Mature Applicant

Admission Requirements

A Mature Applicant is an applicant who satisfies all of the criteria listed below:

  • is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
  • does not meet the normal admission requirements (as published in the Undergraduate Calendar);
  • has been away from full-time studies for a minimum of two calendar years; and
  • has not attended a university or college as a full-time student.

Mature applicants must fulfill all necessary program prerequisites before applying. Mature applicants must have:

  • secondary school graduation in an academic program (required average will vary according to program); or
  • completed, as a Special Student at Carleton University, one appropriate full credit (or two half credits) with a C- or better standing in the first attempt (or in both of the first two half credit attempts); or
  • other academic or work experience which, in the opinion of the admissions committee, indicates a likelihood of success at university.

Mature applicants must submit the following:

  • Biographical information (approximately 500 to 1000 words outlining what you have been doing since leaving full-time studies, your goals, what you expect to gain from a university education and why you feel you will be successful in your studies)
  • Transcript of secondary studies and/or most recent studies.
  • Note: Mature applicants are not normally considered for admission to Public Affairs and Policy Management, Music, Journalism, Commerce or International Business.

The Application Process

1

Check application deadlines and requirements

Mature applicants must fulfill all necessary program prerequisites before applying. Mature applicants must have:

  • secondary school graduation in an academic program (required average will vary according to program); or
  • completed, as a Special Student at Carleton University, one appropriate full credit (or two half credits) with a C-  or better standing in the first attempt (or in both of the first two half credit attempts); or
  • other academic or work experience which, in the opinion of the admissions committee, indicates a likelihood of success at university.

Mature applicants must submit the following:

  1. Biographical information (approximately 500 to 1000 words outlining what you have been doing since leaving full-time studies, your goals, what you expect to gain from a university education and why you feel you will be successful in your studies)
  2. Transcript of secondary studies and/or most recent studies. Mature applicants are not normally considered for admission to Public Affairs and Policy Management, Music, Journalism, Commerce or International Business. The admissions committee reviews all applications on an individual basis. Admission requirements vary by program.

The general application deadline for admission to Carleton University for the fall term (September to December) is June 1, 2025. Please note, some programs have earlier application deadlines.

Notes:

The deadline to apply for admission to Carleton University for the winter term (January to April) is November 15, 2024. Only a limited number of programs permit entry in the winter term. Please see the January Admissions webpage for program availability.

2

Apply online and track application

Applicants who have or are currently taking Carleton credit courses as Special Students should apply directly using our online application for Carleton students on Carleton 360. Applicants who have never studied at Carleton should apply online at the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) website.

You are required to reveal all previous secondary and post-secondary studies (whether they were successfully completed or not) when completing the application for admission.

Within five days of submitting your application, you will receive an email confirming that we received your application. This email will contain your Carleton applicant number and MyCarletonOne (MC1) username, and will also provide you with important details on how to check the status of your application.

With your MC1 username you can access Carleton 360 and check the status of your application at any time. If we are missing documents or need more information to process your application, we will post this information on Carleton 360. Be sure to check your application frequently and contact us with any questions you may have.

3

Send in additional documentation before deadlines

Through the admissions portal in Carleton 360, you will be able to view any additional documents necessary for your application assessment. You can also upload a .pdf version of any requested documents directly to your application.

If official documents are required, they can be sent directly from the institution to Carleton University at:

Admissions Services
Carleton University
315 Pigiarvik (ᐱᒋᐊᕐᕕᒃ)
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa ON K1S 5B6

Please do not send duplicate documents until you have confirmed with Admissions Services that additional copies are required.

If you’re applying to a program with specific application requirements, you’ll also be required to provide additional documentation to support your application.

If your first language is not English, you will be asked to prove your language proficiency.

4

Receive admission decision

You will receive an admission decision within four to six weeks upon review of your most recent grades. If you are admitted, you can view your full offer package through Carleton 360 by clicking on the View Offer Details link on the application page. Important information about your degree program and more are included with your offer. Any conditions associated with your offer will appear in your offer letter. Please review the conditions carefully and contact us if you have any questions.

5

Accept your offer of admission

If you receive an offer of admission and wish to accept, you must do so by the date indicated on your offer letter in order to reserve your space in the program. To accept your offer of admission, go to the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre website.

Students coming into first year who have not been offered guaranteed residence can still apply here. Applications will be considered and spaces will be offered in waitlist order, as they become available.

Once you accept your offer of admission, the next thing to do is plan your registration.