This section presents the requirements for programs in:

• General Studies  B.A.

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 Continuation 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. 

Breadth Requirement

Among the credits presented at graduation, students in both the B.A. and the B.A. Honours degrees and B.Co.M.S. are required to include 3.0 breadth credits, which must include 1.0 credit in three of the four breadth areas identified below. Credits that fulfil requirements in the Major, Minor, Concentration, Specialization, or Stream may also 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, 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, 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, Archaeology, Canadian Studies, Child Studies, Classical Civilization, Critical Race Studies, Directed Interdisciplinary Studies, Disability Studies, Environmental and Climate Humanities, European and Russian Studies, History, Human Rights and Social Justice, 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, ARCY, CDNS, CHST, CLCV, CRST, DBST, DIST, EACH, EURR, HIST, HRSJ, HUMR, HUMS, INDG, LACS, LING, MEMS, PHIL, RELI, SAST, SXST, WGST

Breadth Area 3: Science, Engineering, and Design

Architecture, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Science, Food Science and Nutrition, Health Sciences, Industrial Design, Information Resource Management, Information Technology (BIT), Information Technology (ITEC), Interactive Multimedia and Design, Interdisciplinary Science and Practice, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Network Technology, Nursing, Optical Systems and Sensors, Photonics, Statistics, Physics, and Technology, Society, Environment.

Subject codes: ACSE, AERO, ARCC, ARCH, ARCN, ARCS, ARCU, BIOC, BIOL, BIT, CHEM, CIVE, COMP, CSEC, DATA, ECOR, ELEC, ENSC, ENVE, ERTH, FOOD, HLTH, IDES, IMD, IRM, ISAP, ISCI, ISCS, ISYS, ITEC, MAAE, MATH, MECH, MECT, NET, NEUR, NSCI, NURS, OSS, 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. Undeclared students must apply to enter a program upon or before completing 3.5 credits.

Change of Program Within the B.A. Degree

To transfer to a program within the B.A. degree, applicants must normally be Eligible to Continue (EC) in the new program, by meeting the CGPA thresholds described in Section 3.1.9 of the Academic Regulations of the University. 

Applications to declare or change programs within the B.A. degree online must be made online through Carleton Central by completing a Change of Program Elements (COPE) application form within the published deadlines. Acceptance into a program, or into a program element or option, is subject to any enrollment limitations, as well as specific program, program element, or option requirements as published in the relevant Calendar entry.

Minors, Concentrations, and Specializations

Students may add a Minor, Concentration, or Specialization by completing a Change of Program Elements (COPE) application form online through Carleton Central. Acceptance into a Minor, Concentration, or Specialization normally requires that the student be Eligible to Continue (EC) and is subject to any specific requirements of the intended Minor, Concentration, or Specialization as published in the relevant Calendar entry and in Section 3.1.9 of the Academic Regulations of the University.

Mention : français

Students registered in certain B.A. programs may earn the diploma notation Mention : français by completing part of their program requirements in French, and by demonstrating 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. 1.0 credit in French language;
2. 1.0 credit devoted to the history and culture of French Canada;
3. 1.0 credit at the 2000- or 3000-level in the Honours discipline taken in French; and
4. 1.0 credit at the 4000-level in the Honours discipline taken in French.

Students in a B.A. program must present:

1. 1.0 credit in advanced French;
2. 1.0 credit devoted to the history and culture of French Canada;
3. 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 (Items 3 and 4, 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.

Admissions Information

Admission Requirements are for the 2025-26 year only, and are based on the Ontario High School System. Holding the minimum admission requirements only establishes eligibility for consideration. The cut-off averages for admission may be considerably higher than the minimum. See also the General Admission and Procedures section of this Calendar. An overall average of at least 70% is normally required to be considered for admission. Some programs may also require specific course prerequisites and prerequisite averages and/or supplementary admission portfolios. Higher averages are required for admission to programs for which the demand for places by qualified applicants exceeds the number of places available. The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program by program basis. Consult admissions.carleton.ca for further details.

Note: Courses listed as recommended are not mandatory for admission. Students who do not follow the recommendations will not be disadvantaged in the admission process.

Admissions Information

Admission requirements are based on the Ontario High School System. Prospective students can view the admission requirements through the Admissions website at admissions.carleton.ca. The overall average required for admission is determined each year on a program-by-program basis. Holding the minimum admission requirements only establishes eligibility for consideration; higher averages are required for admission to programs for which the demand for places by qualified applicants exceeds the number of places available. All programs have limited enrolment and admission is not guaranteed. Some programs may also require specific course prerequisites and prerequisite averages and/or supplementary admission portfolios. Consult admissions.carleton.ca for further details.

Note: If a course is listed as recommended, it is not mandatory for admission. Students who do not follow the recommendations will not be disadvantaged in the admission process.

Admission Requirements

Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) (Honours)
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

First Year

For B.A. and B.A. (Honours)
The Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent including a minimum of six 4U or M courses. The six 4U or M courses must include a 4U course in English (or anglais). Applicants submitting an English language test to satisfy the requirements of the English Language Proficiency section of this Calendar may use that test to also satisfy the 4U English prerequisite requirement.

Biology
For the major in Biology in the B.A. program, in addition to the 4U English, a 4U course in Chemistry is required. Advanced Functions, and Calculus and Vectors are recommended.

Criminology and Criminal Justice
Access to the CCJ B.A. degree is limited to students already registered in the CCJ B.A. Honours who apply to transfer, and to graduates of the Algonquin College Police Foundations program.

Advanced Standing

Applications for admission beyond first year will be assessed on their merits. Applicants must normally be Eligible to Continue in their year level, in addition to meeting the CGPA thresholds described in Section 3.1.9 of the Academic Regulations of the University. Advanced standing will be granted only for those subjects assessed as being appropriate for the program and the stream selected.

Co-op Option

Direct Admission to the 1st Year of the Co-op Option
Co-op is available for the following Majors in the B.A. (Honours) degree: Anthropology, English, Environmental Studies, European and Russian Studies, French, Geography, Geomatics, History, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology.

Applicants must:

1. meet the required overall admission cut-off average and prerequisite course average. These averages may be higher than the stated minimum requirements;
2. be registered as a full-time student in the Bachelor of Arts Honours with one of the majors listed above;
3. be eligible to work in Canada (for off-campus work placements).

Meeting the above requirements only establishes eligibility for admission to the program. The prevailing job market may limit enrolment in the co-op option. Students should also note that hiring priority is given to Canadian citizens for co-op positions in the Public Service Commission.

Note: continuation requirements for students previously admitted to the co-op option and admission requirements for the co-op option after beginning the program are described in the Co-operative Education Regulations section of this Calendar.

Advanced Standing

B.A. and B.A. (Honours) Program

Applications for admission to the second or subsequent years will be assessed on their merits. Advanced standing will be granted only for those courses that are determined to be appropriate.