lakeheadu.ca/polisci
lakeheadu.ca/polisci-prelaw
Politics shapes our lives both nationally and on the international stage. Build your knowledge of government, political organization, justice and the law at Canada’s #1 smaller university for Social Sciences & Humanities Research.
Lakehead’s Political Science Department is known for its high quality teaching and programs, and for professors who invest in their students’ success. Together, students and faculty study Canadian and International politics through an examination of the ideas, practices, structures, and powers that shape and govern our participation in political communities.
The Political Science Department’s reputation for excellence in teaching and research means that we consistently place graduating students in top law schools, such as York’s Osgoode Hall and Lakehead’s Bora Laskin School of Law, and in Canadian and International graduate programs at renowned institutions, such as York University, Boston College, and Baylor University.
Our majors have gone on to become lawyers, diplomats, business leaders, civil servants, politicians, lobbyists, political analysts, journalists, and teachers.
David Bruno HBA (Poli Sci) ’98, Co-Chief Executive Officer, SafeSwiss
“There was no better education throughout my scholastic career than what I experienced at Lakehead. It set the groundwork for how I would attack life and learning going forward. All in all I can truly say that Lakehead prepared me for the rest of my life, and for that I am forever grateful.”
In Political Science we ask questions about who should rule and on what basis; about what constitutes justice and its relationship to the best form of government; about the legitimacy of the global political order; about how Canada might build just and friendly relationships with Indigenous peoples; about the proper shape of democratic governance and freedom; and about how to best design and implement laws and policies that serve the common good.
“Every partnership is constituted for the sake of some good (for everyone does everything for the sake of what is held to be good), and the partnership that is most authoritative of all and embraces all the others aims at the most authoritative good of all. This is what is called the political partnership.”
ARISTOTLE, THE POLITICSOur specialized pre law program is designed to introduce you to the study of law by emphasizing subject matter related to the legal process.
In recognition of this fact, the Political Science department offers the University’s only comprehensive pre law program. In addition to providing students with a full education in Political Science, the pre law program’s course work is designed to prepare students for work as law students, emphasizing subject matter related to the law and the legal process.
Recent graduates from the pre-law stream have been accepted to a number of excellent law schools, including:
• Lakehead University’s Faculty of Law
• Osgoode Hall (York University)
• University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law
• Robson Hall (University of Manitoba)
• Queen’s University’s Faculty of Law
• Western University’s Faculty of Law
My time in the Political Science program at Lakehead University has equipped me with knowledge and skills that I could not have received anywhere else.
My experience studying Political Science has significantly benefited me as a student and as an individual and has been instrumental in my academic journey, and to my success, including my acceptance into Law School.
Cameron Demianiuk Student - 4th year Poli Sci Pre Law (2022)
“We are all servants of the law in order that we may be free.”
CICERO, PRO CLUENTIO
Providing both a broad education in government, law, and politics, and skills such as writing, research and analysis, a degree in Political Science prepares students with the flexibility needed to succeed in the modern workforce. Our graduates successfully pursue careers in:
• Civil Service and Governance
• Law
• Business Management
• International Organizations
• Journalism
• Public Policy
• Law Enforcement
• Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs)
• Education
• Diplomacy
• Public Relations
HBA Poli Sci ‘21 - Band Governance and Trust Monies Officer, Indigenous Services Canada
“Lakehead truly fostered my academic goals in a way that has allowed me to not only prepare for my career, but to also thrive. The smaller classes, and relationships I was able to develop have shown me how to lead a team in the workplace.”
The Department of Political Science is home to outstanding teachers and researchers who prioritize their students’ success in both their teaching and research. Recipients of prestigious teaching awards, deparment faculty members are deeply committed to cultivating their students’ understanding of national and global governance and political and legal issues through thoughtful advising, rigorous courses, and one on one supervision of student research.
Faculty members regularly involve students in their award winning research, which is published in top journals and presses, and is recognized for its excellence through the reception of national and international research grants and awards. As a result of
the department’s student-centred approach, faculty members consistently connect Political Science graduates with excellent employment opportunities, and place them in top graduate programs and law schools in the United States and Canada.
Our faculty is privileged to engage, support, and challenge students as they work toward successfully meeting our program’s long tradition of excellence in academics, and are proud of our graduates’ tremendous record of success and leadership in the workplace.
Dr. Patrick Cain Chair, Political Science
Don’t let them be typical. Your university years will define the rest of your life.
“It’s very cliché, but I always wanted to go to law school from a young age. My professors at Lakehead in the Political Science Pre-Law program pushed me to be better. I learned to think critically about issues from all around the world from multiple perspectives. I felt my professors genuinely wanted me to succeed academically, which has prepared me for the real world and for me to excel in law school.”
