Inbound Global ME Students (Partner Institutions)

Nomination & Application Process

In order to study abroad at Lakehead University, you must first be nominated by your home institution. The mobility program coordinator at your home institution must contact inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca to have access to the nomination form and submit the following documents to complete the nomination process. 

NOTE: Inbound students wanting to take courses at the Masters or PhD level must first reach out to inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca to discuss eligibility.

• English Proficiency Attestation Letter
• Academic Transcripts (digital copy)

Undergraduate Students: 

Shortly after being nominated, you will receive an email containing instructions on how to complete the web-based application form through our OUAC online system. 

Graduate Students: 

Shortly after your nomination, the Inbound Global Mobility Programs Coordinator will contact you for information on the courses you wish to take, followed by application instructions. As Inbound Global ME graduate students, you may explore one of the following academic course options: 

• Courses at the graduate-level: Please provide the Inbound Global Mobility Programs Coordinator a list of up to 3 courses of interest (per semester) within your current degree discipline. Due to the limited availability of seats in our graduate programs, please note that the courses you have chosen cannot be guaranteed and may not be accessible for inbound Global ME graduate students.
• Courses at the upper-year Undergraduate Level: As inbound Global ME graduate students, you may consider taking up to 5 our upper year undergraduate courses.

Please note that you may not enroll in both undergraduate and graduate courses simultaneously during your stay. For a complete list of academic programs and courses offered at Lakehead University, please visit the Academic Calendar. You can also view a current list of course offerings on the Course Timetables.

Nomination & Application Deadlines

Fall Semester (September - December)
Nomination Deadline: April 30th
Application Deadline: May 15th

Winter Semester (January - April)
Nomination Deadline: September 30th
Application Deadline: October 15th

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please reach out to inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca for support. 

Lakehead University is a comprehensive institution with over 57 academic fields of study to explore. For a complete list of academic programs and courses offered at Lakehead University, please visit the Academic Calendar. You can also view a current list of course offerings on the Course Timetables. The academic course offerings for each year will typically be released in June before the Fall semester begins.

Courses running for one semester are worth 0.5 FCE are equivalent to 6 ECTS / 36 hours of lecture time. Courses running for both semesters (Fall and Winter) are worth 1.0 FCE, which is equivalent to 12 ECTS or 72 hours of lecture time.

NOTE: Restricted programs for inbound exchange students from partner institutions include: Nursing, Law, and most Social Work and Education courses. Master's and PhD level courses are limited and you can inquire further at inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca. 

After being accepted by Lakehead University, students will be guided on how to register for courses. Students wishing to take upper-level year courses will be instructed on how to request special permission to register and must demonstrate that they meet the required pre-requisite knowledge to join the course(s). Inbound students are welcome to take courses in multiple academic disciplines. 

Students coming from exchange partner institutions are not required to pay tuition fees to Lakehead University. However, expenses associated with accommodation, travel, visas, residence permits, health insurance coverage, ancillary fees etc. are the responsibility of the inbound exchange student:

• Ancillary fees vary depending on a student's selected number of academic courses NOTE: Students coming through National Student Exchange (NSE Consortium) will not be required to pay ancillary fees. 
• Guard.Me health insurance is required for every exchange student studying at Lakehead University at the rate of $1.95 per day. All inbound exchange students will be automatically enrolled in the Guard.Me health insurance plan.
• Orientation & First Year Experience Fee is a mandatory fee at approximately $84. 
• Please note: all fees are subject to change without notice.

For any questions regarding student fees or instructions on how to make a payment, please refer to this website or reach out to Christopher Gallinger (International Accounts Officer) at international.accounts@lakeheadu.ca.

Every inbound exchange student will be automatically enrolled in the Guard.Me health insurance plan. The plan costs $1.95 CAD per day, and the charge for Guard.Me insurance will be placed on your student account. Students will receive their insurance card via email once the term has begun. Exchange students will be enrolled in Guard.Me for one or two terms depending on how long they will be studying at Lakehead.

Please note that even if you are insured in your own country, you still must be enrolled in the mandatory Guard.Me health insurance plan. You are not required to purchase additional coverage in your own country unless you plan to travel outside Canada, because Guard.Me does not cover you outside Canada. The Guard.Me website gives more information about the policy.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding Guard.Me please contact guardme@lakeheadu.ca.

Inbound Global ME students are strongly encouraged to live in one of our on-campus Residence accommodations. On-campus Residence is offered at both the Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses. Residence is a great opportunity to connect with other Lakehead students, experience life on a Canadian campus, and engage in many social activities and excursions. 

Thunder Bay Residence

Inbound exchange students (for 1 semester) to the Thunder Bay campus are typically required to stay in Dormitory-style accommodations, which comes with an unlimited meal plan at the Residence Cafeteria. Inbound exchange students who are studying at Lakehead for the entire academic year (2 semesters) are eligible to apply for Townhouse/Apartment-style accommodations, where there is no mandatory meal plan, because you have access to a full kitchen. 

Orillia Residence 

Orillia has one style of Residence in which each student will have their own single room with a shared bathroom with only one other person. Each floor houses 40 single rooms, a laundry facility, kitchenette, and quiet study room. 

Inbound students are invited to attend our International Student Welcome Day event which takes place roughly 1 week prior to the beginning of each term. We are also happy to provide inbound students with a free taxi voucher so they can arrange transportation from the airport to their Residence. We encourage students to refer to the Academic Calendar for detailed information about semester dates. 

For more information about International Student Welcome Day & Arrival support, please refer to the "Before You Travel" section of the International Student Services webpage.

Depending on your country of citizenship, for a 1 semester exchange at Lakehead, you will be required to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. More Information can be found here.

For students coming to Lakehead on a bilateral Student Exchange Agreement (tuition waiver) for 2 semester (i.e. the full academic year), you will be required to apply for a Study Permit, and then an eTA or TRV will automatically be issued to you with your Study Permit. More information can be found here. You will be exempt from obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

Every semester, inbound Global ME students are invited to join various social and cultural activities and events on and off campus. These are student-led clubs that supports and orient new international and exchange students to Lakehead University's campus. Throughout the semester, inbound Global ME students will have the opportunity to participate in different events and social activities and during our Global ME Fair (during the Fall Semester) students will even be able to showcase their home country and university.

If you have any questions, please reach out to inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca for more information.

If your home institution requires you to complete certain documents either before your exchange begins or after you arrive to Lakehead University, please reach out to the Coordinator, Inbound Global Mobility Programs at inbound.globalme@lakeheadu.ca to complete any required forms. If you need to have your document physically signed and/or stamped, reach out to book an in-person appointment to complete this process.

There are two types of documents that we commonly see:

1. Learning Agreement: This document typically contains a list of courses that you are registered to take during your exchange at Lakehead University.
2. Confirmation of Arrival/Departure: This document is typically used to verify that you have arrived on campus, or departed campus by a specific date.