Absolutely. McMaster’s Student Accessibility Services (SAS) supports students who have been diagnosed with a disability or disorder, such as a learning disability, ADHD, mental health diagnosis, chronic medical condition, sensory, neurological or mobility limitation. Students in need of accommodations are required to register with SAS before commencing a program or course.

Questions about accommodations can be directed to the SAS office at 905-525-9140 x 28652 or sas@mcmaster.ca.

No. You will not be enrolled in a course unless you have provided payment in full at the end of the registration process. If payment is not successfully processed you will be dropped from the course(s) approximately 2 hours afterwards due to nonpayment. You can submit your registration again after that time.

The expectation is that you will attend the course as if you were on campus—virtually with the camera on. Part of Intercultural discourse is exploring and responding to a variety of verbal and non-verbal cues. With participants using their cameras while in the virtual sessions, learners get to gain skills in responding to both verbal and non-verbal cues. Of course, if you need to be off camera for short periods of time, send a message through the chat letting everyone know you will be turning your camera on shortly.

Registration in two or more synchronous Virtual Classroom courses that are scheduled to run on the same day/time is prohibited.

Registration in two or more Online or Online Self-Study courses that do not include live synchronous sessions is permitted.

No. Students must drop the course they no longer wish to take and then enrol in the course they wish to take.

Depending on the date of the drop as compared to the class start date, students may receive only a partial refund for the class they drop.

Please refer to our refund policy page here for full details.

If generative AI is permitted in a course, it will be indicated on course assignments. Any use of generative AI must be referenced and cited following the assignment’s citation instructions. Use of generative AI outside assessment guidelines or without citation will constitute academic dishonesty. It is the student’s responsibility to be clear on the appropriate use of generative AI, and the expectations for citation and referencing, and to do so appropriately.

We are unable to assess your eligibility in advance as each applicant is reviewed on an individual basis, based on information provided in the application package. If you feel you meet the prerequisites for admission, we encourage you to submit a complete application package.

There is no requirement to complete an entire program. Students may take select courses that fulfill their individual needs or interests. For application-based programs, you will still be required to apply and be accepted into the program in order to take standalone courses.

You will pay for a program on a course-by-course basis. You would only be required to pay for selected courses for the upcoming term in full at the time of enrolment.

Some courses may have tests, take home case studies, online web-based research, role plays, self-assessments, group assignments and presentations, a variety of written reports and more. Academic writing style and full referencing are expected. As individual courses may have their own special requirements, please refer to the specific program page for any additional info.

After you enrol in a course, you will receive an email with your Moneris receipt. Please keep this for your records as it is only issued once.

You can also view a history of your payments, including a breakdown of fees, in MOSAIC by following these steps:

1. Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile → Finances section
2. Select “Account Summary”
3. Select the “academic year” and click the double arrow button to review details

You can also download and print further course enrolment information by selecting “Enrolment/Financial letters” from the Academics section drop down menu in MOSAIC. This letter will reflect your other course details such as course name, start and end dates, and final grade (if applicable). Please note these are the only financial-related letters generated.

Students can log into the Mosaic Student Centre to access this information.

Please follow the steps below:

1. Log into Mosaic, select the Student Centre tile and then select Academics section
2. Use the drop-down menu in the Academics section (defaulted to “other academic…”) to select ‘Enrolment/Financial Letters’ and click the grey arrow
3. Select the Enrolment/Completion letter

Please ensure that your pop-up blocker is off so that the letter can be downloaded.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Program Associate or McMaster Continuing Education to discuss any accommodations and procedures related to deferred tests and/or examinations within 48 hours of the originally scheduled test/exam, as per policy.

Failure to contact the course instructor, in the case of missed coursework, or the Program Associate or McMaster Continuing Education, in the case of a missed test/examination, within the specified 48-hour window will result in a grade of zero (0) on the coursework/exam and no further consideration will be granted.

Supporting documentation will be required, but will not ensure approval of accommodation(s).

A deferred examination fee of $50 is payable at time of approval. This fee is in addition to any associated online proctoring fees as charged by the online proctoring provider.

If you lost your certificate or diploma and wish to request an additional copy of either, please submit your full name, student number, program name, and graduation year to crequest@mcmaster.ca.

Please note: A $50 reprint charge will apply.

All name change requests (including legal name changes and minor edits) are handled by the Registrar’s Office.

View details and instructions here.

Students are required to log into the Mosaic Student Centre to drop a course.

First, please review our drop/refund policy here.

If you still wish to drop your course, follow the steps below:

1. Log into Mosaic, select the Student Centre tile and go to the Academics section
2. Select ‘Enrolment: Drop’ from the dropdown menu (defaulted to “other academic…”) and complete the steps

If you qualify for a refund:

• Please allow 2-3 weeks for it to be processed if you paid by credit card or if you paid by debit and signed up for direct deposit on Mosaic
• If you paid by debit but did not sign up for direct deposit on Mosaic, please allow 4-6 weeks for refunds to be processed and a cheque mailed to you from McMaster’s Student Accounts department

Student cards will be issued to new McMaster Continuing Education students on a request basis only – they will not be automatically mailed to new students. If you wish to receive a student card, please follow these steps. Student cards can be used at McMaster libraries. Student cards are not issued for students taking the following programs: Short Courses, Infection Prevention and Control of Caregivers and Families and Caregiving Essentials.

Term validation stickers will no longer be issued.

If you have any questions, please contact student services via the online chat that can be found on the registrar’s web page.

Please review the instructions for ordering textbooks on our Textbook and Course Materials page. Information on how to link to the Campus Store is provided on the page (if required). Use the drop-down menus to select your course code and view any required or recommended course materials.

• Use the course code to start your search (ACC, ADD, BUS, HRM, MKT, etc)
• A few courses are cross-listed with other programs in our department and may be found under a different program name
  • For example, if you are in the Business Administration program but you are taking an “HRM” course, search under Human Resources CCE Department on the bookstore search tool
• When selecting the section, please check the course page on our website or your course confirmation email to confirm your section for your search

Please note: Not every course will require a textbook.

T2202A receipts for tax purposes are available at the end of February for the previous year. Tax certificates are issued based on the term the course began and are only applicable for academic credit courses.

Students can access their tax receipts online in Mosaic by:

1. Logging in and selecting ‘View/print tax forms (student)’ from the Mosaic homepage
2. From there, select the appropriate calendar year and click ‘view’

Please note: You may need to disable your pop-up blocker if the document does not load within a few seconds.

Please see https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/services/transcripts/ to learn how you can request official and unofficial transcripts.

Please note: Professional development courses will not be included on an official McMaster transcript.

Students can update their phone number and address in Mosaic using the following steps:

1. Log into Mosaic and select the Student Centre tile
2. Scroll down to the ‘Personal Information’ section and click on ‘Demographic Data’
3. Select the appropriate tab along the top menu bar for any information you wish to update

For legal name change requests, please submit a ‘Service Request’ which is located under ‘Personal Information’ in your Mosaic student center and upload a completed name change request form.

Please note: Students are not able to update their email addresses in Mosaic. If you need to update your email address, please submit a ‘Contact Us’ form for further assistance.

You can log into the Mosaic Student Centre to access this information.

Please follow the steps below:

1. Log into Mosaic, select the Student Centre tile and then the Academics section
2. Select either ‘Grades’ (broken down by term) or ‘Course History’ from the dropdown menu (defaulted to “other academic…”)
3. You will be able to view all completed, registered and/or dropped courses on this page

All grades need to be viewed online through Mosaic. When logged in to the system, select the Student Centre tab. To access Mosaic, you need your MacID and password.

Transfer credits are courses completed at other accredited institutions or McMaster faculties (including McMaster University Continuing Education) that are assessed, and if granted, may be used towards McMaster University Continuing Education credentials. Transfer of credit can mean you do not have to repeat similar courses and you may graduate sooner.

These are the general conditions and submission requirements for transfer credits. Although, it may vary from program to program. For more information, please visit our Transfer Credit page.

All programs offered by McMaster Continuing Education are part-time programs, which means the workload and scheduling is designed for you to meet your professional, personal and academic obligations. On average, we suggest you budget between 6-10 hours per week per course for your coursework. Of course, this varies depending on the amount of content presented, or when assignments are due. It is important to remember that the courses are valued at a university undergraduate level. Therefore, the workload expectations will correspond to a university level of study.

Please note: Fast-track/accelerated courses condense course material into a shorter timeframe. Students should budget additional hours per week when completing a course in a condensed number of weeks.

A “not authorized” message occurs when Mosaic has been recently accessed without fully signing out, or if the registration system was accessed too many times back-to-back.

Please log out of Mosaic and/or clear your cache (Google Chrome steps: control + shift + delete > clear data) and begin the process again through our website.

If you do not remember your student number and/or barcode number and cannot locate this information in your email, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

When you have completed the necessary requirements for your program, you should apply to graduate.

• Using Mosaic, access the Student Centre and go to the Academics section within the portal
• From the drop-down list, select ‘Apply for graduation’
• Select a program and submit the graduation request
• Once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email in approximately 8 weeks informing you of your status
• Graduates of Certificate of Professional Learning, Certificate, and Diploma programs will be mailed a hard copy credential
• Certificate of completion graduates will be issued a digital certificate through email
• Once cleared to graduate from an academic credit program, you can also access proof of program completion by requesting an official transcript in Mosaic

In your email, try to locate your McMaster Person ID/MacID email. This mail would have your Person ID number and barcode number. If you have both of those numbers go to https://maciam.mcmaster.ca, click “need help with your MacID?” and follow the prompts from there.

If you cannot locate your student number and/or barcode number, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

To reset your MacID password, please follow these steps:

1. Ensure that you have your MacID username (e.g., smithj)
   • If you do not remember your MacID username, please see the MacID username FAQ
2. With your username, visit UTS Account Management and click on “forgot password?”
3. You will be instructed to answer your security questions and then reset your password

If you do not remember your security answers, or if you do not have any security questions listed, please contact University Technology Services (UTS) for assistance through live chat or 905-525-9140 ext. 24357 during business hours. They will ask you for your student (person ID) number and barcode number.

If you do not remember your student number and barcode number and cannot locate this information in your email, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

You can access a proof of enrolment letter through Mosaic. To do so, follow the instructions below:

1. Sign in to the Mosaic Student Center
2. In the Academics section, look for the drop-down menu labelled ‘other academic’
3. From this menu, select Enrolment/Financial Letters and click the double arrows
4. Put in the corresponding information:

• • Select Academic Career for this Letter: Select Continuing Education
  • Select Academic Term for this Letter: Select the term in which you took the class
  • Select which letter you would like to request: Select Enrolment/Completion letter
  • Select your delivery option: Select PDF or email

Please note: Your grade will appear once it has been uploaded by the administrative staff. Please allow up to two weeks for grades to be submitted once the class has finished.

There is no need to come to McMaster Continuing Education for any part of your online program.

Please note: Accounting (ACC) specific courses require final exams, but these are offered through an online proctor service (proctor service fees apply).

If you are being sponsored by a third party, please connect with us through our Contact Us form with the following details:

• Your full name
• Your student number (if applicable)
• Your contact information
• The program you wish to take
• Your anticipated start and end date for the program
• The name of the organization/company funding your education
• A completed registration form and sponsor letter/email confirming sponsorship
• A contact person and their contact information (phone, email, company address)
• State that you are being sponsored and that you wish to request an invoice. From there we will forward your request to the appropriate program department.

Please note invoicing requests may take 2-4 weeks to be fulfilled. For fast and easy enrolment, and to ensure your spot in a course, we highly recommend enrolling and making payment online upfront and then submitting receipts to your sponsor for reimbursement.

Refunds are applicable if a student drops a course within the timeframes outlined in the schedule on our Refunds Policy Page.

Please note: If a course is cancelled by McMaster Continuing Education, the student will be entitled to a 100% refund. The $39 Academic Activation fee is only refundable if the course is cancelled by McMaster Continuing Education.

Students who choose to drop a course and not receive an academic penalty must use the Mosaic system to drop the course before the deadline dates, even if it is past the point of receiving a refund.

Please note: Students who do not formally drop a course will receive a grade of “F” on their transcript.

Please refer to our Refund Policy page for full details.

Once an application is received, including all required supporting documents, applicants can expect to receive a response by email within 2-3 weeks. Please visit the Admission and Application Requirements page for application due dates.

Not every program has a certificate and diploma stream.

If your program has different stream options available for a certificate and a diploma, it may be possible to switch between the two program streams.

In most cases, if you have already completed the certificate, you will need to choose the diploma program when you enrol in your next course.

Please refer to our transfer of credit policy for further details.

If the certificate or diploma requirements are not yet complete, as you register for your next course there will be a page that will ask you to confirm your program of study and you will have an option to ‘change plan’.

As per McMaster University Senate policy (May 2017), a course can be used no more than two times towards a McMaster University credential. At McMaster, the term credential refers to a Certificate, Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Professional Learning, Diploma, My OWN McMaster milestone, and an undergraduate degree.

If you require additional information, please contact us.

Returning students can use online banking to make a payment to their student account, if necessary. You can view the payment steps here. Once your payment shows on your Mosaic Student Centre, LOG OUT of Mosaic and visit your course page on our website to register for your course, or you will not be enroled. The credit on your account will be applied when you check out. Note: credit card payments should be made through our website enrolment process only, not in Mosaic.

New students are asked to visit our Contact Us page to connect with our team and we can review payment options with you. Please note payment in full is required at the time of enrolment.

You may receive this error message if you did not complete the enrolment process by adding payment or without clicking “cancel”, and then tried to register a second time shortly after. The registration system holds the course for approximately 2 hours after your first attempt. If you have not made a payment and received an email confirming your registration, please note that you will be dropped from the course after the 2-hour time period has lapsed, due to nonpayment. After the time period has passed, feel free to attempt your registration process again, starting from the following link: https://continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs/

Yes, treat the virtual classroom as you would an in-person classroom experience. You are expected to attend the virtual sessions as scheduled. A successful virtual learning environment is dependent on the level and quality of engagement. Learners who participate in the virtual sessions will enhance their experience and the learning environment by sharing their perspectives.

Admission requirements

To enrol in McMaster Continuing Education programs, students must:

• Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent
• Be a mature student as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar of McMaster University
• Be deemed an exceptional case

Program prerequisites 

• English language proficiency
• Basic computer knowledge and skills such as keyboarding, file management, video conferencing and word processing

Most McMaster Continuing Education programs are open enrolment, which means there is no formal application or admission procedure. To enrol in a course, simply register online. 

Please note: Please refer to the Admission and Application Requirements page for information on programs that have special admission requirements or prerequisites.

A Certificate of Completion is a non-academic program which means you don’t receive a grade on a McMaster University transcript. Instead, after you have completed a minimum of 30 hours of learning and the assessment activities, you receive a pass-fail standing. A Certificate of Completion is a valuable form of professional development since it often focuses on skills and specialized knowledge that you can use in the workplace.

Each of the other programs—Certificate of Professional Learning, Certificate, and Diploma—is a kind of academic program. In these programs, you do receive a grade on a transcript once you have successfully completed the program. The programs differ in the number of academic units (or credits) you earn and the time it takes to complete each:

• The Certificate of Professional Learning is the shortest program consisting of 9 units of study. Most of the time, the 9 units occur over three courses.
• In a Certificate which is a longer program, you earn a minimum of 15 units which are typically, but not necessarily, spread over five courses.
• A Diploma is the longest and most in-depth program. It includes a minimum of 24 units of study.

Each of these four kinds of program has its own requirements, and it is up to you to find the one that best suits your needs. Be sure to review the information on the program pages carefully as you make your decision.

We highly recommend students enrol well before the course start date for all courses to secure their spot and ensure timely access to the course and any required textbooks. Online registration deadlines are as follows:

• McMaster Continuing Education has implemented a late registration allowance for all course formats that run at least 11 weeks. We will permit enrolment up until 2 weeks after the course start date.
  • Example: Course start date September 15, 2021; enrolment deadline September 29, 2021, 11:59 p.m. EST.
  • Please note registering after the course start date may delay course access and does not permit exceptions to coursework due dates, late textbook purchases, or the refund policy. Some exceptions may apply. Late enrolment is not permitted in courses that are 10 weeks or less.
• Virtual Classroom Essentials workshops permit enrolment up until three days prior to the start date (unless otherwise indicated).
  • Example: Start date September 14, enrolment deadline September 11, 11:59 p.m. EST

Deadlines vary for professional development courses and condensed/fast-track courses.

Once enrolment closes, or courses are full, no further enrolments will be accepted. Please note enrolling after the course start date may delay course access and does not permit exceptions to coursework due dates, late textbook purchases, or the refund policy.

• Payment must be made in full at the time of enrolment
• Online credit card or debit payments are preferred
• Accepted credit cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express
• Accepted debit cards: Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard
• Google Pay is available for faster checkout
• Payments can be made from a Canadian Financial Institution and can take 2 to 4 business days to arrive in your McMaster student account. Once payment has arrived, you can register for your course. Please note that if the amount of the course fees owing is more than what was transferred to your student account, you will be dropped from the course.

Tuition Fees
Programs are paid for on a course-by-course basis. Course tuition fees vary by program – each course is individually priced. Fees are the same for Canadian and international students. Fees are subject to change.

Part-time Student Fees
McMaster Association of Part-time Students (MAPS) charges a fee of $7.51 per unit, included in the listed tuition fee. The MAPS fee is charged to all continuing education students enrolled in academic credit courses for services provided by the McMaster Association for Part-time Students. Further information can be found on their website.

Academic Activation Fee
When you enrol in your first certificate or diploma course you will be charged a one-time, non-refundable McMaster Continuing Education Academic Activation Fee of $39. This administrative fee does not apply to professional development programs.

Application Fee
A $59 application fee is required for the following application-based programs – Health Informatics, Health Information Fundamentals, Nursing Concepts in Continence Care, Professional Addiction Studies and My OWN McMaster Pathway.

Textbooks/Course Materials
The price of course materials can average anywhere from $50-200 per course. Not every program or course will require textbooks. Find your course materials through the Campus Store website.

Please note: If the Campus Store has been notified that no materials are required for a course, a note to this effect will be included in the course listing. Search the campus store database to view what is needed for your courses.

Online Proctored Exams
Only Accounting (ACC) courses require online proctored final exams. Refer to your course shell in Avenue to Learn for any associated proctoring fees that are not included in the course fee.

Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)
13% HST is added to individual professional development courses.
Please note: Tax is not applied to courses that fall under Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Professional Learning, Certificate, and Diploma programs.

No scholarships are available for McMaster University Continuing Education programs. However, there are funding options to consider for academic-credit programs:

• The McMaster Association of Part-Time Students (MAPS) offers a limited number of bursaries for students who can demonstrate financial need. Learn more about their bursary programs and application dates here.
• Employer Tuition Assistance Programs. Ask your manager or HR department if your company offers tuition assistance.
• For Canadian students interested in government funding or subsidized training options (e.g. Second Career, Canada-Ontario Job Grant), please contact your local Employment Service Centre.
• Windmill Microlending: Low-interest, affordable career loans of up to $15,000 to help skilled immigrants and refugees pay for the costs of education and training programs, credentials, licensing and more to reach their career goals.
• ACCESS Community Capital Fund: Low-interest loans to internationally-trained individuals interested in upgrading their skills or starting a business.
• Most banks offer student loans that have attractive interest rates and require you to pay interest only until after completing your program.

Please note: McMaster Continuing Education programs are not eligible for OSAP funding.

We understand that life happens, however, you need to be informed about your instructor’s expectations regarding missed virtual classes. A video recording will be posted of the session, and some of your instructors may require you to participate with the class on the discussion board, by summarizing key points from the session and/or answering specific questions. The expectation is that you will inform your instructor prior to the virtual session, when possible, should you not be able to attend classes.

Please review the English Language Proficiency Requirements.

Using the camera throughout the session may slow down your Wi-Fi connection. If you think it is best to turn your camera off, send a message to the class letting them know you will be off camera.

Your MacID is a unique, common identifier enabling single sign-on for a number of McMaster systems and applications (including registering online for McMaster Continuing Education courses). Your MacID is not your McMaster employee or student number. It often looks like a combination of your last name and first initial (e.g. smithj).

To activate your MacID, you will need your student number, barcode and date of birth. First time students will receive their barcode number and student number via email from the university within a few hours after registering for a course. Follow the step-by-step instructions outlined in the email to activate your MacID. Make sure you retain the original email and the username, password, security questions and answers for future reference.

Units define the number of academic credits associated with a course.

Units are assigned by the University based on course content and hours of instruction.

McMaster Continuing Education courses range from one to four units with most being three units.

A three-unit course is equivalent to a half-year undergraduate course.

Avenue to Learn (Brightspace) is a web-based Learning Management System (LMS) used by McMaster university for delivering and administering many courses. Students log in with their MacID and password. You will need to add @mcmaster.ca to the end of your MacID username to login (e.g., smithj@mcmaster.ca). A link for your current course(s) will be made live by the course start date.

Please feel free to browse the additional resources below for more information:

• Tips and Instructions for New Learners
• Navigating Avenue to Learn
• Avenue to Learn technical support

Please note: Courses in Avenue to Learn will remain open for one month after the end date for students to review assignment feedback, grades, etc. Please save any course information that you would like to retain beyond this time.

To review McMaster University’s grade point values or grading system for academic credit courses, please click here.

Please note: Professional development programs and courses are graded with a pass/fail value and are not included on an official McMaster transcript.

Mosaic is McMaster’s administrative information system, which includes finance, human resources and student administration components.

The student administration components encompass Student Admissions, Academic Advisement, and some Registrar’s Office Services.

Highlights of options/services available in the Mosaic Student Center:

• Grade report
• Personal timetable
• Academic information
• Degree audit reporting (now called ‘Academic Advisement’)
• Personal and academic records
• Tax certificates T2202A
• Personal information
• Mailing addresses
• Email addresses
• Emergency contact information

Log in using your MacID and password.

We strongly encourage you to register at least five days in advance of course start dates, especially if you are new to McMaster Continuing Education as it does take a few days for you to receive your MacID which provides you access to the course.

This is now a requirement of the Canada Revenue Agency.

You can update your SIN through Mosaic using the ‘Update SIN (Student)’ tile, or via the Student Centre. To update your SIN via the Student Centre, click Demographic Data under Personal Information. Enter your SIN (without spaces) and click Save.

Occasionally an individual class session may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. weather, instructor illness). McMaster Continuing Education will make every effort to notify affected students of any class cancellations.

In stormy weather, students are responsible for checking McMaster’s main website or calling the University switchboard at (905) 525-9140. Review the University’s Storm Closure Policy for details.

In most cases, individuals who complete assignments will receive basic feedback from the instructor with regard to their course assignments. The feedback will be shared through email. Assignments will not necessarily be returned to participants.

Grade information is shared by McMaster Continuing Education only, or an individual may access their record of learning by logging into the Mosaic Student Centre and viewing their grades.