B.A. Regulations
The regulations presented below apply to all Bachelor of Arts programs. In addition to the requirements presented here, students must satisfy the University regulations common to all undergraduate students including the process of Academic Performance Evaluation (consult the Academic Regulations of the University section of this Calendar).
First-Year Seminars
B.A. degree students are strongly encouraged to include a First-Year Seminar (FYSM) during their first 4.0 credits of registration. Students are limited to 1.0 credit in FYSM and can only register in a FYSM while they have first-year standing in their B.A. program. Students who have completed the Enriched Support Program (ESP) or who are required to take a minimum of one English as a Second Language (ESLA) credit are not permitted to register in a FYSM.
Breadth Requirement
Among the credits presented at graduation, students in both the B.A. General and the B.A. Honours degrees and B.Co.M.S. are required to include 3.0 breadth credits, including 1.0 credit from each of three of the four Breadth Areas identified below. Credits that fulfil requirements in the Major, Minor, Concentration or Specialization may be used to fulfil the Breadth Requirement.
Students admitted with a completed university degree are exempt from breadth requirements.
Students in the following interdisciplinary programs are exempt from the B.A. breadth requirement.
- African Studies
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Environmental Studies
- Human Rights
- Human Rights and Social Justice
Breadth Area 1: Culture and Communication
American Sign Language, Art History, Art and Culture, Communication and Media Studies, Comparative Literary Studies, Digital Humanities, English, Film Studies, French, Journalism, Media Production and Design, Music, and Languages (Arabic, English as a Second Language, German, Greek, Hebrew, Indigenous Languages, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish)
Subject codes: ARAB, ARTH, ASLA, CHIN, CLST, COMS, DIGH, ENGL, ESLA, FILM, FINS, FREN, GERM, GREK, HEBR, ITAL, JAPA, JOUR, KORE, LANG, LATN, MPAD, MUSI, PORT, RUSS, SPAN
Breadth Area 2: Humanities
African Studies, Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, Canadian Studies, Child Studies, Classical Civilization, Directed Interdisciplinary Studies, Disability Studies, European and Russian Studies, History, Human Rights, Humanities, Indigenous Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Linguistics, Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Philosophy, Religion, Sexuality Studies, South Asian Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies.
Subject codes: AFRI, ALDS, CDNS, CHST, CLCV, DBST, DIST, EURR, HIST, HUMR, HUMS, INDG, LACS, LING, MEMS, PHIL, RELI, SAST, SXST, WGST
Breadth Area 3: Science, Engineering, and Design
Architecture, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Science, Food Science and Nutrition, Health Sciences, Industrial Design, Information Resource Management, Information Technology (BIT), Information Technology (ITEC), Interactive Media and Design, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Network Technology, Photonics, Statistics, Physics, and Technology, Society, Environment.
Subject codes: AERO, ARCC, ARCH, ARCN, ARCS, ARCU, BIOC, BIOL, BIT, CHEM, CIVE, CMPS, COMP, ECOR, ELEC, ENSC, ENVE, ERTH, FOOD, HLTH, IDES, IMD, IRM, ISCI, ISCS, ISYS, ITEC, MAAE, MATH, MECH, NET, NEUR, NSCI, PHYS, PLT, SREE, STAT, SYSC, TSES
Breadth Area 4: Social Sciences
Anthropology, Business, Cognitive Science, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geography, Geomatics, Global and International Studies, Global Politics, Interdisciplinary Public Affairs, International Affairs, Law, Migration and Diaspora Studies, Political Management, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Affairs and Policy Management, Social Work, Sociology/Anthropology, Sociology
Subject codes: ANTH, BUSI, CGSC, CRCJ, ECON, ENST, GEOG, GEOM, GINS, GPOL, INAF, IPAF, LAWS, MGDS, PADM, PAPM, POLM, PSCI, PSYC, SOCI, SOWK
Declared and Undeclared Students
Degree students are considered "Undeclared" if they have been admitted to a degree but have not yet selected and been accepted into a program within that degree. The status "Undeclared" is available only in the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees. See the Open Studies program section of this Calendar for recommended registration information. Normally, Undeclared students are required to be eligible to enter a program within their degree before reaching second year standing. Undeclared students should consult Academic Advising Centre for guidance in planning their studies prior to registration.
Change of Program Within the B.A. Degree
Students may transfer to a program within the B.A. degree, if upon entry to the new program they would be in Good Standing . Other applications for change of program will be considered on their merits; students may be admitted to the new program in Good Standing or on Academic Warning. Students may apply to declare or change their program within the B.A. Degree at the Registrar's Office according to the published deadlines. Acceptance into a program or into a program element or option is subject to any enrollment limitations, specific program, program element or option requirements, as published in the relevant Calendar entry.
Minors, Concentrations and Specializations
Students may apply to the Registrar's Office to be admitted to a minor, concentration or specialization during their first or subsequent years of study. Acceptance into a minor, concentration or specialization is subject to any specific requirements of the intended Minor, Concentration or Specialization as published in the relevant Calendar entry. Acceptance into a Concentration or Specialization requires that the student be in Good Standing.
Mention : Français
Students registered in certain B.A. programs may earn the notation Mention : Français by completing part of their requirements in French and by demonstrating a knowledge of the history and culture of French Canada. The general requirements are listed below. For more specific details consult the departmental program entries.
Students in a B.A. Honours program must present:
- 1.0 credit in French language;
- 1.0 credit devoted to the history and culture of French Canada;
- 1.0 credit at the 2000- or 3000-level and 1.0 credit at the 4000-level in the Honours discipline taken in French.
Students in a B.A. General program must present:
- 1.0 credit in advanced French;
- 1.0 credit devoted to the history and culture of French Canada;
- 1.0 credit at the 2000- or 3000-level in the Major discipline taken in French.
Students in Combined Honours programs must fulfil the Mention : Français requirement in both disciplines.
Courses taught in French (Item 3, above) may be taken at Carleton, at the University of Ottawa on the Exchange Agreement, or at a francophone university on a Letter of Permission. Students planning to take courses on exchange or on a Letter of Permission should take careful note of the residence requirement for a minimum number of Carleton courses in their programs. Consult the Academic Regulations of the University section of this Calendar for information regarding study on Exchange or Letter of Permission.