Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights and Social Justice

at Carleton University Canada

Media and communication technologies are engines of globalization, and shape the rapidly changing social, political, economic and cultural environments in which we live. Global media and communication affect how we access, share and exchange information, how we work, and how we see the world and our places in it. They transform relations between states and blur the boundaries (real and imagined) separating people and communities. In this specialization you will explore global media and communication in historical and contemporary contexts, drawing on a range of perspectives that will provide the knowledge and skills necessary for working in global and international settings as communicators, researchers, analysts or advocates.

The discipline of Anthropology offers conceptual and methodological tools to frame the concepts of “culture” and “global” in the context of globalization processes, shedding light on issues such as cultural survival; shifting racialized, gendered, ethnic and national identities; and cultural meanings. This specialization will allow you to use Anthropology to understand globalizing processes as deeply historical and spatially situated and to become conversant with the intersection of globalization with economic inequality, ecological vulnerabilities, colonial legacies, health practices and institutions, and new visions of human rights.

Cinema is examined in Carleton’s Film Studies program as an art form, an entertainment, and a documentary record of our time. Through a variety of critical approaches, you will study the history and aesthetics of film and other moving-image media, the main currents and developments in filmmaking, and the works of some of the world’s best filmmakers. Other areas of study include the documentary and the musical; animation; experimental film and digital media; African, Japanese, Indian, European and Canadian cinema; film theory; film technology; and silent cinema.

You will also examine broader questions of culture and hone your critical, research and analytical skills. Students in their fourth year can also take advantage of the practicum program in which they can get real-world experience working in archival research, film preservation, programming, exhibition or production work at institutions such as the Canadian Film Institute, the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the SAW Gallery. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to express your artistic vision and create audiovisual essays through our “Moving Image Practice” courses.

Real-world software systems, such as massively parallel Internet applications and mission-critical avionics control systems, require robust and provably correct software architecture design. Our Software Engineering program goes beyond teaching simple programming, and instead focuses on modern software engineering principles, tools, and analysis techniques for the design of large and complex software systems.

In the twenty-first century, literature has become one of the most compelling ways to enter into the many cultural worlds that converge in contemporary societies. This BGInS specialization responds to the dramatic rise and transformation of global literatures since the era of decolonization by exploring the following questions: How do writers express experiences of living in multiple national communities? How do we understand colonialism, diaspora and migration through literature? How can we reimagine the study of literature as a transnational and global field rather than one that is bounded by national borders? Building from the commitment of the English department to a wide range of global literatures and approaches, the specialization offers students the rich experience of looking at these literatures in dialogue with other interdisciplinary contexts in global studies.

Our aerospace engineering program emphasizes the development of analytical, computational, and hands-on engineering and design skills related to the aerospace field. The broad range of topics and applications included in this discipline are covered in four main streams: Aerodynamics (aerospace propulsion and atmospheric flight); Aerospace Structures (lightweight vehicles for flight and space travel); Aerospace Electronics and Systems (aircraft control, communication and navigation systems); and Space Systems Design (astronautics and space/satellite technology). All four streams emphasize the development of practical and problem-solving skills based on hands-on laboratory and design work.

Computer Mathematics provides you with a background in computer-related mathematical ideas, plus a strong foundation in computer science. If you want to pursue a career in government, industry, management, or systems analysis, this may be the program for you.

A key feature of the late-twentieth and early-twenty first centuries is the emergence of law as a technology for governing global identities and for framing global issues. Legal recognition and law reform are increasingly relied upon as instruments to both imagine and manage global issues and identities. This specialization focuses attention on this critical facet of globalization. You will learn about the institutional structures, objectives, and history of global law, covering topics such as immigration, trade, human rights and armed conflict.

The Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS) offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to the study of Europe, Russia and Eurasia. You will be able to build a program according to your specific interests, combining subjects such as history, politics, economics, language and culture. You will examine issues such as international security, nationalism and ethnic conflict, crime and corruption, the effects of globalization, migration and multiculturalism, environmental and social policy, democratization and civil society, collective memory and national identity, market reform and European integration. In your third or fourth year, you may choose to take part in an academic exchange in a European country or in Russia and/or co-op employment. In addition to the core academic program, the Institute hosts a number of special lectures by high-profile experts, foreign visitors and embassy personnel throughout the year. An internship program is available to qualified fourth-year students.

Biology 
Biology in the 21st century is among the most diverse and exciting of the sciences. Many of the challenges we face as a society, from climate change to the development of novel health therapies, involve biological solutions. As a Carleton Biology student, you will gain broad experience through core science courses and options that suit your individual interests and needs.

Biotechnology
Biotechnology applies the principles of biochemistry and biology to the study and manipulation of living organisms for industrial, medical, agricultural and environmental applications. Some areas of biotechnology include genetic engineering, metabolic engineering, personalized medicine, drug development, applied microbiology and fermentation techniques, and biological control of insect pests. In the Ottawa area, local companies and government agencies are involved in projects such as biofuel production from agricultural waste, the development of medical diagnostic screening devices, and the development of new anti-cancer and antimicrobial therapies—in other words, biotechnological solutions to real world everyday problems.