Approved Programs
New undergraduate and graduate for-credit degree programs that have been approved by the Quality Council on or after September 1, 2011 are detailed in this database, which can be searched in multiple ways: by university, year, program level and/or keyword.
Program Approvals: Lakehead University
The Graduate Diploma in Management provides early and mid-career learners with an opportunity to develop business and management skills through four courses from the MBA program. This flexible program includes core management courses and two electives selected to meet the specific learning needs of individuals who wish to build management competencies, but may not be ready to commit to a degree program.
Our Ph.D. program in Chemical Engineering is designed to satisfy the demand in academia and industry for highly qualified personnel in the field of Chemical Engineering. Our students are called upon to perform highly specialized and original research that makes a distinct contribution of knowledge to one of the major focus areas of our program: Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Sustainable Materials, Green Processes, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics, Water and Wastewater Purification, Multiphase Systems, Mixing, and Drug Delivery Processes. Under the direct supervision of our faculty members, our Ph.D. candidates learn to review the state of current knowledge in their research area and devise a new research initiative to contribute to Engineering and Science. Students carry out their research work with objectivity and care. They are expected to publish their results in top-ranked scientific journals and present them at nationally and internationally recognized conferences. Our graduates can choose to stay here and become leaders in the booming technology sector of Northwestern Ontario or move on to R&D careers in companies across Canada and worldwide.
The PhD in Mechanical Engineering program is designed for highly qualified personnel interested in a rewarding career in fundamental or applied research. The program involves advanced courses and an intensive research project culminating in a dissertation. The development of applied research skills will also prepare PhD graduates for a career either in or outside of academia in new and traditional fields of Mechanical Engineering including but not limited to manufacturing, design, materials, green energy, mechatronics, and electric vehicles.
The program consists of 8.0 full Course Equivalents (FCE) over four years (full-time): 1.5 FCE elective courses, 1.0 FCE Comprehensive Examination, 0.5 FCE PhD Seminar, and 5.0 FCE PhD dissertation. Students can follow a full-time or flexible full-time model. Upon successful completion of the PhD in Mechanical Engineering, graduates will be able to:
- Evaluate existing theories, techniques and literature related to the specific area of research as well as the broader disciplines of Mechanical Engineering.
- Conduct independent research and show competence within a specific area of Mechanical Engineering through the formulation and execution of an engineering research plan using advanced mathematical, scientific, and engineering concepts.
- Design and execute experiments and/or analytical/numerical analyses, depending on the nature and scope of the course or research.
- Develop novel solutions, and demonstrate originality in the solution to Mechanical Engineering problems.
- Analyze complex issues based on new and established principles and techniques within the discipline of Mechanical Engineering.
- Demonstrate accountability and personal responsibility, and the capability to appreciate the broader implications of Mechanical Engineering on society and environment.
- Communicate ideas, issues and conclusions clearly and effectively through oral and written forms to expert and nonprofessional audiences.
The PhD in Civil Engineering program is designed for highly qualified personnel interested in a rewarding career in fundamental or applied research. The program involves advanced courses and an intensive research program culminating in a dissertation. The development of applied research skills will also prepare PhD graduates for a career either in or outside of academia in new and traditional fields of Civil Engineering including but not limited to structural, fire safety, geotechnical, water resources, construction, environmental and transportation engineering.
The program consists of 8.0 full Course Equivalents (FCE) over four years (full-time): 1.5 FCE elective courses, 1.0 FCE Comprehensive Examination, 0.5 FCE PhD Seminar, and 5.0 FCE PhD dissertation. Students can follow a full-time or flexible full-time model. Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
Conduct independent research and show competence within specific area(s) of Civil Engineering through the formulation and execution of engineering research plan(s) using advanced mathematical, scientific, and engineering concepts;
Design and execute experiments and/or analytical/numerical analyses, depending on the nature and scope of the research;
Develop novel solutions, and demonstrate originality in the solution to Civil Engineering problems;
Analyze complex issues based on established principles and techniques within the discipline of Civil Engineering.
The Master of Nursing (MN) program is a 6.0 Full Course Equivalent coursework graduate program. There are two streams: one for students interested in advanced practice nursing, and the other for students interested in completing the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (PHCNP) program that leads to licensure as a Registered Nurse (Extended Class) Nurse Practitioner.
The program includes a focus on northern health issues, providing graduates with insight and preparation to work with Indigenous peoples, and other diverse populations in rural and remote Ontario, and beyond. Graduates will be prepared to deliver exceptional advanced relational patient care that will both meet the needs and enhance the health of Northern Ontarians. Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
1. Synthesize in-depth knowledge and theory related to advanced nursing practice.
2. Design and implement advanced nursing practice with diverse clients.
3. Demonstrate enhanced skills in critical appraisal and research methodologies to contribute to nursing research.
4. Demonstrate leadership skills to influence change in nursing and health care.
5. Engage in therapeutic relational practice with individuals, families, communities, and interprofessional care providers.
All students will complete 2.0 FCE of core graduate nursing courses. Thereafter, the PHCNP students will complete the 4.0 FCE PHCNP courses offered by the 9-university PHCNP Consortium. The advanced practice students will complete the remaining 4.0 FCE offered by Lakehead University School of Nursing. Students can follow a full-time or flexible full-time model.
The PhD in Health Sciences is a research-intensive program with a particular focus on populations with a greater susceptibility to experience poorer health (e.g., at-risk groups such as seniors and Indigenous populations). The development of applied research skills will also prepare PhD graduates for a career outside of academia. Consequently, a variety of disciplines (e.g., Epidemiology, Gerontology, Kinesiology, Nursing, Physiology, Psychology, Public Health, Social Work, Sociology, and Women’s Studies) across several academic units conducting applied health research are involved in the program.
The program consists of 8 full Course Equivalents (FCE) over four years (full -time): 1 FCE required courses, 1 FCE elective courses, 1 FCE Comprehensive Examination, 1 FCE Research Internship, a PhD dissertation (4 FCE) and a non-credit Research Seminar. Students can follow a full-time or flexible full-time model. Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
1. Discuss and critique current and emerging issues and trends in the field of health sciences,
2. Design, carry out, and defend research at an advanced level to create knowledge relevant to the field of health sciences, and
3. Conduct research and scholarly activities in a way that is consistent with best practices in the field of health sciences.
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, geography and biology to archaeological research. Students from the cognate disciplines will learn about archaeological research and methods in order to more effectively apply their discipline-specific knowledge. Therefore, the degree is both transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary encompassing work in a wide array of research areas, including archaeology, archaeobotany, archaeometry, digital archaeology, archaeochemistry, bioarchaeology, classical archaeology, paleoanthropology, paleoecology, geoarchaeology, archaeoinformatics, archaeological physics, remote sensing, molecular archaeology and zooarchaeology.
The program consists of 5.0 Full Course Equivalents (FCE) completed over two years (full-time): 1.0 FCE required courses, 1.0 FCE elective courses, and 3.0 FCE thesis. There is an expectation that students will undertake or participate in fieldwork and/or laboratory work, create new information that can be applied to a research topic, present their own results and critique those of others, and prepare and defend a research thesis under the supervision of a thesis advisor and committee.
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) Master of Medical Studies (MMS) program is a joint degree program of Laurentian University, in Sudbury, and Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay. Similar to NOSM’s MD graduates, the MMS graduates receive a joint degree from both Lakehead and Laurentian Universities. The MMS program is created to provide an avenue for physicians, already in practice, to learn and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful clinical academics. The MMS is unique in that it is specifically designed with a focus on clinician scientists who work primarily in Northern Ontario or similar rural or remote communities and ask research questions unique to these environments.
Courses in the MMS program focus on relevant training such as quantitative and qualitative research design; bioethics and integrity; critical appraisal; and northern, rural and remote practice. Courses are delivered using NOSM’s unique distributed community engaged learning model and are designed to incorporate socially accountable, community-engaged and clinically relevant research. The MMS is thesis based and includes independent research projects designed to provide students with real-world experience in conducting research. Students present their research annually at two conferences hosted in Northern Ontario by NOSM, Northern Constellations and the Northern Health Research Conference.
The MMS program at NOSM supports the continuing mandate of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada to train clinician scientists who will combine their clinical practice and delivery of medical care with meaningful and relevant research programs.
Designed to develop research capabilities and offer advanced learning opportunities, this two-year program includes courses, a research seminar and a thesis.
The specific objectives of the program are as follows:
a) provide opportunities for students to specialize in specific areas of Chemical Engineering and to participate in ongoing research programs;
b) provide opportunities for practicing engineers to develop as researchers and to contribute to engineering sciences;
c) foster the scholarly skills and independent research abilities of students through advanced courses, innovative applied research, writing of theses and scientific papers, as well as presentations at seminars and scientific conferences;
d) attract outstanding undergraduate students to graduate studies and lay a foundation that encourages the pursuit of doctoral studies in Chemical Engineering and related disciplines;
e) help students acquire skills for future academic careers through their work as teaching assistants and student mentors
The Graduate Diploma in Accounting (Type 3 Diploma) is designed for Lakehead University Honours Bachelor of Commerce students (primarily, but not exclusively, Accounting Majors) who wish to develop graduate level skills and knowledge in the field of Accounting. The Diploma consists of the following courses: Integrative Analysis and Professional Judgement in Accounting; Financial Statement Analysis and Security Validation; Performance Measurement and Control; Ethics, Governance and Audit Quality; and Advanced Concepts in Taxation. The courses will be delivered through face-to-face instruction, facilitation and online elements and will use a case-based approach. The program is full-time over one semester. Graduates of Lakehead’s GDA will be eligible for advanced standing in the Chartered Professional Accountants’ Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) program and receive credit for four of the six PEP modules. Lakehead’s GDA is accredited by the Chartered Professional Accountants – Ontario.