Carleton University

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!

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.

• UniSA academic transcript
• Passport
• Evidence of English proficiency (if applicable)
• In order  of priority, a  list of ten Carleton courses the  student would  like  to  be  registered  in,  including  course  titles  and  course codes.
• Portfolios must be included for students applying for courses in Architecture, Industrial Design and Interactive Multimedia Design (IMD)
• An auditions required for performance courses in Music

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: 

• 2.0 credits is equivalent to 18 UniSA units 
• 1.5 credits is equivalent to 13.5 units 

Test date should be no more than 24 months prior to application. 
 
Undergraduate exchange requirements:

• Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) 86 (minimum of 22 in writing and speaking and 20 in reading and listening) 
• IELTS 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in each band) 
• CAEL 70 
• CEFR  Level C1 or C2 

Postgraduate exchange requirements:

• Internet Based TOEFL (iBT/Next Generation) 100 (minimum of 25 in writing, speaking, reading and listening) 
• PaperBased TOEFL (PBT) 580 
• IELTS  8.0 (minimum 7.5in each band) 
• CAEL 70 
• CEFR Level C2 
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)(Academic): 60 overall (minimum 60 in each Communicative Skill) 

Find courses at Carleton University

See here for courses that are NOT available for exchange.

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: 

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.