Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Science and Practice

at Carleton University Canada

Where better to study politics than the nation’s capital? Our location in Ottawa provides you with numerous chances to see politics not only nationally but internationally. You will examine such topics of study as international relations, transitions to democracy, parties and elections, globalization and social movements, and the culture and ideas of politics.

International or local exchanges are an exciting possibility during your third year, and you may also choose to undertake an internship of your choosing, with permission of the undergraduate supervisor. In fourth year, an internship with the Washington Center is an option for consideration.

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.

Earth Sciences
The Earth Sciences program at Carleton offers you the opportunity to study the Earth’s systems, incorporating knowledge from other sciences including physics, biology and chemistry. You will learn about processes (such as evolution, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics and mountain building, formation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and mineral deposits) influential in the Earth’s geologic past that establish our present and future global development. The program offers the opportunity to participate in hands-on field courses that can take you to sites throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

Carleton’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) is a wide-ranging and career-focused program that will provide you with the skills required to succeed in the rapidly changing worlds of medicine, biomedical research and healthcare research. You will gain a strong foundation in the scientific knowledge and methods involved in the study of human health, along with the capacity to engage in broader multidisciplinary, multi-sector, and multicultural approaches to finding solutions to some of the most crucial health issues of our time.

Biomedical Sciences
This concentration provides a strong foundation in the biomedical sciences and allows you to explore the genetic, biochemical, immunological, physiological and developmental aspects of human health. In addition, a broader view of health sciences is gained by addressing current issues from cultural, psychological, technological and environmental perspectives. Training in the dynamic field of biomedical sciences will provide you with the skills needed to be part of the exciting and rapidly changing world of biomedical research and medicine.

Language is an essential part of what it is to be human and this program gives you the opportunity to examine how language works in real life. The field of Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies develops and applies theories to solve everyday problems involving language. Course materials address such questions as how languages are taught and learned, how language competencies are evaluated, how writing is used to perform a variety of functions, how language is used in specific social contexts, how language can influence society and vice versa, how government policies influence language practices and what makes a bilingual education program effective.

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.

From war zones to capital cities, from courtrooms to boardrooms, and in hospitals, police stations, sports arenas and church basements, journalists rush to places where events occur. They ask questions, report what they see and hear, and offer analysis of the changes and issues that shape our society.

As key players in the workings of every democracy, journalists should be well educated, thoughtful, analytical, conscious of the responsibility that comes with their job, and equipped with a moral compass to guide their decisions.

Carleton’s English program ranges from some of the most famous names in English writing to lesser-known authors, taking into account regional, national and global perspectives. You will have a chance to discuss the pressing issues and enduring ideas behind literature, as well as examine the ways in which books spring from cultural contexts and fit into the arc of literary history. You will explore how British and Canadian literary traditions have evolved and how alternative, underground and non-Western voices trouble and enrich those traditions. You may take workshops in creative writing and drama, either as electives or in the context of the department’s concentrations in Creative Writing and Drama Studies. We also offer a minor in Professional Writing, as well a minor in Drama Studies.

Cognitive science involves the study of cognition, perception, and emotion from a wide range of perspectives. Despite the many different methodologies they use, cognitive scientists are united in their interest in the mind—and the brain.

Researchers in our program (students and faculty members) study the mind by combining the methods and theories of five disciplines: psychology, philosophy, linguistics, neuroscience and computer science. This interdisciplinary approach allows unique insights into human understanding, thought, perception, language and emotion.

The Bachelor of Cognitive Science is offered as an Honours program with either a thesis or coursework option, and as a three year degree.

Our students acquire a comprehensive, multidisciplinary understanding of the causes and definitions of crime and criminal behaviour, criminal law and its administration, and social and institutional responses to crime. You will personalize your program by choosing one of three concentrations: Law, Psychology or Sociology. In addition, possible field placements in organizations such as the Crown Attorney’s Office, criminal law offices or the Royal Ottawa Hospital (Forensic Program) give you hands-on experience in real-life situations, including front-line work with offenders, police, victims, and lawyers, to name a few. Other placements can match you with researchers and policy analysts involved in criminal justice and crime prevention. Carleton’s location in Ottawa gives you research and employment opportunities that align with your degree.

Neuroscience is a new, exciting, and rapidly expanding scientific discipline that aims to understand how physical processes in our brains underlie complex functions such as movement, sensation, memory, emotion, consciousness and thought. Faculty and students in Neuroscience are particularly interested in how diseases that affect the brain lead to mental health problems, with the focus of our research including depression, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and concussion. Our research, like our academic programs, integrates information from many disciplines including medicine, molecular biology, psychology, immunology, genetics, chemistry and epidemiology.