Situated on unceded Algonquin territory beside the historic Rideau Canal, an official UNESCO World Heritage Site, Carleton University was founded by the community in 1942 to meet the needs of veterans returning from the Second World War.
Carleton’s proximity to government institutions, libraries, media and a thriving knowledge economy make Carleton a great place to learn and live. Situated on 62 hectares south of Ottawa’s city centre, the campus buildings are interconnected by a network of underground tunnels.
The campus is bordered by the Rideau River, the historic Rideau Canal, and pleasant residential neighbourhoods.
The Student Experience Office organises on and off campus activities, ensuring that new students transition well at Carleton. A list of upcoming activities can be found here.
Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River, in the east of southern Ontario, near the city of Montréal and the U.S. border. The city is bilingual with most residents speaking both English and French.Ottawa is known as one of the most educated cities in Canada, and has the highest per capita concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with PhDs in Canada.There are plenty of activities to enjoy in the city. During the winter months, Rideau Canal is turned into the longest outdoor skating rink in the world, stretching for nearly eight kilometres. As a multicultural city, Ottawa is also known for its superb Lebanese food, Chinese food and Vietnamese food. Off the beaten path, consider a tour of the city’s infamous history with a Haunted Walk of Ottawa city tour.
Canada is a country in the north of North America, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area, and shares the world's longest bi-national land border with the USA.
As a whole, Canada is sparsely populated with the majority of its land area dominated by forest and tundra. Over 80% of its 37.6 million people are concentrated in large and medium-sized cities, with 70% residing within 100 kilometres of the US border. Both English and French are commonly spoken.
Cities such as Montreal and Quebec located in the historically French part of Canada offer a European city experience in North America, along with the opportunity to develop language skills and explore a different culture. Canadians are renowned for being friendly and helpful, and Canada experiences very low crime and a high standard of living. The exchange rate is generally more favourable for Canada than the US, making it more affordable for students.
Canada’s incredible range of natural wonders are perfect for exploring – it has the most coastline of any country, alongside famous mountain ranges, huge lakes, ancient forests, arctic lands, some desert and unique wildlife. Popular natural attractions include the Canadian Rocky Mountain parks, the Aurora Borealis, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Nahanni National Park Reserve, Cabot Trail, Niagara Falls, and Banff National Park.
Did you know…..?
Canada offers some amazing festivals and parties, including the Celebration of Light - the largest fireworks competition in the world. The Toronto International Film Festival is also a must-see for film, art, and media students.
Canada is home to the Rocky Mountaineer, one of the most iconic railway journeys in the world!
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Fall Semester (SP5)
September to December
Winter Semester (SP2)
January to April
All students must meet standard exchange selection criteria and any host institution restrictions.
Please see here for courses not available for exchange students.
Exchange students are welcome to take Journalism courses provided that they show sufficient proof of prerequisites.
Placement tests are required for all students who wish to take language courses at Carleton. Please see here for French language courses, and here for all other languages.
See here for courses that are NOT available for exchange.
A semester long course is worth (0.5) credits, a year long course is worth (1.0) credits. The recommended full-course load for Undergraduate (first year to fourth year) exchange students is (2.0) credits – maximum (2.5) credits – for a semester. For a full academic year the recommended load is (4.0) or a maximum of (5.0) credits.
Carleton recommends 4 courses for exchange students per semester, with 5 courses being the full time course load for domestic students. Carleton further advised that the study of 3 courses a semester is also considered full-time.
Students studying at Carleton on exchange must remain registered in 3 courses (1.5 credits) per term.
Therefore we recommend that:
Test date should be no more than 24 months prior to application.
Undergraduate exchange requirements:
Postgraduate exchange requirements:
Find courses at Carleton University
See here for courses that are NOT available for exchange.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Weather
Autumn/Winter: -7°c to 19°c
Spring/Summer: 9°c to 26°c
Currency
$ Canadian Dollar (CAD)
Local language/s
French | English
The International Student Services Office (ISSO) offers airport pick up if you undertake your exchange in the fall term. You will need to make your own way to the campus from Ottawa International Airport.
Students arriving outside of the Airport Welcome Program hours will need to make their own way to the campus and can consult the Airport Information counter located at Arrivals for transportation suggestions and general information.
More information on how to get to the campus can be found here.
On-campus accommodation are not guaranteed. Students can apply for housing online after receiving their Carleton University student number. Please see here for fee breakdown including meal plans.
For information about living off campus, please review ‘Starting Your Search: Advice and Cautions’. It is recommended that students arrive two weeks prior to the start of the term so that they can check off-campus listings or view the property they have already rented. Students should book temporary accommodations to allow them to perform these searches in person. Carleton is not able to assist in the pursuit of off-campus accommodations.
If you have any questions, please contact Carleton’s accommodation office at accomodations@carleton.ca
As an exchange partner with the University of South Australia, you do not have to pay tuition fees Carleton University, instead you will pay tuition as you would normally at UniSA. Travel and living expenses are at your own cost. The table below gives an indication of costs you will incur:
Items | Approximate Cost (AUD) |
---|---|
Return flights from Adelaide | $2500 |
Health Insurance | $234 per semester |
Accommodation | from $6000 per month |
Meals/Groceries | $350 a month |
Transportation | $150 a month |
Entertainment and incidentals including phone, laundry etc. | $400 to $600 per month |
More information can be found here.
You may be eligible to receive additional grants or scholarships to fund your experience. For more information please see the funding and scholarships website.
UniSA offers travel insurance as part of your exchange for up to 270 days (can be extended up to 365 days). For more information please see travel insurance website.
Please click here to read the travel insurance policy.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
If you have any further questions about travel insurance, please contact the UniSA Insurance Office on 08 8302 1678.
As an exchange student you must purchase additional health insurance (UHIP) as required by Canadian government.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
It is your responsibility to apply for your visa for your overseas study experience. You can refer to the relevant consulate regarding a specific countries visa requirement. UniSA is legally unable to provide visa advise. Please see below links for more information.
Australian Government DFAT brief on Canada is available here.
Canada High Commissions website can be found here.
Carleton University student visa FAQ is available here.
To participate in an exchange experience, you must register your travel with International SOS (iSOS). We will provide instructions on how to do this throughout the process.
UniSA has partnered with iSOS to offer our students medical, safety and security advice, referrals, emotional support and routine and emergency assistance when travelling or living abroad.
For more information please visit the Travel Health and Safety Webpage.
Before your departure, we strongly encourage you to visit the Smartraveller website.
The website contains important information you need to know about travel documents, up to date travel advisories on destinations you may be travelling to on behalf of the University, travel tips and more.
August 1st to go on exchange in SP2
January 11th to go on exchange in SP5
Carleton University is not an exchange partner for a Winter/Summer School. To see other current short-term opportunities, please click here.
Want to know more about studying overseas? Check out our returned student reports.