The Faculty of Engineering at Lakehead University-Thunder Bay campus offers post-diploma engineering degree programs in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics and Software Engineering designed specifically for graduate engineering technologists. After many years of experience in post-diploma education, Lakehead University’s Faculty of Engineering is the noted expert in post-diploma engineering education. Faculty members teach in both the engineering technology and engineering degree programs, using their knowledge about engineering technology education for the design and delivery of degree courses.

Uniqueness, quality and reputation – that’s why these specially designed programs attract graduate technologists from Canadian colleges, or equivalent, from Victoria to St. John’s, as well as international students.

We are very proud of our programs and our graduates. When you choose engineering at Lakehead, you may be assured that you will receive a quality education. You are personally invited to contact the Faculty of Engineering by telephone, or email. We will put you in touch with alumni, students or a professor in your specific area of interest.  We want to help you plan your future!

LAKEHEAD IS THE NOTED EXPERT AND LEADER IN CANADA ON POST-DIPLOMA EDUCATION

UNIQUE POST-DIPLOMA ENGINEERING DEGREE PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR GRADUATE TECHNOLOGISTS

CONTACT US
WE WANT TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR FUTURE! 

Faculty of Engineering
Phone (807) 343-8010 ext. 8321
For post-diploma inquiries email: ASK ENGINEERING

 
Student Central - Undergraduate Admissions
Phone (807) 343-8500
Toll Free (800) 465-3959
Website: lakeheadu.ca/studentcentral/applying

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What’s unique about Lakehead’s engineering programs?

Answer: Our post-diploma engineering degree programs are unique because they are designed solely for graduate engineering technologists.  In other words, we do not try to “bridge” you into regularly designed engineering degree programs.  Our courses and programs are specifically designed for you. All our degree courses are designed to take into consideration your previous technology education.  For example, the engineering science courses you take in the degree program, such as soil mechanics, thermodynamics or circuit theory, are based on the prior training you received in the comparable technology course.  Similarly, our courses in engineering design use your new knowledge in mathematics, engineering sciences, etc, to provide the creative aspects of engineering design in industrial plants, machines, structures or communications systems.  Our engineering courses extend your technology education to engineering education.

Question:  Why is the program at Lakehead?

Answer: Lakehead University had its roots in technology as one of Ontario’s technical institutes in the 40's and 50's.  When we became a university in 1965, we kept our engineering technology programs and developed unique post-diploma engineering programs.  The University now boasts about its unique combination of engineering technology and post-diploma engineering degree programs.  You could say that history was on our side! 

Question: Are the engineering programs accredited?

Answer: YES.  Each engineering degree program at Lakehead University offered at the Thunder Bay Campus* is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). Graduation from a CEAB accredited program satisfies the academic requirements of the Canadian professional engineering associations.
*Mechatronics Engineering will be evaluated for accreditation after the first graduating cohort.

Question: How long are the Post-Diploma engineering degree programs?

Answer: Each program is a minimum of two academic years (September to April) in length following a series of transition courses taken during the summer prior to the start of the first full academic year of study. You will join Lakehead’s graduate Engineering Technologists in the 3^rd year of the 4-year degree program. It’s simple math:

DIPLOMA + 2 YEARS* = ENGINEERING DEGREE

* Refer to the following question in the case of specialized technology programs.

Question: What if my engineering technology program is in a different area of specialization than the five disciplines you offer?

Answer: Since most engineering technology specialties are very similar to one of our five programs, we are normally able to admit students from most technology programs.  The applicant’s transcripts and the college calendars are examined to determine if core courses are missing in the applicant’s technology program.  If core courses are missing, you will be asked to take “make up” courses from the first and second year of our engineering programs. It is essential that students have the background in the core courses of the program in order to have the knowledge necessary to succeed at the engineering degree level.

Let’s look at an example. Students who are graduates in telecommunications technology are admissible to the electrical engineering degree program.  However in their technology training they may not have studied electric machines or power systems.  Consequently, since we build on prior knowledge from the technology level, these students will be required to study the electric machines and power systems courses at Lakehead University. The make up courses can normally be integrated into the regular program of study. On advice from their Chair, some students take courses such as Complementary Studies in the next Spring/Summer session to accommodate make up courses during the regular academic year.

Question: What are the academic requirements for entry?

Answer: Applicants must have a Diploma in Engineering Technology from a Community College, or the equivalent with; (a) an average of at least 70% (GPA = 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale, B Grade) in the final year of their program, or (b) a cumulative average of at least 70% (GPA= 3.0 on a 4 point scale, B grade) in their program to be eligible for admission consideration.

OR

Applicants must have one or more years of relevant industrial experience acquired after the completion of a Diploma in Engineering Technology from a Community College or the equivalent with; (a) an average of at least 65% (GPA = 2.5 on a 4 point scale, C+ Grade) in the final year of their program, or (b) a cumulative average of at least 65% (GPA= 2.5 on a 4 point scale, C+ grade) in their program to be eligible for admission consideration.

Question: How do I apply for the Bachelor of Engineering Program?

Answer: You apply on-line through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) at www.ouac.on.ca.  You are required to have transcripts from all the post-secondary institutions you have attended sent directly to Student Central-Undergraduate Admissions, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1. Your application can be processed once your transcripts are received. If you have been out of college for one year or more, please include a resume. We do not generally require high school marks.

Question: How can I find out if you have received all my documents and if I have been accepted into the program?

Answer: You will be able to follow the progress of your application online. One you have applied to Lakehead University, you will receive instructions on how to access the online student information portal "myInfo". Through myInfo, you can check the status of your application, including the status of any required supporting documentation. You will also receive a personal Lakehead University email account. Check your Lakehead email account regularly for updates on your application. You will be informed officially once an admission decision has been made.

Question: What will it cost - tuition, books, accommodations, etc?

Answer:  Tuition fees vary by the number of transition courses you will be required to complete and your current status within Canada. Information for tuition & fees is available at www.lakeheadu.ca/current-students/tuition-fees .

The cost of books and related course materials can vary widely based on a variety of factors. Students are encouraged to budget between $1,000 - $2,000 CAD per academic year.

For information on Residence accommodations, and the most recent residence application, please visit www.lakeheadu.ca/residence.

Question: Are scholarships available?

Answer: The University has scholarships specifically for transfer students and a variety of in-course awards and scholarships.  Eligible students can obtain loans (grants where available) for the Summer Transition courses and the regular academic year.  Contact Student Central-Student Financial Aid and Awards for further information. The Faculty of Engineering is currently developing new scholarships to encourage participation for under-represented groups.

Question: What transition courses will I take during the summer months?

Answer: You will be required to take a series of transition courses during the months of June - August. All students are required to take two engineering mathematics courses; Engineering 3021 Analysis A  and Engineering 3022 Analysis B. Students are also required to take two engineering/science courses concurrently with these analysis courses. The engineering/science courses normally taken by students in each discipline are shown below:

Chemical Engineering
Engineering 3016: Engineering Mechanics
Engineering 3017: Electronics

Civil Engineering
Engineering 3014: Engineering Chemistry
Engineering 3015: Engineering Thermodynamics

Electrical Engineering
Engineering 3015: Engineering Thermodynamics
Engineering 3016: Engineering Mechanics

Mechanical Engineering
Engineering 3014: Engineering Chemistry
Engineering 3017: Electronics

Software Engineering
Engineering 3016: Engineering Mechanics
Engineering 3017: Electronics

Question: How are Lakehead University Engineering graduates received by industry?

Answer: Our students have been favoured by various segments of industry because of their ability to contribute to “the firm” sooner than most.  The knowledge and skills of our graduates is attributed to the hands-on experience acquired in college, maturity and people skills developed in industry and the engineering expertise obtained by virtue of their dedication to their program at Lakehead.

Question: How well do Lakehead engineering students and graduates compete with other engineering students?

Answer: Ask any Lakehead University engineering student or graduate that question and you will get an earful of good news.  They are proud to be Lakehead engineering graduates because of their engineering abilities. The employment rate for our graduates is very high and always better than the overall employment market. You will find Lakehead engineering graduates working nationally and internationally as principles and partners in engineering firms, managers for mega-projects, and even on Formula One racing teams.

Lakehead’s Civil Engineering Student Steel Bridge teams consistently rank well at the AISC/ASCE U.S. National Student Steel Bridge Competition (NSSBC). Our 2011 team competed in the 20th annual NSSBC at Texas A & M University and took home the title. They continued Lakehead’s strong track record and winning tradition by placing first overall, as well as first in the categories of construction speed, lightness, and efficiency. The 2011 Steel Bridge Team is the first Canadian team to win first place in the history of the NSSBC.

©Daniela Weaver Photography

In 2002 Lakehead’s all-women’s team of Civil Engineering students placed 2nd at U.S. Nationals out of more than 180 North American universities competing in the 20 regional competitions.

The final year degree project of a Civil Engineering student won second place in the 2007 Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) Undergraduate Report - Individual Competition. The first place in the 2009 (CGS) Undergraduate Report Competition was awarded to three Lakehead engineering graduates.

Lakehead University Chemical Engineering students won in both 2014 and 2015 the annual SNC-Lavalin Undergraduate Plant Design Competition hosted by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE). Our 2014 team designed a hydrogen plant using a new process to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 28% compared to existing plants. The 2015 winning team designed a chemical plant that converted 200,000 metric tons per year of waste plastic into high value hydrocarbons, including gasoline and kerosene. Our CSChE Student Chapter was the recipient of the CSChE Student Chapter Merit Award in 2009, an award they won on 7 occasions. The award is given in recognition of initiative and originality in Student Chapter programming. In addition, two of our Chemical Engineering students were selected to participate in the Canadian Mineral Processors Conference held in Ottawa in January 2013.

Lakehead engineering students are involved in new and exciting initiatives. In 2014 Mechanical Engineering students designed and fabricated a human powered vehicle. Our students placed 5th overall and ranked first of all Canadian University entries at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC). The 2014 HPVC West  competition was hosted by the Santa Clara University, California. A team of Mechanical Engineering students designed and built a radio controlled plane. They competed in the 2015 SAE Aero Design West Regular Class Design Competition against 41 teams from all over the world. Our team placed 25th overall and 5th among all the Canadian entries.

Four Year 3 Lakehead Engineering students won the 2018 Canadian Engineering Competition in Senior Design. The team designed and built a miniature prototype of a fire truck that could race to a flaming building and accurately deploy water bombs at multiple locations. The robot, operated through a wireless controller, had to navigate a 3D cardboard "city" without leaving the road, then extinguish simulated flames by launching ping-pong balls into openings cut into buildings at various heights and angles. In a competition against seven other schools, the apparatus gave the Lakehead team top prize in the Senior Design category. The teams went into the National competition without any previous knowledge of the problem. They had a total of eight hours to solve the problem and create their winning solution.

Using the new Engineering Makerspace, two Electrical Engineering students placed third in Innovative Design at the 2017 Ontario Engineering Competition for their "Graphene Super Capacitor" degree project. They were awarded the Technical Excellence Award at the competition. This discretionary award is presented to an innovative team whose project demonstrates exceptional technical skill and expertise relative to their peers. They also won the 2017 Young Innovator of the Year at the 9th Annual RBC Northwestern Ontario Innovation Awards. Their graphene-based supercapacitor was selected for funding by Highway1, a Silicon Valley hardware start-up accelerator.

A team of two Electrical Engineering students from Lakehead University won the 2014 IEEE Canada Student Paper Competition for the paper “A Novel Analog-Digital Hybrid Synthesizer Sequencer Design” based on their final year project. Our students placed third in the IEEE 2011 Industry Applications Society Myron Zucker Undergraduate Student Design Contest for their project "Maglev Vertical Axis Wind Turbine". Lakehead students won the IEEE-TELUS Innovation Award in 2005, and also received the IEEE 2005 Life Member Award for the best student paper in Western Canada for their work “Stabilization of an Inverted Pendulum on a Mobile Robot”.

Our Mechanical Engineering students won second place in the HVAC system design category of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 2011 Student Design Project Competition.

Three teams of Lakehead’s Mechanical Engineering students competed at the 27th Ontario Engineering Competition (OEC) in February, 2006. All won awards; first place in the Engineering Communications category for the presentation “MicroCHP Applications of Modern Stirling Engines”, second place in Entrepreneurial Design for the project “Composite Leaf Springs” and third in Senior Design. Two of our teams qualified to compete at the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) in March, 2006. “MicroCHP Applications of Modern Stirling Engines” was awarded first place in the Engineering Communications category at this prestigious national competition which featured 150 engineering students and 22 Canadian universities.

A 2006 Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF) Undergraduate Scholarship was awarded to a Lakehead University Mechanical Engineering student. Her presentation “Earth-Friendly Engineering” was featured at Lakehead University’s 2006 Go Eng Girl! event. Go Eng Girl! 2008 featured “Engineering our Water” by a Lakehead Chemical Engineering student, winner of the 2008 CEMF AMEC Aboriginal Undergraduate Scholarship.

Lakehead’s Formula SAE® team competes annually at the Formula SAE® Michigan Competition at the Michigan International Speedway. Our 2009 team won the William C. Mitchell Rookie Award competing against 120 teams from Europe, Asia, South America, and North America. Our 2010 team placed 5th among all the Canadian University entrants. In 2015, our team placed 57th overall and ranked 6th among all the Canadian University entries.

Our Software Engineering graduates are in demand, and our students compete with the best! A recent graduate has been appointed Account Manager with an international company within one year of graduation. Fourth-year students competed against 14 other finalists in the Ontario Centres for Excellence (OCE) Discovery 2011 Connections Competition in May 2011.

Question: Can I work with faculty on their research?

Answer: The Faculty of Engineering is one of the strongest research units at Lakehead University.  Our professors have won Distinguished Teaching and Research Awards. All students are required to take a project course in their final year and many students choose to work on research projects with the faculty member of their choice. Several professors hire senior engineering students during the summer months who work with them on their research.

Question: Does Lakehead have a co-op program?

Answer: Yes, Co-operative Education/Internship Bachelor of Engineering degrees are available to interested qualified students enrolled in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Software Engineering. You must apply for admission to the Co-op/Internship Option in the Fall term of Year 3; engineering students who have completed the fall term of Year 3 with at least a 70% average are eligible to be considered for admission.  Co-op/Internship students normally accumulate 16 months of work experience starting in the summer after Year 3. Work placements are carefully screened so the pre-graduation work term experience is appropriate and aligns with the criteria defining professional experience required for licensure as a Professional Engineer in Canada.

Question: Are there any other options in Lakehead's Engineering programs?

Answer: Yes, a BEng/MBA option is available. Lakehead offers BEng/MBA double-degree programs in the Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Software Engineering programs at the Thunder Bay campus. Earn a Bachelor of Engineering degree and a Master of Business Administration in one additional year, including a Summer term. For more information, see
Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering)/Master of Business Administration – Thunder Bay
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering)/Master of Business Administration – Thunder Bay
Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering)/Master of Business Administration – Thunder Bay
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering)/Master of Business Administration – Thunder Bay
Bachelor of Engineering (Software Engineering)/Master of Business Administration – Thunder Bay

Question: Will Lakehead University’s Bachelor of Engineering degree prepare me for graduate school?

Answer: Our BEng graduates have been accepted to graduate schools throughout Canada. Lakehead also provides pathways for students to continue their education while working closely with faculty members on fundamental and translational research that crosses traditional boundaries at the Graduate level. We offer studies in the following: 

Masters: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

Doctoral/PhD: Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. 

More information about the graduate programs is available on our website.