emphasizing experiential learning provide students with opportunities for hands-on research, travel, and enriching experiences across Canada and around the globe. Partnerships with major national and international organizations and institutions enhance research opportunities on campus. Innovative undergraduate and graduate programs are offered in areas of high-tech, engineering, business, math and science, public affairs, architecture, industrial design, journalism, arts, and social sciences, plus interdisciplinary options. The student-faculty ratio at Carleton University is 19:1. Popular majors include Engineering, Journalism, International Business, and Media Studies.

Special Highlights

MacOdrum Library. One of the three original buildings on the Carleton campus, the MacOdrum Library has served as Carleton’s central library and archives. During final exam periods, the library extends its operations to twenty-four hours to accommodate students preparing for their exams or completing assignments. On an annual basis, the library receives upwards of 1.6 million visits from students, faculty, and researchers. The library’s Discovery Centre for Undergraduate Research is a multi-purpose space containing meeting tables, multimedia collaborative spaces, video game laboratories, and 3D printers. The fourth floor of the library, includes the Discovery Centre as well as the Future Learning Lab, which includes spaces for studying, events, and workshops, along with an XR (mixed-reality) equipped space. The library regularly hosts exhibitions on the second floor, which is also home to the Book Arts Lab, an experiential and multidisciplinary learning space that features instruction on typesetting, letterpress printing, bookbinding, decorative paper techniques, and illustrations such as wood cuts.

Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub provides budding entrepreneurs and student-founders the tools and resources they need to spark innovation and create new ventures. Located on the ground floor of the Nicol Building, the Hub is an open space for students to become inspired, make connections with like-minded peers, and advance their entrepreneurial ideas through business classes. Students from all faculties on campus are invited to engage with Sprott School of Business students and other entrepreneurs involved in building new ventures. In addition to developing their skills and business ideas, participants will receive access to a host of resources and connections within the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ottawa. Students who prefer entrepreneurship in a more formal manner, can do so at the graduate or undergraduate level. Students from other faculties can also do a minor in Entrepreneurship to complement their own academic studies.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

Carleton University is a community of talented and committed faculty and staff, dedicated to excellence and to supporting the education and research that distinguishes Carleton as Canada’s Capital University. Our history and vision for the future have led to the development of innovative, first-of-their-kind programs and noteworthy achievements. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) houses the College of the Humanities, one of Canada’s few Great Books programs, and Carleton’s Institute of Cognitive Science, which offers the only fully structured PhD program in Cognitive Science in the country. There is also a collaborative M.A. in Digital humanities, one of the first in Canada. The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs houses Canada’s oldest foreign affairs graduate program. The School of Public Policy and Administration is the oldest such academic division in Canada. Earlier in the millennium, Carleton was designated a European Union Centre of Excellence by the European Commission in Brussels. Nearly 100 Carleton researchers, past and present, were included on the Stanford-Elsevier list of the world’s most-cited scholars, placing them in the world’s top 2%.

Student Reviews…

“The Carleton professors are approachable and genuinely invested in student success, often integrating real-world examples into lectures, which keeps the learning both practical and engaging. The university also offers numerous student-led initiatives, wellness programs, and support services that contribute to a positive and inclusive campus atmosphere.”