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Lakehead’s new mechatronics degree designed to meet demand

New bachelor’s program will kick off in Thunder Bay this fall
mechatronics_lakehead
Lakehead University is launching a new bachelor of mechatronics engineering program in the fall of 2023.

Lakehead University is launching a bachelor of mechatronics engineering program in response to industry demand.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary branch of engineering that blends elements of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, and computer science. It’s applied to areas including the design of robotics, control systems, and electromechanical systems.

The new undergraduate program has been approved by the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance and is awaiting final approval from Lakehead’s Senate, which is expected this winter.

Once approved, it’s expected to be offered in the fall.

“The technological revolution we are experiencing is increasingly merging traditional disciplines of engineering, and new ones are emerging, including Mechatronics Engineering,” said Prof. Janusz Kozinski, Lakehead’s dean of engineering, in a Jan. 30 news release.

“This is a truly innovative field at the forefront of new industries, and we are thrilled to offer this program to students at Lakehead.”

Lakehead said its program will integrate business, law, and public safety into the learning experience. Kozinski noted that it was developed with input from industry.

“We have listened to industry and employers across the province who are telling us they need highly skilled mechatronics engineering graduates to drive innovation and develop new technologies,” he said.

“In this program, students will gain the skills they need to design the intelligent machines of the future, from electric vehicles to large-scale industrial robots.”

Lakehead noted it is one of six universities in the province and the first in Northern Ontario to offer a mechatronics engineering degree.

Mechatronics programs are also available at the college level. In the North, Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie currently offers a bachelor of engineering in mechatronics degree program, while Cambrian College in Sudbury offers an electromechanical engineering technology in mechatronics diploma program.