McMaster University has been established in the year 1887 as a BAPTIST organization, opened in Toronto in 1890, and moved to Hamilton in 1930. Commissioned by the provincial legislature, the university was named after WILLIAM MCMASTER, who accorded the bulk of his estate to it.
It integrated 2 older Baptist educational enterprises: Woodstock College (established in 1857) and Toronto Baptist College (established in 1881). While in Toronto, McMaster had to witness the opposition of theological conservatives to the instruction presented.
In the year 1930, under the supervision and initiative of Chancellor Howard P. Whidden, a fresh beginning was made in nearby Hamilton, which offered a bountiful setting for McMaster's students and also considerable private support from graduates, members of the churches of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, and inhabitants of Hamilton.
In the year 1957, the Governors of the University were voted in by the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. In that year, the University became an independent private institution. The momentous Baptist connection was continued through the separate alliance and affiliation of a theological school, McMaster Divinity College. By virtue of the McMaster Act of 1969, McMaster Divinity College continued under its extant arrangement. Still, the rest of the University was formulated into the Divisions of Arts, Science, and Health Sciences, each supervised and operated by a vice president.
In 1974 the divisional format of the University was dissolved and the vice presidents were replaced by a single Vice-President (Academic), called Provost and Vice-President (Academic). The Faculties of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences were maintained, each under the administration of a dean.
McMaster University consists of nearly 27,500 undergraduate and 4,000+ post-graduate students. Alumni and former students reside across Canada and in 140+ countries.
McMaster University is internationally recognized for the innovative educational programs offered by each of its 6 faculties.
Spring/summer term 2021
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | May 3 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | May 10 |
Victoria Day: No classes | May 24 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | June 2 |
Classes end | June 18 |
Final examinations | As determined by the instructor, in-class time |
Deferred examinations | October 12 to October 15, 2021 |
Spring session (34 days)
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | June 21 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | June 28 |
Canada Day: No classes | July 1 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | July 21 |
Civic Holiday: No classes | August 2 |
Classes end | August 6 |
Final examinations | As determined by the instructor, in-class time |
Deferred examinations | October 12 to October 15, 2021 |
Fall term (62 days)
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | September 7 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | September 15 |
Mid-term recess | October 11 to October 17 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | November 19 |
Test and examination restriction | December 2 to December 8 |
Classes end | December 8 |
Final examinations | December 9 to December 22 |
Deferred examinations | February 22 to February 25 |
Winter term (62 days)
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | January 10 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | January 18 |
Mid-term recess | February 21 to February 27 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | March 18 |
Good Friday Break: no classes or examinations | 15th 16thApril |
Test and examination restriction | April 6 to April 13 |
Classes end | April 12 |
Final examinations | April 14 to April 29 |
Deferred examinations | June 20 to June 24 |
Spring session (34 days)
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | May 2 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | May 9 |
Victoria Day: No classes | May 23 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | June 1 |
Classes end | June 17 |
Final examinations | As determined by the instructor, in-class time |
Deferred examinations | October 11, October 14, 2022 |
Summer session (33 days)
Item | Date(s) |
Classes begin | June 20 |
Last day for enrolment and course changes (drop/add) | June 27 |
Canada Day: No classes | July 1 |
Last day for withdrawing from courses | July 20 |
Civic Holiday: No classes | August 1 |
Classes end | August 5 |
Final exams | As determined by the instructor, in-class time |
Deferred examinations | October 11 &October 14, 2022 |
Fall 2021/winter 2022
Academic level | Enrolment appointments begin |
Level #5 | June 18 |
Level #4 | June 21 |
Level #3 and Exchange | June 22 |
Level #2 | June 24 |
Level #1 | June 28 |
Non-Degree Students (Continuing, L.O.P., and Visiting students) | July 7 |
Payment deadlines
Terms | All students (including O.S.A.P. students) |
Fall (September to December) | September 25 |
Winter (January to April) | January 25 |
Spring/Summer (May to August) | May 25 |
Terms | Type of block | Date |
Fall (September to December) | Interim | November |
Winter (January to April) | Full Service | March |
Spring (May to August) | Full Service | Prior fall registration |
Financial blocks
Interim block – allows students to drop courses only and not add.
Full-service block – blocks students from all grades, transcripts, awards, diplomas, and all future enrolments. It may also change.
G.P.A. is the approximated average based on the grades obtained in all courses undertaken. Before September 1, 2018, the grades from all courses strived for (including failed attempts) were included in the G.P.A. calculation. Courses that are excluded in the G.P.A. calculation are:
Grade point values extend from 12 (an A+) to 0 (‘F’). One is assigned a letter grade in each course.
The corresponding grade point values are enlisted in the Academic Calendar. The Undergraduate Grading system is also illustrated in the table for easy reference.
Grade | Points | Equivalent Percentage | 4.00 Scale |
A+ | 12 | 90 to 100 | 4.00 |
A | 11 | 85 to 89 | 3.90 |
A- | 10 | 80 to 84 | 3.70 |
B+ | 9 | 77 to 79 | 3.30 |
B | 8 | 73 to 76 | 3.0 |
B- | 7 | 70 to 72 | 2.70 |
C+ | 6 | 67 to 69 | 2.30 |
C | 5 | 63 to 66 | 2.0 |
C- | 4 | 60 to 62 | 1.70 |
D+ | 3 | 57 to 59 | 1.30 |
D | 2 | 53 to 56 | 1.0 |
D- | 1 | 50 to 52 | 0.70 |
F | 0 | 0 to 49 | 0.00 |
McMaster University stands among the world's top 100 universities invariably. The university is one of the only four universities in Canada, making it steady on the list. The employability ranking of McMaster goes conjointly with its academic excellence. The new ranking of 'THE' Graduate Employability reveals that employers hanker after McMaster Graduates. This leap was observed as soon as the university achieved a Global Teaching Excellence Award (2018) for its global engagement, empirical learning, and avant-garde thinking.
McMaster University's ranking has become exceptional with its model of problem-based student-oriented learning. Universities from around the globe have snagged this model. The popular ranking agencies have recognized McMaster among their top-ranking lists.
Rating Agency | Ranking (2019) | Ranking (2020) |
‘THE’ Rankings | No. 77 | No. 72 |
‘Q.S.' Rankings | No. 146 | No. 140 |
‘A.R.W.U.' | No. 90 | No. 90 |
‘C.W.U.R.' | No. 127 | No. 127 |
Given below is a graphical image representing the global rankings of McMaster University from the past few years:
Apart from making it to the top 100s list in ‘A.R.W.U.' and ‘THE’ rankings, McMaster has attained various other awards.
McMaster University stands tall among the top 4 in the country, which makes it at par with its concurrent educational institutions in terms of higher education in Canada. Cited below are the national rankings for McMaster University for 2019 and 2020 as per various acclaimed ranking agencies:
Ranking Agency | McMaster National Position (2020) | McMaster National Position (2019) |
Q.S. | No. 4 | No. 6 |
THE | No. 4 | - |
MacLeans | - | No. 4 |
A.R.W.U. | - | No. 3 |
C.W.U.R. | - | No. 6 |
U.S. News | No. 4 | - |
GreenMetric University Rankings | - | No. 3 |
N.T.U.R. | - | No. 6 |
Fee structure & course duration at a glance
Courses | Duration | 1st Year Tuition Fees |
M.B.B.S.(1 Course) | 3 Years | CAD 29,900 |
M.B.A.(2 Courses) | 20 - 28 Months | CAD 39,750 - 49,500 |
M.S.(22 Courses) | 8 - 24 Months | CAD 11,400 - 46,500 |
M.Eng(11 Courses) | 1 - 2 Years | CAD 17,100 - 41,000 |
M.I.M.(6 Courses) | 1 - 1.3 Years | CAD 11,400 - 55,550 |
M.A.Sc. (9 Courses) | 1.5 - 2 Years | CAD 11,400 - 17,100 |
B.B.A. (6 Courses) | 3 - 4 Years | CAD 37,250 - 43,750 |
M.A. (17 Courses) | 1 - 2 Years | CAD 11,400 - 20,700 |
B.E. /B.Tech.(46 Courses) | 4 - 5 Years | CAD 41,550 - 58,250 |
B.Sc. (30 Courses) | 4 Years | CAD 39,200 |
Other Courses(133 Courses) | 0.5 - 7 Years | CAD 2,800 - 58,250 |
Any canceled units will result in fee cancellation. One must NOT forget to explore the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment before he/she begins to add courses.
This fee includes infrastructure, programming, and services for both full-time and part-time students. Supplementary fees are not user fees but similar to a tax, collected to sustain the university’s community’s success.
Fees may change at the discretion of concerned authorities before payment deadline dates. One must monitor his/her student account.
Supplementary Fees (approx. in C$) | |
Ancillary Fee | $14.15 |
Dental Insurance Plan ** | $130.00 |
Health Insurance Plan ** | $103.75 |
H.S.R. Bus Pass | $233.98 |
Incite Publication | $0.40 |
McMaster Marching Band | $1.05 |
Organization fee | $137.10 |
University Centre (per unit to maximum of 30 units): | $0.70 |
Refugee Students | $1.69 |
Athletics & Recreation Sports Building (per unit to maximum of 30 units): | $5.20 |
Career Services – Student Success Centre | $80.10 |
Engineers Without Borders | $0.45 |
McMaster Solar Car Project | $1.15 |
Ontario Public Interest Research Group | $5.55 |
Student Wellness Centre | $110.40 |
Transcripts, letters, tax forms & certificates fee (per unit to maximum 30 units): | $1.45 |
University Athletics and Recreation Activity Fee | $252.60 |
A graduate student must register in at least one course in 3 three terms to be fully enrolled and for fees to charge; otherwise, fee assessment will be incomplete. If one is not taking an academic course in any term, they must still add a place-holder course as follows:
Complete details of regulations on fee evaluation for graduate students can be referred to under the Financial Matters of the Graduate Calendar.
One must not forget to explore the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment before he/she begins to add courses.
Fee structures are subject to change. One must refer to his/her student account for updates.
Fees are expected to be posted to students’ accounts in the first week of August.
Supplementary fees: 2021-22
G.S.A. – Dental Insurance Plan | $199.50 |
GSA – Health Insurance Plan | $218.00 |
GSA – H.S.R. Bus Pass | $289.55 |
GSA – Student Assistance Program | $6.15 |
Athletics & Recreation Sports Complex Building | $40.00 |
Transcripts, Letters, Tax Forms & Certificates Fee (per term) | $7.95 |
Student Athletics & Recreation | $97.80 |
Student Wellness Centre | $111.00 |
GSA Organization Fee | $65.50 |
Entry Criteria
Courses | Exams |
M.B.B.S. (1 Course) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 and Above TOEFL: 86 and Above P.T.E.: 60 and Above |
M.B.A. (2 Courses) | G.MAT: Accepted G.R.E.: Accepted I.E.L.T.S.: 7 and Above |
M.S. (22 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 and Above TOEFL: 88 and Above P.T.E.: 70 and Above |
M.Engg. (11 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50and AboveTOEFL: 88 to 92P.T.E.: 70 andAbove |
M.I.M. (6 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 to 7.50 TOEFL: 92 Above P.T.E.: 63 and Above |
M.A.Sc. (9 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 and Above TOEFL: 88 to 92P.T.E.: 63-70 |
B.B.A. (6 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50andAbove |
M.A. (17 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 to 7.0 |
B.E./B.Tech(46 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50 and Above TOEFL: 86 and Above P.T.E.: 60 Above |
B.Sc.(30 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 6.50andAbove |
Other Courses(133 Courses) | I.E.L.T.S.: 5 to 7 TOEFL: 86-92P.T.E.: 60 and Above |
Applicants are required to submit authentication of their proficiency in the English language as part of their application. The most common authentication is a score on one of the following exams:
Each program may set additional/higher requisites. Please scrutinize the program website for details.
Documents Required
The following items are required before one’s online submission of the application will be considered complete.
Please evaluate the program website for specific details and requirements.
Additional documents may be mandatory for some programs as part of the application. Please refer program website for details.
McMaster’s graduates are some of the most employable in the world, as per "Times Higher Education."
The university ranked #5 in Canada and #78 in the 2019 Global Employability Ranking overall.
The global ranking is based on the responses of approximately 6,100 firms from about 25 countries. Universities churn out the "best graduates in terms of employability" in their own countries and abroad.
The rankings include 251 universities across 40 countries.
Almost 90% of McMaster’s graduates find work within 6 months of graduating, and almost 94% are employed after two years.
At McMaster, one can end up interning at Tesla, Amazon, Palantir, Google, and N.A.S.A. There are various co-op opportunities where one can earn $13500 for a 4-month term.
An M.B.A. may fetch a $60,000+ salary if one is deserving.
Nursing jobs pay a little higher, about $76000.
Captivatingly, the University of McMaster is also receptive to the needs of the industry and provides customized courses based on future trends.
McMaster University caters to 13 residencies on campus guaranteed for undergraduate students. These residencies can accommodate a little over 3100 students. The university residences are as below:
Different Scholarships offered by McMaster are: