McMaster University Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
1. Admission from Secondary Schools
All Level I programs have enrollment limits and admission is by selection.
A. Ontario
General Requirements (For all Level I Programs)
To be considered for admission, you must satisfy the general requirements of the university and the specific subject requirements for the program to which you applied plus any specified supplementary application/on-line assessment/audition/portfolio required by some programs at the university.
If you are an applicant from an Ontario secondary school you must meet the following minimum requirements:
An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with acceptable standing; AND
An overall average in completed Grade 12 U and/or M courses which meets or exceeds the minimum set by the specific program to which you applied; AND
Satisfactory completion of six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including the subject requirements for your chosen program.
Note: Co-op courses are not included in any admission or final admission average calculations. Music External (Conservatory) 4M is acceptable as a credit and the mark obtained can be included in the calculation of your admission average. Alternatively, you may submit certificates from a recognized conservatory of music in Grade 8 practical and Grade 2 theory to your secondary school for one Grade 12M credit.
Admission Average Range
The Admission Average Range used to determine eligibility for consideration is calculated using the best six Grade 12 U and/or M grades, including all required subjects. McMaster calculates averages to two decimal points and does not round up averages. Please Note: Grade 12 Co-op courses are not eligible to be used as one or more of the required prerequisite courses used to calculate admissibility and/or the admission average. See Early Conditional Admission and Final Admission below for specific details. Estimated admission average ranges for our Level I Programs can be found at: http://future.mcmaster.ca and select Admission Requirements.
Early Conditional Admission
Early conditional admission may be granted annually to qualified applicants with strong academic standing. Early conditional admission is based on:
six appropriate midterm/interim Grade 12 U and/or M grades, OR
at least three final Grade 12 U and/or M grades PLUS enrollment in the appropriate additional three Grade 12 U and/or M courses.
In some cases, Grade 11 marks may be considered in extending early conditional offers of admission.
If you do not receive an offer of admission in March, you will automatically be reassessed for admission until May 15 after additional Grade 12 U and/or M grades are received from your secondary school. Due to enrollment limits, McMaster may not be able to consider additional grade data for admission purposes received after May 15.
The University reserves the right to withdraw a conditional offer of admission due to any of the following:
You do not meet the minimum final average prescribed for your chosen program; OR
You do not receive an OSSD; OR
You do not complete six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including all required subjects; OR
You do not successfully accept your offer of admission at the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) by the response deadline indicated on your offer letter; OR
You do not meet any other condition stipulated on your conditional offer of admission; OR
You attend a post-secondary institution prior to beginning your studies at McMaster; OR
Your offer of admission to the university was secured through fraudulent means.
Please note the University’s statements regarding application fraud at the end of the Admission section of this calendar.
Minimum Final Average
If you are a secondary school applicant who receives a conditional offer of admission, you will be required to achieve an overall average calculated to two decimal points (on six (6) final grades including all required courses for your desired program) as indicated on your offer of conditional admission.
If your final average falls below this level (or its equivalent), your offer of admission will be rescinded/revoked and your registration will be cancelled.
The required minimum final average will vary from year to year and by program. This average will be stated clearly on the offer of conditional admission.
Supplementary Application Forms and Extenuating Circumstances
Certain Level I programs including Arts & Science, Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), Integrated Business and Humanities (IBH), Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences (iBioMed) (regular and co-op), Engineering 1 (regular and co-op), Honours Integrated Science, and Nursing have mandatory online supplementary application forms or online assessments which must be completed by specific deadline dates.
Applicants to Nursing must complete a mandatory on-line assessment (CASPerTM) on the dates specified each year. See Application and Documentation Deadlines, for specific deadline dates. Applicants to Engineering 1 (regular and co-op) and Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (regular and co-op) must complete a mandatory on-line assessment (© Kira Talent) by January 29 each year. See Application and Documentation Deadlines, for specific deadline dates.
Applicants to Integrated Business and Humanities must complete a mandatory on-line assessment (© Kira Talent) and submit a personal resume by February 1 each year. Applicants to Business 1 may elect to complete an optional supplemental form prior to February 1 to let the program know more about themselves.
McMaster does not normally use optional supplementary application forms. Applicants will be notified if the program they applied to decides to use an optional supplementary application form.
Applicants with special circumstances whose average falls slightly below the required admission average range may forward a letter to the Office of the Registrar, Admissions explaining the nature of their extenuating circumstances.
In some cases, the university may request letters of recommendation, personal history or other additional information to aid in the admission process.
Offers of Admission for Secondary School Graduates
Applicants may be eligible for final admission if they have fulfilled the requirements for their OSSD and have final grades in six Grade 12 U and/or M courses. If you fulfill the requirements for your chosen program by the end of February, you may be granted an offer of final admission.
The University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of final admission due to any of the following:
You do not successfully accept your offer of admission at the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) by the response deadline indicated on your offer letter; OR
You attend a post-secondary institution prior to beginning your studies at McMaster.
Your offer of admission to the university was secured through fraudulent means. Please note the University’s statements regarding application fraud at the end of the Admission section of this calendar.
Deferral of Admission
McMaster does not normally grant a deferral of an offer of admission unless special extenuating circumstances exist. Each case is evaluated on its own merits.
All requests for deferral of both admission and scholarship should be made in writing to:
Office of the Registrar, Admissions
McMaster University
Gilmour Hall 109, 1280 Main St. W.
Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8
by September 1 of the application year, outlining the reasons for the request. If a deferral is granted, it is conditional upon the student not attending a secondary or post-secondary institution during the deferral period.
Subject Requirements for Specific Level I Programs
McMaster University offers the following Level I programs:
Arts & Science I, Automation Engineering Technology 1 (B.Tech.), Automotive and Vehicle Engineering Technology I (B.Tech.), Biotechnology I (B.Tech.), Business I, Chemical & Physical Sciences Gateway, Computer Science I (regular and co-op), Economics I, Engineering I (regular and co-op), Environmental and Earth Sciences Gateway, Honours Health and Society I, Health Sciences I, Humanities I, Honours Integrated Science (Level I), Honours Kinesiology (Level I), Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences I (regular and co-op), Integrated Business & Humanities I, Life Sciences Gateway, Mathematics and Statistics Gateway, Medical Radiation Sciences (Level I), Midwifery I, Music I, Nursing I, Social Sciences I, and Studio Art I.
ARTS & SCIENCE I
You are required to complete a mandatory Supplementary Application Form which must be submitted at https://artsci.mcmaster.ca/prospective-students/supplementary-application/. The information provided enters into the selection process. A minimum overall average of 88% or higher is required for application consideration.
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
One of Advanced Functions U or Calculus and Vectors U (Calculus and Vectors U is strongly recommended)
Completion of four additional U or M courses, to total six courses, of which two must be at the U level
AUTOMATION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY I CO-OP (B.TECH.), AUTOMOTIVE AND VEHICLE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY I CO-OP (B.TECH.), BIOTECHNOLOGY I CO-OP (B.TECH.)
Admission to Automation Engineering Technology I, Automotive and Vehicle Engineering Technology I, and Biotechnology is by selection. A minimum average range in the low 80s is required for application consideration. Applicants must complete a mandatory on-line assessment by the deadline as specified each year. See Application and Documentation Deadlines, for specific deadline dates.
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Calculus and Vectors U
Chemistry U
Physics U
Completion of two additional U or M courses to total six courses
BUSINESS I
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Advanced Functions U
Calculus and Vectors U
Completion of three additional U or M courses to total six courses
Applicants to Business I may elect to complete an optional supplemental form prior to February 1 to let the program know more about themselves.
CHEMICAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES GATEWAY
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Advanced Functions U
Calculus and Vectors U
Chemistry U
Physics U
Completion of one additional U or M courses to total six courses
COMPUTER SCIENCE I, COMPUTER SCIENCE I CO-OP
Admission to Computer Science I (regular and co-op) is by selection. A minimum average range in the low 90s is required for application consideration. Applicants must complete a mandatory on-line assessment by the deadline as specified each year. See Application and Documentation Deadlines, for specific deadline dates.
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Calculus and Vectors U
Two of: Biology U, Chemistry U, Physics U, Earth and Space U, Computer and Information Science M (or Computer Science U), or Computer Engineering M (or Computer Engineering Technology M)
Completion of two additional U or M courses to total six courses
ECONOMICS I
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Two of Advanced Functions U, Calculus and Vectors U, and Mathematics of Data Management U
Completion of three additional U or M courses to total six courses
Note: Applicants without Calculus and Vectors 4U will be required to take an equivalent Calculus course in Level I. Applicants without Data Management U will be required to take an equivalent Stats course in Level I.
ENGINEERING I, ENGINEERING I CO-OP
Admission to Engineering 1 (regular and co-op) is by selection. A minimum average range in the high 80s is required for application consideration. Applicants must complete a mandatory on-line assessment by the deadline as specified each year. See Application and Documentation Deadlines, for specific deadline dates.
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Calculus and Vectors U
Chemistry U
Physics U
Completion of two additional U or M courses to total six courses
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EARTH SCIENCES GATEWAY
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
One of Advanced Functions U or Calculus and Vectors U
One of Biology U, Chemistry U
One of Advanced Functions U, Biology U, Calculus and Vectors U, Chemistry U, Physics U
Completion of two additional U or M courses to total six courses
HONOURS HEALTH AND SOCIETY I
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
Completion of five additional U or M courses to total six courses
HONOURS HEALTH SCIENCES I
The selection method is by consideration of academic and a mandatory on-line Supplementary Application Form (due mid-February) submitted electronically; details at https://bhsc.mcmaster.ca/. A minimum overall average of 90% or higher is required for application consideration.
The Supplementary Application must be completed and submitted on-line by the specified deadline date. A review of the mandatory Supplementary Application is a very important component of the admission process. Applicants who do not complete the Supplementary Application will not be considered for admission.
The following are the minimum Grade 12 U and M requirements:
English U
One of Advanced Functions U, Calculus and Vectors U, or Mathematics of Data Management U
Biology U
Chemistry U
One U or M non-math/non-science course (Note: courses in technological education, science or mathematics are not acceptable)
Completion of one additional U or M course in any subject area to total six courses
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