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Program Details
Explore the rich tapestry of the past through innovative and creative approaches – uncovering the events, ideas, and movements that shaped the world we live in today. Dive into topics such as politics, war, revolution, sports, gender, sexuality, and culture, while gaining insight into how these forces have influenced modern life. The Public History concentration gives you the opportunity to develop practical, hands-on skills in the field, examining how history is woven into our everyday experiences—from films and games to music, museums, and the stories passed down through generations.
Our classes foster debate and discussion. We encourage our new students to enroll in a first-year seminar, whose small size and thematic focus provide a friendly environment where students get to know peers and professors and learn the fundamentals of studying History at the university level.
Capital Advantage
There is no better place to study history than our nation’s capital Ottawa hosts more research repositories and museums than any other city in Canada. History courses encourage student research which draws on the rich array of materials accessible from the libraries and archives in the national capital and the Public History concentration gets students behind the scenes of galleries, museums and heritage organizations. Carleton History students benefit from the more than twenty-five years of concerted network building between our department and Ottawa’s heritage community.
Work Experience
Students have the opportunity to participate in Co-op job placements and practicum internships, allowing them to transfer the learning and skills acquired in the History program to the workplace. Through co-op and practicums, students gain work experience, develop professional expertise and make valuable connections with future employers
In recent years, our students have been archival assistants at Library and Archives Canada, helped to declassify and make accessible WWII service records from the Department of Defence, been a part of the heritage restoration of Parliament Hill’s Centre Block building and managed archives for the city of Ottawa. Let us help you get your foot in the door!
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Program Videos
Program Videos
Career Outcomes
Explore your passions, refine new skills and discover the career that’s right for you.
A degree in History at Carleton prepares students to thrive in a number of fields that value the analytical and communication skills learnt here.
Sample Careers
- Administration
- Archaeology
- Archival Work
- Consulting
- Corporate Management
- Education
- Foreign Service
- Government
- Heritage Conservation
- Historical Research
- Information Management
- Law
- Library and Information Science
- Media
- Museums and Historical Sites
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Non-Profit Management
- Policy Work
- Public Relations
- Public Service
- Research
- Sales
- Teaching
- Tourism
Sample Courses
HIST 1302 - Rethinking Modern Canadian History
This course explores how major political, economic, legal, social, and cultural changes shaped modern-day Canada from the late 1800s to the present. It provides context for contemporary issues, including colonialism, redress, reconciliation, race relations, migration and urbanization, globalization, technology, and the environment.
HIST 2915 - History of the Modern Middle East
This survey begins with the Ottoman Empire and how WWI drew the map of the Middle East. It then analyzes some of the key issues that dominated the region in the 20th century such as Zionism, political Islam, wars, and revolutions, including the Arab Spring.
Visit the Undergraduate Calendar to view a comprehensive list of course offerings for this program and discover the exciting things Carleton students are learning in the classroom!
View more courses for this program
The Department of History encourages students to look at the detailed descriptions of courses that will be offered each year on our website. [https://carleton.ca/history/courses/]
Featured Stories
Read exciting stories from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Carleton University Research Opportunity Program (CUROP) is one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had. I was able to pursue my own academic research on the relationship between colonialism and cultural heritage in my family's home country of Malta, under the supervision of an amazing historian, Professor Susan Whitney. I used some of the funding to spend the summer in Malta so I could visit archives and libraries there. It was a great chance learn a bit more about the ins-and-outs of academic research, which really helped to prepare me for graduate school. As a first-generation student, this opportunity has continued to benefit me and I would absolutely encourage all research-oriented undergraduate students to give it a shot.
