We are proud to offer a series of different entry pathways for students to study at the Faculty of Engineering, including our Post-Diploma transfer pathway for graduates of eligible engineering technology diploma programs, and our new online Common Year pathway for students without all the admissions requirements.
Our Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree programs are delivered in-person at our campus in Thunder Bay or the Barrie STEM Hub.
In addition to graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree, Lakehead’s undergraduate students who start in Year 1 also earn an Engineering Technology Diploma after completing the first two years of the program.
Our undergraduate BEng programs* are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).
*Our Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics Engineering will be reviewed by the CEAB in 2027 following the graduation of the first cohort of students.
If students hate to miss your classes, that's a sign you're doing well as a professor.
And if a student compares missing a class to "abandoning a once-in-a-lifetime voyage aboard a golden airship," that's a sign that your professor is Dr. Kathryn Walton.
With that kind of praise, it's fitting that she received her second Lakehead Contribution to Teaching Award in November 2025 (she was granted her first award in 2021).
One student described Dr. Walton as "Lakehead Orillia's very own English-focused Ms. Frizzle. She's just missing the anthropomorphic chameleon and the magic bus."
This is a very special honour because it is students who nominate instructors for these awards, and it's their votes that determine who wins.
Dr. Walton, a professor in the English department at Lakehead Orillia, teaches sought-after courses in medieval literature, children's literature, and the history of English literature.
Literary magic, in particular, is one of her specializations. She's currently working on a book called Literary Magic in Medieval England to be published by the academic press Boydell & Brewer.
"That wonder, that excitement and engagement with the unreal and the supernatural in medieval literature has definitely influenced today's contemporary literature," she says.
A lifelong lover of reading, Dr. Walton says her interest in the link between medieval literature and children's literature was sparked during her undergraduate studies.
"I was just absolutely fascinated by the way in which contemporary literary works have deep roots in the medieval era."
Heroes, quests, journeys, and magic that are common hallmarks of both forms of literature. Pseudo-medieval worlds—think Narnia, Middle Earth, and Hogwarts—abound in children's literature.
Above is the Lincoln's Inn MS 150 manuscript created c. 1400. It features a mix of religious and romance texts from the medieval period. Dr. Walton discusses this book in her class Literary Magic in Medieval England.
In the Middle Ages, many literary works were conveyed orally, rather than written, so they're constructed in a way that appeals to the ear. Children's literature is similar, she points out.
But children's literature is unique in that it offers compelling and brilliantly written stories that are also easy to understand.
"That's incredibly powerful," Dr. Walton says. "Most people can remember books that they read as kids much better than they can remember anything they've read as an adult."
Dr. Walton accepts her 2025 Contribution to Teaching Award. Left to right: Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Dr. Glenda Bonifacio, Dr. Kathyn Walton, Lakehead Orillia Principal Dr. Linda Rodenburg, and Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Dr. Jennifer Jarman.
A mastery of Middle English, Old English, and Latin is essential for any expert in medieval literature. Of the three, Middle English is the closest to modern English.
"I tell my students to squint and ignore the extra vowels," she laughs.
Being proficient in these languages allows Dr. Walton to bring more insight to her classes.
"Reading texts in the original language is invaluable. It helps readers appreciate a specific poetic structure that doesn't come through in translation, and grasp the culture of the time through archaic words."
Freke, for instance, means "knight."
Getting students fired up about diverse forms of literature drives Dr. Walton's teaching approach.
"I give students a lot of space to talk about what they're interested in and what they find good or bad about whatever we're reading," she explains.
"Then I give them the historical context to understand the text and to inspire them to make new connections—to themselves and to the material."
"In contemporary literature, magic is often splashy, with fireworks and explosions while in medieval literature, magic is more subtle but infused with a sense of wonder," Dr. Walton says. Right, a 13th-century illustration of Merlin dictating his prophecies to his scribe, Blaise.
Ingenious assignments further enrich students' comprehension.
For example, she'll ask students to transcribe a character from children's literature, such as Peter Pan, into contemporary realist fiction to show how the character would operate in the modern world.
"This allows them to use their brains in a different way because to write a character, you really have to know them."
Or, students may try their hand at writing a sonnet, sixteenth-century style, to truly come to grips with this form of poetry.
Dr. Walton's imaginative and immersive teaching continues to win her new fans, as well as Contribution to Teaching Awards.
"It's always extremely rewarding to know that students value my teaching and the experiences that they have in my classroom," she says.
If you'd like to dive into medieval or children's literature, Dr. Walton recommends: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, the Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, and the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
As a kid, my parents would tell me, "You always stand up for the underdog," Abbygayle Welch says.
Her natural compassion has only grown stronger over the years.
Abbygayle received an entrance scholarship to Lakehead and has been on the Dean's List for four years in a row. Above, her parents watch Abbygayle sign a contract to join the Lakehead's varsity women's soccer team.
"Social justice is really important to me because it helps people who don't have a voice get the resources they need," Abbygayle explains.
This spring, she will graduate from Lakehead Orillia with an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Criminology.
"Studying criminology has allowed me to better understand society and the true consequences of crime, including the toll it takes on both victims and offenders."
Abbygayle is already thinking about how she can continue on her path of fostering a world where everybody thrives.
She recently applied to Lakehead's Master of Social Justice Studies (MA in SocJ) program, which has just been launched on the Orillia campus.
It was first established on the Thunder Bay campus in 2016.
"The program attracts great students who care about people and the planet," says Social Justice Studies Student Advisor Dr. Kevin Brooks.
"It gives them a transformative education by teaching them to analyze disparities and take action to change them."
Abbygayle is considering going to law school after completing a master's degree so that she can improve the justice system at the policy level.
The broad interdisciplinary framework of Lakehead's Master of Social Justice Studies degree sets it apart from those offered by other universities.
It gives graduates the tools to advocate, organize, research, and lead in complex social justice spaces. And Master of Social Justice Studies alumni have gone on to make an impact in the health, education, social services, legal, technology, and environmental sectors.
It's also a very flexible degree since a significant number of the classes are available online.
This means that it works for everyone—whether it's a well-established career professional wanting to expand their competencies or a student, like Abby, who's just graduating from university.
Abbygayle's determination to help others took on a new focus in high school.
"I became passionate about social justice after my grade 11 law class teacher showed us a documentary about Archie Williams."
Williams is an American man who was falsely imprisoned for 37 years. It was only through the work of a nonprofit called the Innocence Project that he was finally freed.
"The trauma he endured really stuck with me," she says. "Archie's story changed what I wanted to do with my life."
Abbygayle's grandmother emigrated from Hungary and worked for a lawyer in Oshawa. "She would've liked to become a lawyer herself," Abby says. "I want to help her live her dream through me." Above, Abbygayle and her grandparents celebrate the Catholic Education Foundation of Ontario award she won in 2022.
Her interest in the challenges faced by the incarcerated has persisted.
For her Lakehead honours thesis, Abbygayle is assessing two Orillia justice services that provide support to individuals who are involved with the law.
It's part of a larger research project being conducted by her faculty supervisor, Interdisciplinary Studies Professor Dr. Debra Mackinnon.
"We want to pinpoint the gaps in these justice services and propose strategies to help them improve," Abbygayle says.
Abbygayle (above) was recruited to play on Lakehead's varsity soccer team. "I toured the Orillia campus and fell in love. It was such a vibrant space and I knew that I wanted to be at a university that's close to nature."
Since high school, Abbygayle has spent her summers working for Their Opportunity.
It's a sports charity that delivers and subsidizes children's sports programs, such as basketball and soccer camps, in underserved communities.
"I love being involved in sports and working with kids," she says.
She's a perfect fit for Their Opportunity—Abbygayle has played soccer since she was four years old and is a member of the Lakehead women's varsity soccer team.
Being involved with a sports charity has allowed her to actively engage in social justice.
"I will always remember the mom who came up to me to let me know what a good role model I've been to her daughter," Abbygayle says.
"Seeing what a difference it makes to kids when they have someone on their side has shown me what we can achieve when we work together."
Are you interested in fostering social justice and laying the foundation for a meaningful career with non-profits, governments, or community partners? Then click here to learn more about Lakehead Orillia's Master of Social Justice Studies degree.
