Master in Social Work (Research Project)

at Lakehead University - Thunder Bay Campus Canada

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

Our Indigenous Learning programs attract local students and learners from Southern Ontario, Quebec, the United States and as far away as Saudi Arabia and Norway. Due to our focus on experiential learning, the diversity of the student population helps to provide a broadly-based classroom experience and foster cross-cultural compassion.

The academic and professional pursuit of History is the process of bringing the past to life. The study of History encompasses all aspects of human experience, from wars to celebrity culture, and is constantly evolving as our knowledge and perspectives advance.

As a History student you will have the flexibility to pursue your own interests within the discipline and the ability to regularly collaborate with your professors due to our small class sizes. Our courses provide you with various approaches to the study of History and the necessary skills to analyze any issue within its historical context. You will examine historical topics from North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and South Asia including:

• Aboriginal History
• Digital History
• Environmental History
• Gender History
• International Development
• Political History
• Medical History
• Military History
• Social History

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

The Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead University - Thunder Bay offers a uniquely designed four-year Bachelor of Engineering Degree program in Mechanical Engineering, with a Co-op/Internship option available. The BEng (Mechanical) degree at Lakehead University is accredited through the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).

Lakehead University - Thunder Bay has the only Faculty of Engineering in Canada where, after completing high school, you can earn a Bachelor of Engineering Degree and an Engineering Technology Diploma in four years.

Our Department of Biology offers a graduate program in the biological sciences, under the Faculty of Science and Environmental Studies. Students who successfully complete the program will achieve a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree.

The Department's faculty and adjuncts offer exciting graduate research opportunities in all areas of Biology including studies in association with the following:

• Department of Anthropology,
• Lakehead's Biorefining Research Institute,
• The Northern Ontario School of Medicine,
• The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre,
• The Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute,
• And the Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research. 

The Department maintains modern laboratories and animal care facilities, unique field sites, and access to a wide spectrum of analytical services. Research themes include testing theories of global significance to applications in environmental biology, wildlife management, and human health.

The Course-based Master’s degree (Master’s in Forest Management) emphasizes professional development in forest management, policy, geomatics, and ecology. The degree entails 4 terms of coursework (16 months).  Three terms are on campus and one term, comprised of an internship and field school, is off-campus. The curriculum of this 16-month programme is given below:

First Term (Fall, 2.0 FCE)

• NRMT 5550: Principles of Research Methods & Experimental Statistics
• NRMT 5135: Applied Geomatics

Two half-course electives:

• NRMT 5138: Restoration Ecology, and
• NRMT 5430: Advanced Forest Pathology

Second Term (Winter, 2.0 FCE)

• NRMT 5132: Foundations of Operation Research
• NRMT 5137: Biodiversity Conservation

Two half-course electives from:

• NRMT 4239: Urban Forestry,
• NRMT 4252: Conservation Ecology,
• NRMT 5134: Complexity Science,
• NRMT 5136: Remote Sensing Applications,
• NRMT 5530: Research Methods II: Experimental Design in Forestry Research,
• NRMT 5610: Genetics: Natural Variation & Selective Breeding,
• NRMT 5770: Management and Marketing Strategies,
• NRMT 5815: Environmental Assessment,
• BIOL 4115: Plant Ecology of Disturbed Habitats,
• BIOL 4117: Advances in Contemporary Ecology, and
• ENST 5030: Qualitative Research Methods

Third term (Spring-Summer, 1.5 FCE)

• NRMT 5094: Field School
• NRMT 5100: Internship

Fourth term (Fall, 2.0 FCE)

• NRMT 5570: Advanced Economics
• NRMT 5133: Indigenous Peoples & Natural Resources Management
• NRMT 5810: Natural Resources Policy
• NRMT 5111: Professional Communication

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.

Social Work is a versatile and influential profession that facilitates positive change whether its working to develop social policy, assisting marginalized groups, providing counselling to individuals and families, or promoting social change.

Lakehead University's School of Social Work delivers a generalist undergraduate degree with a northern focus, based on an holistic view of social work practice.

Our courses blend in-class learning with field placements, in settings including correctional facilities, psychiatric hospitals, schools, or child welfare agencies, designed to develop critical thinking, effective communication, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary skills.

As a student at our Thunder Bay campus, concentrations in Indigenous Learning, and Gender and Women's Studies are available to broaden your expertise within the field.

Our program is fully accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education and will provide you with a challenging and meaningful experience, applicable to a range of professional practice settings.

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 Master of Science (Archaeological Science) will provide theoretical and practical knowledge, training, and skills for applying archaeological science to investigate the human past. Students with a strong anthropology background will learn to apply analytical methods from cognate disciplines such as chemistry, physics, geology and biology to archaeological research, and students from the cognate disciplines will learn about archaeological research and methods in order to more effectively apply their discipline-specific knowledge. For this reason, the new degree will be both transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary. Research topics can encompass work in a wide array of research areas, including archaeology, archaeobotany, archaeometry, digital archaeology, archaeochemistry, bioarchaeology, classical archaeology, paleoanthropology, paleoecology, geoarchaeology, archaeoinformatics, archaeological physics, molecular archaeology and zooarchaeology.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences welcomes applications from students wishing to work in a Master's degree program in Mathematics. Graduate students will work on research in the area of expertise of one or more of our faculty members.

Mathematics is a science of pattern and order. It seeks order where there is chaos. It reveals hidden patterns that help us understand many complex problems surrounding us. The study of mathematics develops analytical and critical thinking skills which employers find extremely valuable. Consequently, a solid degree in mathematics can lead to a variety of careers. Mathematical Sciences is the abstract discipline of numbers, quantity, and space. Mathematics may be studied in its own right, or as applied to other disciplines; such as physics and engineering.

The Program will Include:

• Small class sizes and one-on-one time with your professors
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Hands on learning

Current areas of specialization include: Algebra, graph theory, functional analysis, harmonic analysis, numerical analysis, operator algebras, optimization, operations research, partial differential equations, and probability and statistics.