Lakehead University started as the Lakehead Technical Institute back in 1946 and forestry classes began in September of 1948. This year the Institute offered two-year programs leading to Diplomas in Forest Technology and Mining Technology and first-year courses in Arts and Applied Science.

The Institute became Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1957. The College was granted "university powers" in 1962 to establish faculties and to confer degrees in Arts and Science. These degrees were first awarded in 1965 and the university continued to offer both degree and diploma programs.

In 1965 the Forestry Degree Program was initiated whereby students could complete the first two years of a professional (B.S.F.) degree course for subsequent transfer and advanced standing at either University of Toronto or University of New Brunswick. In 1967 - 68 the one-year Certificate in Forest Research Technology was initiated for students who had completed the two-year Forest Technology Diploma Program. The government of Ontario authorized the granting of an undergraduate forestry degree in 1971. The first graduating class was in May of 1973.

1977- 78 was the beginning for the M.Sc.F. program and we have since (in 1992) expanded with a professionally-oriented M.F. program. In 1994 we changed from a School to a Faculty and thus completed an academic restructuring from a Program to a Department to a School to a Faculty.

Today we operate two undergraduate degrees (HBScF and HBEM) and well as three graduate degrees (MF, MScF and a PhD in Forest Sciences).

We have more than 60 years behind us and look forward with vigour to the next 60. In the short term we would like to carry on the progression of the past with program expansion into distributed learning and international joint degrees.