Master of Arts in Sociology (Thesis-Based)

at Lakehead University - Thunder Bay Campus Canada

Lakehead University’s Faculty of Education is one of Canada’s most diverse and innovative centres of learning. We’re leading the way in teacher education through our commitment to the very best in multidisciplinary, collaborative, and experiential instruction.

Concurrent Education allows you to start your teaching career faster and earn two degrees at the same time. Study the program of your choice, while also taking classes within the Faculty of Education, before spending two years exclusively with the Faculty of Education in order to qualify for certification by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).

Our program emphasizes practical learning through placements, practicums, community engagement, and international opportunities to ensure you are fully prepared to enter into the workforce post-graduation.

With programs in two campus locations - Thunder Bay and Orillia - our Education program will provide you with the expertise you need to develop as an educator, and prepare you for the dynamic and rewarding profession of teaching today.

Social Work is a dynamic and growing profession that provides vital services to individuals, groups, families and communities that enhance well-being and facilitate positive change. Social Workers believe in the dignity and worth of each human being and the potential of all persons for continued growth and development throughout their life span.

The profession of Social Work encompasses a large spectrum of roles that include advocating for social justice, providing counseling and support services and developing social policies to assist marginalized populations. Social Workers assist clients with accessing resources and strengthening personal coping skills, while addressing larger socio-political-economic issues.

Our program is fully accredited by the Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) and provides students with an opportunity to learn the necessary knowledge and skills to begin a career as a professional social worker. We are committed to you -- our students -- through the use of small classes, innovative teaching methods and outstanding placement settings

Our courses blend in-class learning with field practice opportunities in supervised human service organizations. You will work in settings that include:

• Community Counselling Agencies
• Children’s Mental Health Services
• Addiction Recovery Facilities
• Medical Hospitals
• Correctional Facilities
• Elementary or Secondary Schools
• Advocacy Organizations

As part of the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, our Forestry program will provide you with a background in the biological, social and operational fundamentals of forestry and its relationship to our ecosystems. You will gain the business skills, scientific expertise and practical experience needed to solve modern conservation and sustainability challenges.

Our Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry shares a common curriculum with the Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management for the first two years.Through a specialization, you will delve deeper into the areas of Forest Management, Forest Health and Protection, or the emerging area of Forest Products and Marketing.

You will be exposed to the high-tech world of modern forest management through the use of GPS/GIS technologies, 3-D visualization, remote sensing with satellite imagery and airborne systems including drone (UAV) technology, and genetic research.

We are nationally accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board, meaning you will meet the academic requirements of membership for a number of professional forest associations across Canada. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to receive your Registered Professional Forester (RPD) designation and become a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry.

Co-op Placement:
During your undergrad you will have the opportunity to participate in our co-operative education program to gain rewarding experiences in the industry and acquire practical skills that go beyond typical fieldwork and research opportunities.

Certification:
Our Honours Bachelor of Forestry degree is nationally accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board, meaning you will meet the academic requirements of membership for a number of professional forest associations across Canada. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to receive your Registered Professional Forester (RPD) designation and become a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry.

As a student in our School of Kinesiology you will study the science of human movement, physical activity, and their relationship to health, well-being and performance. Our multidisciplinary Kinesiology programs explore how the body moves by studying:

• Anatomy
• Physiology 
• Biomechanics
• Ergonomics
• Musculo-skeletal Injuries
• Motor Development and Control
• Nutrition 
• Adaptive Physical Activity
• Health, Wellness and Fitness

Additionally, you will learn about the psychological, sociological and cultural factors that influence physical activity in all populations. This breadth of study will teach you to work collaboratively as part of an interprofessional team to deliver the best quality of care in diverse healthcare settings. Our balance of in-class and hands-on courses will provide you with the experience necessary to assess movement across the lifespan.

If you are interested in becoming a Registered Kinesiologist, our broad-based learning curriculum successfully prepares you to challenge the registration exam for the regulatory college license requirements to practice in Ontario. 

The Lakehead Advantage

You will gain hands-on assessment experience from day one through a series of applied, lab-based courses and through our Practice of Kinesiology applied courses. Multiple small lab sections allow for considerable one-on-one time with professors and fellow students. 

We have academic advisors exclusively for the School of Kinesiology who are available to all students at any point during the year. It is our goal to ensure you receive the guidance and mentorship necessary to achieve the utmost success with your undergraduate degree and beyond. 

We are one of few Kinesiology programs in Canada with a formalized co-operative program for our undergraduate students. Applications are due before Christmas break in second year. Successful applicants are required to complete a minimum of 4 four month paid work terms.   Following successful completion of the work terms students will return to complete the final academic year in the program.. This practical experience gives you a competitive edge when entering the workforce or pursuing professional certifications.

Computer science plays a leading role in modern society, shaping our abilities and our future. From streaming music to planning a mission to Mars, the application of computer science offers innovative approaches to new challenges.

Think big as you explore the world of computer science while engaging in one of two focused program streams in Business or Science. The Business Focus provides a path to the Entrepreneurship Certificate from the Faculty of Business, whereas the Science Focus emphasizes Science and Environmental Science electives.

Experience high-tech labs and classrooms, access to a 240-core high performance computer Linux cluster, a stunning 3-D virtual reality lab, and learn about the latest advances in game programming, mobile computing, health informatics applications, big data, and cloud computing.

The Department of Sociology is committed to fostering the development of socially responsible citizens of the world. We offer a graduate program dedicated to enhancing students' knowledge of the societies in which they live, while increasing their ability to think independently and critically about important social issues.

MA in Sociology: Gerontology Specialization

The Gerontology Program collaborates with five departments including Sociology, to provide students with an innovative, interdisciplinary learning perspective. Students have the opportunity to access multifaceted resources and work together with complementary disciplines.

Research and theory in Gerontology is reviewed, and the thesis or major project taken in the collaborating academic unit will have a gerontological focus.

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).

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. Graduates with a BA, HBA or Concurrent Education degree majoring in English have a number of good reasons to continue their study of literature with us.

Innovative and Traditional Program Options
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 Gender and 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.

MA English: Gender and Women's Studies Specialization
The Department of Gender and Women's Studies at Lakehead University is dedicated to furthering an understanding of the importance of gender as a category of analysis in scholarly inquiry. Through interdisciplinary instruction, students will critically assess the relevance of existing models of knowledge in reflecting gendered experience and scholarship.

The aim of the program is to encourage the development and integration of gendered teaching, learning, and research within the university community and the community at large. This Collaborative Master's program allows students to combine advanced disciplinary research with gendered scholarship from the interdisciplinary field of Gender and Women's Studies. Upon completion of the program, the degree awarded specifies the discipline of the participating academic unit and notes the Specialization in Gender and Women's Studies.

The Faculty of Education at Lakehead University offers a Master of Education program designed to meet your professional and academic goals and interests. Our Master of Education (MEd) program provides you with a unique learning opportunity, which addresses the current landscape of both education and research. Our program consists of two distinct fields of study, Educational Studies and Education for Change.

Our Educational Studies field offers you the opportunity to earn your Master's of Education while studying educational research, theory, and practice in a variety of educational contexts, as well as the chance to specialize in Gerontology or Women's Studies.

All class sizes are small, giving you the opportunity to interact with classmates, instructors, and other faculty members. Our Faculty members have expertise in a wide variety of areas; for more information about our faculty and their research areas, please see the Faculty and Staff page.

We are also the home of two Canada Research Chairs (in Environmental Education, Arts Integrated Research), the Centre for Place and Sustainability Studies, the Multi-Data Convergence Laboratory, and the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education.

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