Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Bioinformatics

at Lakehead University - Thunder Bay Campus Canada

Outdoor recreation plays an increasingly important role in our contemporary lives, contributing to our health, family cohesion, enrichment of culture, environmental appreciation, and economic development. Our Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism program is the only one of its kind in Canada due to our integration of both theoretical and applied perspectives.

With mountains, lakes, and trails at our doorstep, our program takes advantage of this unique terrain as well as our campus’ proximity to world-class kayaking, climbing, hiking, and other recreational pursuits that are ideal for the practical experience required to excel within the discipline. Our field trips and outdoor schools take place locally and expose you to a variety of landscapes, weather patterns, and populations preparing you to work in any environment.

Many of our courses involve interaction with experts in the field as well as technological elements such as geographic information systems, computer programs and multimedia/video. It is our goal to prepare you for success in this challenging and rapidly changing industry, from planning and leading guided tours to assessing and creating visitor experiences for communities and parks organizations.

Indigenous Learning is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural department open to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. Borrowing from subjects including history, geography, anthropology and sociology, this program will examine societal structures and the ways the Indigenous population relates to mainstream populations in Canada.

Throughout our programs we aim to enhance your awareness of Aboriginal life experiences, culture and political issues. We focus on the current reality of Aboriginal Peoples as opposed to the traditional, anthropological approach. While history is a component of your Indigenous Learning studies, it will be within the context of lived implications in order to challenge assumptions and mistaken understandings about Aboriginal Peoples.

As a student you will learn:

• Archival research
• Census data analysis
• Cultural awareness
• Government record analysis
• Critical thinking skills
• Written and oral testimony and communications

Women's Studies
The field of Women’s Studies has transformed dramatically since its introduction to Lakehead University in 1990. Alongside women’s experiences and gendered systems, you will examine elements of:

• Sexuality
• Queer Theory
• Law
• Masculinity
• Transnational Activism
• Ecofeminism
• Social Justice
• Pop Culture
• Embodiment

Through these topics and more, it is our goal to demonstrate how people are constrained by various ideological notions and how these notions can be challenged to facilitate equality.

The sustainability of our environment and natural resources is a pressing 21st century issue. Our Honours Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Economics program combines the academic structure of an economics degree with the scientific depth of an environmental science degree to help you understand how economic activity impacts the world around us. In light of growing concerns of climate change, Environmental Economists are in high demand in an effort to improve management strategies.

As a Resource and Environmental Economics student, you will examine resource allocation and decision-making processes with respect to policies related to water quality, air pollution, waste disposal, and climate change. The natural resources component of the program will focus on the economics of resource extraction, resource depletion, and sustainability.

Our program combines fundamentals from the following disciplines:

• Economics
• Environmental Studies
• Mathematics
• Political Science
• Biology
• Philosophy
• History

Much like the economy, the environment and the discussion surrounding is constantly evolving. New theories and topics are always emerging in the field, making Resource and Environmental Economics a very exciting and ground-breaking discipline.

Psychology
Psychologists share a desire to make a positive contribution to human welfare through understanding and influencing the thoughts, emotions, and behaviour of individuals. They are concerned with what motivates us, what social, physical, and biological factors affect us, and what makes us unique.

Our multidisciplinary approach to Psychology provides you with the opportunity to explore these topics and the inner workings of the brain through either an Arts or Science stream, depending on your academic interests. Whichever stream you choose, you will graduate with the objective tools to develop theories, test them through scientific experimentation, and develop new knowledge through comprehensive research methods.

The breadth of study within our Psychology program is what sets Lakehead University apart. Throughout your undergraduate degree, you will gain at least one credit of exposure to all elements of the disciplines and sub-fields including Biological, Cognitive-Affective, Individual, Social, Abnormal, and Developmental, in addition to your stream electives.

Women's Studies
The field of Women’s Studies has transformed dramatically since its introduction to Lakehead University in 1990. Alongside women’s experiences and gendered systems, you will examine elements of:

• Sexuality
• Queer Theory
• Law
• Masculinity
• Transnational Activism
• Ecofeminism
• Social Justice
• Pop Culture
• Embodiment

Through these topics and more, it is our goal to demonstrate how people are constrained by various ideological notions and how these notions can be challenged to facilitate equality.

Political Science
Government policies influence virtually every aspect of our lives, from housing to education to crime. Our Political Science program studies the institutions, ideas, practices, and power that shape government and policy at all levels. Students will gain a thorough understanding of political systems - with a particular focus on Canadian politics - and overarching notions of freedom, equality, and justice.

Our goal is to provide a well-rounded Political Science education by applying both theoretical and practical modes of analysis to examine sociological, economic, and historical contexts.

If you have an interest in political systems abroad, you will also have the opportunity to explore the politics of America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, you will study:

• International Relations
• Political Theory
• Law and Politics
• Public Administration and Policy
• Indigenous Governance
• Comparative Politics

Women's Studies
The field of Women’s Studies has transformed dramatically since its introduction to Lakehead University in 1990. Alongside women’s experiences and gendered systems, you will examine elements of:

Mathematics seeks hidden patterns that help us to understand life and the complex problems that surround us. This discipline of numbers, quantity, and space can be applied to many fields and industries, from Life Science to Finance. As a student in our Department of Mathematics, you will develop advanced analytical and critical thinking skills in addition to: 

• Research techniques 
• Scholarly writing proficiency 
• Comprehensive understanding of mathematical structures 
• Mathematical proof formulation and solution skills 

Mathematics is a very diverse and intellectually stimulating field of study. In addition to our traditional Mathematics programs, we offer Mathematical Physics and the flexibility to combine your Mathematics degree with a degree in Education, Economics, or Physics. You will benefit from our small class sizes, world-class faculty, unique research opportunities, and the ability to pursue mathematical topics you find most appealing.

The English Department offers MA students a program that best suits their interests and goals. We provide a valuable learning experience to those students interested in the MA as a terminal degree, while also providing those students interested in further study with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue doctoral studies. 

Our MA program offers students the opportunity to pursue their scholarly interests in the way that best suits them, as we offer a number of different program options: the traditional thesis option for those students who want the experience of writing an in-depth study on their topic of choice; a coursework option that provides students with coverage of many fields and the experience of working with a larger number of professors; and a research-project option that combines the two.

We also offer two innovative programs that are unique to Lakehead. The creative-project option allows students to write a creative work, while still engaging in critical analysis of the genre and form in which they are writing. Past creative-projects have included works in fantasy, children’s literature, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Our program also offers a collaborative graduate program with a specialization in Women’s Studies, giving students the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of both departments, to focus more closely on issues of gender, and to graduate with a combined degree, qualifying them for further education in both fields.

As a relatively small department, we are able to offer our graduate students personal attention that larger departments may not be able to provide. At the same time, our faculty members cover the range of periods, national literatures, and theoretical approaches in the field of English literature, and also have expertise in film studies, cultural studies, and new media. Many of our graduate faculty members have won teaching awards and grants, and all are active researchers. They welcome the opportunity to work closely with students in graduate seminars, and in supervisory roles for projects.

Work Experience

We also offer our incoming Canadian students the opportunity to work as a Graduate Assistant (for up to two years). In addition to providing some funding, being a GA provides valuable experience, including the opportunity to teach classes and work one-on-one with undergraduate students.

Lakehead University’s Faculty of Business Administration has one of the finest undergraduate business programs in Canada, producing exceptional business leaders through innovative programming that includes mentorship, consulting opportunities, and participation in national and international business competitions.

A three year Earth Science Major program is offered at Lakehead University. This program is the preferred choice of students who want only a three year degree in one of the sciences, or students who plan to combine their Earth Science degree with another degree to reach their employment goals. The second degree could be a one year degree in Education (teaching), a degree in business (leading to work in the resource based financial sector), or a multitude of other possibilities. The three year Earth Science Major provides the flexibility to obtain a degree in Earth Science in the shortest time possible and move on to your next goal.

This program in Electrical and Computer Engineering satisfies the demand in academia and industry for highly qualified personnel in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The program is directed to graduates from the existing undergraduate Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering programs at Lakehead University and graduates from undergraduate programs at other universities. The program fosters independent research abilities of students. Students will achieve these objectives through a combination of course work and research towards the completion of a thesis.

Current research areas include the following:

• Communications and Networking: Communication and information theory, wireless communications, error correcting codes, pseudo-random signal design, broadband communication networks, network protocols and simulation, Internet, network survivability
• Circuits and Systems: VLSI synthesis, ultra-low power, thermal management, modeling, RF and microwave, electromagnetics, electrical motor drives, power electronic converters, renewable energy systems
• Biomedical: Devices for therapy, imaging, signal processing, e-health care software
• Computers and Software: Power-aware computer architecture, chip multiprocessors, parallel programming, digital ASIC synthesis, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, computer network software, semantic web, mobile services
• Control Systems: Intelligent Control Systems, Nonlinear Control
• Electron Devices and Semiconductors