Engineering: Civil

The MSc in Civil Engineering satisfies the demand in academia and industry for highly-qualified personnel in the field of Civil Engineering.

The MSc in Civil Engineering satisfies the demand for highly-qualified personnel in the field of Civil Engineering.  This demand is fueled by the requirements to maintain an aging infrastructure and to maintain and develop natural resources with minimal environmental impact to natural systems.  Sustainability and structural durability and the impact of climate change on civil engineering works have become increasingly important challenges in the field of civil engineering.

This program offers students the opportunity for advanced study and the development of independent research abilities in the discipline areas of construction, environmental, geotechnical and geoenvironmental, rock, structural, transportation and water resources engineering.  Students will have the opportunity to conduct advanced study in emerging areas such as:  intelligent construction equipment management and computer-integrated construction engineering; electrokinetic ground improvement and remediation;  rockburst dynamics and dynamic stability of structures;   structural fire engineering;  structural health monitoring and structural dynamics;  and studies on multiphase jets and plumes and dynamics of complex fluids.  The program requirements are achieved through a combination of course work and research towards the completion of a thesis.

Several laboratories are equipped to support the broad range of advanced experimental research, including a new state-of-the-art Structural Fire Testing and Research Laboratory.  This world-class facility has a large fire testing furnace that allows study of the fire resistance of various large-scale building components, such as beams, columns and floor assemblies.

Research areas include the following:

Construction Engineering
  • Automated construction performance monitoring; Intelligent data collection systems; Greenhouse gas emission reduction in construction; Innovative methods for construction in cold regions.
Environmental Engineering
  • Water and wastewater treatment; Cold regions environmental engineering.
Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
  • Electrokinetic ground improvement; Durability of cement-based concrete; Electrokinetic remediation; Hydrogeological and contaminant transport monitoring and analysis; Waste containment barriers; Hazardous waste site characterization.
Rock Engineering
  • Rock mechanics and mining engineering; Tunnelling and underground excavations; Landslides and open pit slopes; Rockburst dynamics; Structural reliability; Dynamic stability of structures.
Structural Engineering
  • Fire resistance testing of steel, concrete and heavy timber structures; Finite element modelling of structural components subjected to fire; Performance-based design of structures; Building fire and smoke computer modelling; Health monitoring and rehabilitation of civil engineering structures under natural or man-made excitations; Structural dynamics; Vibration and control; Sensors and sensing technology; Earthquake engineering; Experimental studies of steel connections.
Transportation Engineering
  • Design, operational and safety performance evaluation of transportation systems including intersection analysis, capacity analysis, transportation safety studies, transportation software applications and pavement performance.
Water Resources Engineering
  • Experimental and numerical investigations on hydraulic structures; Experimental and numerical studies on multiphase flows; Investigations on non-Newtonian and complex fluids; River modelling; Hydrologic systems analysis and investigations; Drought analysis; Drainage and irrigation systems analysis; Flow through porous media analysis.

Faculty and Research Interests

NOTE: Students in this program must complete all requirements within six terms (2 years) of continuous registration.

Admission Requirements for Masters

Applicants for admission must be graduates of a recognized university, college, or institute as well as show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the Admission Requirements of a particular program, degree students must have a four year bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least second class standing (B) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent.

For applicants from countries that follow a British-patterned grading system, please note:

  • Overall standings are normally reported in lieu of an average. The CGPA can be determined on the basis of annual or overall standings as reported on the transcript or degree certificate.
  • A minimum grade of B, or Second Class, Upper Division, is required.
  • The National Diploma and Higher National Diploma are not recognized for admission to a graduate-level program.
  • Be sure to include a copy of your institution grading scale when uploading your transcripts.
  • An applicant holding a degree other than one in the discipline area to which admission is sought will be considered on the basis of courses taken and academic standing.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission. No candidate will be admitted unless the academic unit recommends admission. All applicants will be advised by the Office of Graduate Studies in writing of their admission status.

Graduate Funding

At Lakehead University, we realize the importance of financial support for graduate students.

Therefore, financial assistance opportunities are available in several forms and are generally awarded to students by individual programs on the basis of academic promise and financial need.

The different funding options available include:

For your convenience, a searchable database of graduate scholarships, bursaries, and awards is provided below. Award eligibility, criteria, and application procedures for graduate funding is indicated for each award. Please use the general search tool to find available funding by program. Alternatively, you may also click the advanced search link to specify available funding by program level, award category and/or award amount.

Although financial support cannot be guaranteed to all graduate students in all programs, we encourage you to inquire about financial assistance with your Graduate Coordinator in your program of study. You may also contact the Graduate Funding Officer in the Faculty of Graduate Studies to learn more about your graduate funding options.

Conditions of Graduate Awards

Graduate scholarships are based on academic merit. Graduate bursaries are based on financial need, although there may be a merit component to the bursary. Where the award designates that an application is required, only those students who have submitted the specified application by the deadline will be considered for those awards. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Only successful applicants will be notified.

Recipients of scholarships, awards and bursaries must be registered in order to receive funding. Graduate awards are applied to any outstanding balance on the student's account. Students are entitled to their awards only after their fees are paid in full. Only students with credit account balances will be refunded the balance of the overpayment. Overpayment refunds of these awards will be issued at the end of September, January and May each year.

The University reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the terms, conditions and award values listed in this section and in the University Calendar.

The most up-to-date internal awards and applications are on our new award system MyAwards

Graduate Studies Funding Database

Required Application Documents

Applicants for admission must be graduates of an accredited university, college, or institute as well as show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the admission requirements of a particular program, domestic degree students must have a four year bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least (B) based on their last 20 half courses or equivalent. We recommend that International applicants have an overall standing of Second Class - Upper Division or higher.

Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee admission. The Faculty of Graduate Studies will advise all applicants in writing of admission decisions once they are received from the program. Applicants are encouraged to regularly monitor their Lakehead University email and application portal for the most current information.

The first step in the application process is to complete the online graduate studies application form.

After you have submitted the online form along with the required $125 CAD application fee, you will be provided with an online account where you can complete the remaining steps of the application process which include uploading the required supporting documents and monitoring the status of your application.

Click here to Apply to Graduate Studies

After you have applied 

After you have submitted the online application form, you can access your account here. Any change in your application status will be reflected in this portal.

References
  • References are optional for the course-based program. To remain competitive for a thesis-based program we suggest that you upload at least two academic reference letters in your application
Official Transcript
Proof of Degree
Program Specific Supporting Documents (If required)
  • For a list of program specific documents, please see this program's Additional Application Information section (if required, see above)
Official English Test Results (If required)

Next Steps

Registration Procedures

Before Registering!

Check to make sure all of your course selections are currently being offered by referring to the University Course Calendar and the University Course Time Tables.

University Graduate Studies & General Regulations & Policies