Forest Sciences
The PhD in Forest Sciences is a research-based program focused on the development of researchers in the field of forest sciences, including, but not limited to the following subject areas:
- biodiversity in forest environments; conservation biology; evolutionary ecology; forest ecology and ecological processes; forest entomology and pathology; forest fire management and ecology; forest management, economics and operations; forest recreation; forest soils and soil conservation; forest genetics and tree improvement; population and community ecology; remote sensing and photogrammetry; silviculture; sustainable forest management; tree morphology and physiology; watershed ecology, forest hydrology and water quality; wildlife/animal habitat management and conservation; and wood science.
For a current list of the PhD core faculty members to contact for doctoral research opportunities, please click here.
NOTE: Students in this program are expected to complete all requirements within a minimum of nine terms (3 years) up to a maximum of twelve terms (4 years) of continuous full-time registration. Candidates must meet a minimum residency of three terms, two of which must be consecutive.
Admission Requirements for PhD
Applicants for admission must be graduates of a recognized university and show evidence of scholarly achievement. Except where otherwise stated in the Admission Requirements of a particular program, students must have a Masters degree or its equivalent with an academic average as specified by the academic unit. An applicant holding a degree other than one in the discipline area to which admission is sought will be considered on the basis of Master's 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 in writing by the Office of Graduate Studies of their admission status.
Program Specific Requirements
In addition to the general admission requirements for PhD programs, the following requirements also apply:
- Availability of a Supervisory Committee for the student
- Normally, an applicant to the program would be expected to have completed a Master's degree in Forestry, related science or an allied discipline; however, students lacking the appropriate background will be required to complete additional courses (up to 2 FCEs at the graduate level) to cover deficiencies as determined by the Supervisory Committee and approved by the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee
- Successful completion of a Qualifying Examination - Qualifying examinations are to be held within twelve months of registration in the PhD in Forest Sciences program. In the case of a graduate student enrolled in a Master's program who requests to transfer to the PhD program without completion of the Master's program, a qualifying examination will be arranged as soon as reasonably feasible; the successful completion of the examination will permit the student to register in the PhD program, otherwise the student will remain registered as a Master's candidate
- Applicants whose native language is NOT English AND who have NOT studied in an English school system for more than three years will be required to present proof of English proficiency by achieving a total score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a score of at least 4.0 on the Test of Written English (TWE)
Academic Fees and Important Payment Information
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.
- An electronic reference form will be automatically sent by email to the references you identify on the graduate studies application form
- This form is requested in support of the applicant's ability to undertake advanced study and research
- For a list of program specific documents, please see this program's Additional Application Information section (if required, see above)
- For information about English test results, please see our Academic Calendar