Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geography

at Lakehead University - Thunder Bay Campus Canada

The field of Gender and 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.

Our Department of Women’s Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to feminism. Our faculty members are prominent in the fields of feminist legal studies, women’s health, queer studies, cultural and new media studies and teach related courses that easily springboard our students into the Masters of Social Justice and related postgraduate programs, law schools across Canada, midwifery, policing, and many others.

As a Women’s Studies Honours student you are free to combine your studies with a joint major in Gerontology, Psychology, History, English, Indigenous Learning, Sociology, Outdoor Recreation, or Concurrent Education, as well as Concentration or Specialization options with Social Work.

Physics is the study of how matter and energy interact in our everyday lives. Our experienced teachers and researchers will provide you with hands-on training that emphasizes problem solving, and the most advanced technology and mathematical methods.

As a Physics student, you will be exposed to cutting-edge information on the following topics:

• Mechanics and Gravitation
• Lasers and Optics
• Electricity and Magnetism
• Quantum Mechanics
• Solid State Physics
• Medical Physics

Our program fulfills a broad, comprehensive understanding of the basic laws of Nature. We encourage a multidisciplinary education and the flexibility to combine your Physics degree with a Co-operative Education option, or additional studies in Mathematics, Geology, Biomedical Physics and Education.

In the Master of Public Health with Specialization in Nursing degree, students will focus on current issues in the science and/or service of public health, so that they may gain experience through opportunities in any of the fundamental disciplines that underlie public health. The program is primarily intended to prepare graduates for a career in public health practice.The program's objectives are to prepare a graduate who:

• Possesses advanced health-related education
• Is capable of critical analysis
• Understands health-related decision-making at the level of the individual, population, and government
• Understands research
• Possesses knowledge exchange and dissemination strategies for individuals, populations, and government

The degree is designed to take into consideration the learner's needs including the unique opportunity to individualize his/her clinical courses to a variety of foci: clinical practice, administration, education, and community health.

The program is delivered using a unique blend of on-campus and distance technology: content is delivered using the University's online distance education course management system (Desire2Learn/D2L), and web conferencing. Students attend lectures via web conferencing; lectures are recorded and archived to accommodate time zones and working schedules. There is no requirement to attend on campus. Web conferencing helps to build relationships with faculty and foster a sense of belonging to an active and engaged graduate student community.

Anthropology is the broad, multi-disciplinary study and documentation of humans, past and present. As an Anthropology student you will have the opportunity to study everything from stone artifacts and skeletal remains, to a community's economic structure and unique dialect. Our Department of Anthropology has four distinct sub-disciplines with many different topics to explore in each:

• Archaeology
• Bioanthropology
• Linguistics
• Socio-Cultural Anthropology

Our courses blend in-class lecture with seminars, labs and field work to provide you with a well-rounded background in both the theoretical and practical applications of your area of interest. You will have access to world-class laboratories and anthropological collections which have contributed to groundbreaking findings and been utilized by some of the foremost leaders in the field.

Our Department of Anthropology is widely recognized as a leader in undergraduate research and for producing world-class Anthropologists. Our faculty members are leaders in their respective field of study and regularly work with undergraduate students on special topics courses and projects. Our students have published papers and presented their findings at national archaeological conventions across Canada, with most of them winning a place on the podium for their innovation.

A student may enter, proceed in and graduate from the Honours BA program in accordance with stipulations of the University Regulations section and Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies Faculty Regulations section of the Calendar. All course choices in fourth year must be approved by the department. For more information Click On

We have a range of laboratories housing world-class equipment, integral to research across the region. You will have access to these resources including:

• Environmental Archaeology & Paleoecology Laboratory
• LU GIS Laboratory
• LU Instrumentation Laboratory
• LU Map Library
• LU Paleo-DNA Laboratory
• Physical Anthropology Laboratory
• Zooarchaeology Laboratory

Biology is the study of plants, animals and the diversity of life in an evolutionary context. As a Biology student you will gain insight into how organisms interact, how genes are inherited, how creatures evolve and much more. Our programs are practical and hands-on with research and fieldwork opportunities in almost every course to enhance in-class learning.

You will be exposed to the central aspects of Biology including:

• Form and Function
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Evolution
• Biodiversity
• Systematics
• Ecology and Environmental Biology 

You have the freedom to study Biology in a way that suits your career aspirations. You may choose courses that will prepare you to become a professional biologist, or you can combine your biological studies with a major in Chemistry, Geography, Environmental Studies or Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism.

Geography is the study of spatial patterns and processes on Earth's surface and the relationship between society, populations and the environment. Our Geography programs focus on physical geography, dealing with spatial aspects of land, water and the atmosphere, as well as human geography which explores the cultural, political and economic forces behind the distribution of human activities.

As a Geography student you will spend the first two years building a foundation of knowledge in a wide spectrum of geographical themes which examine:

• Where populations and activities are located on Earth
• When and why physical and environmental patterns change
• The impacts these changes have on human and physical environments
• The responses to these impacts

In your final two years of study you may specialize in a particular area including:

• Climate change
• Glacial Processes
• Soil Analysis
• Conservation
• Natural Hazards
• Water Resource Management
• Sociocultural Geography

Our courses reflect the breadth of the discipline, as well as geographical techniques and research methods including digital photogrammetry, remote sensing, soil and water testing and geographic information systems (GIS).

Historians seek to bring the past to life with the understanding that what we know of the past is not static but constantly evolving. The study of history encompasses all aspects of human experience in all parts of the world, and recognizes that the lives of ordinary people are as full of interest and significance as those of famous leaders. Students of history become involved in the process of creating a shared understanding of past events, but also pursue areas of history which are relevant to their own concerns.

Our Master's program specializes in Canadian, European, and World History and offers the option of a Major Research Project/Paper, Course-Work, or Thesis Program. It provides an excellent preparation for further graduate studies at the Ph.D. level.

Economics is a social science dedicated to the study of decision-making under scarcity, and the factors that influence wealth. Economics involves financial topics and broader historical, sociological and cultural topics ranging from the individual (microeconomics) to governments, industries and central banking (macroeconomics). This extensive and multidisciplinary study of the economy is what sets it apart from other seemingly similar topics such as Business or Finance.

As an economics student you will gain insight into the long-term effects of policy on communities by studying:

• Resource Allocation
• Current Policy Debates
• Statistics
• Economic Theory
• Incentives
• Econometrics
• Decision-Making 

You will also gain a marketable edge through field and speciality courses focused on labour, natural resources and industrial organisation. The natural ebb and flow of the economy means that economics is a changing and dynamic field. Our continually updated course content reflects new theories, information and current events impacting the Economics field. Mathematics is a large component of many of our Economics courses; therefore, our recommendation is that you have some knowledge and skill in the area.

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

Are you interested in a Bachelor of Arts, but feeling uncertain as to which program is right for you? Lakehead Arts One allows you to explore a range of disciplines from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities without having to select a particular major until the end of your first year. 

University is a time for exploration – Lakehead Arts One allows you to take a mix of different courses throughout your first year to uncover your true passion. You will have the opportunity to choose courses from a variety of arts-based disciplines including: 

• Anthropology 
• English 
• History 
• Indigenous Learning 
• Languages 
• Music 
• Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism 
• Philosophy 
• Political Science 
• Sociology 
• Visual Arts 
• Women's Studies 

To compliment this flexibility, you will also meet with a dedicated advisor who will help you discover your interests,career goals, and majors that suit your aspirations. Additionally, our Department holds workshops on exploring program options, and monthly coffee talks with faculty members to learn more about your options. 

As you near the end of your first year at Lakehead University, you will be ready to confidently select the program and major that is best suited to you.

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.