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Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

This program is open enrolment, which means there is no formal application or admission procedure. To enrol in a course, simply register online. Our courses can be taken as part of a program or individually.

To enrol in McMaster Continuing Education programs, you must:

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

To ensure you are successful in your online courses, you are required to have knowledge and skills with general computer applications, such as keyboarding, file management, video conferencing and word processing.

Language Requirements

If English is not your native language, you must meet McMaster University’s English proficiency requirements by either qualifying for an exemption or passing a McMaster-approved English test. You will not need to provide proof of meeting this English requirement prior to registration. If you demonstrate English proficiency below the required standard, you will be asked to provide proof or to withdraw.

Expandable List

  • Visit continuing.mcmaster.ca/programs to find your program of choice
  • Click on each tab on the program page to learn about credential options and requirements, schedule and fees, and a list of all courses in the program
  • Select a course and then select an available offering, noting important information such as cost, delivery format, and start/end dates; then click ‘add to cart’
  • Once you have added your courses, click the shopping cart icon at the top right-hand corner of the page (bottom of the browser screen on mobile)
  • Review your cart and, once you’re ready to proceed with enrolment, click ‘proceed to checkout’
  • As the next step, you will be redirected to Mosaic – McMaster’s Administrative Information and Enrolment system
  • Once you are in Mosaic, select ‘new to McMaster’ or log in with your existing MacID and password (if applicable)
  • Complete all required fields and select a program of study when prompted (i.e., a specific program or open studies for standalone courses)
  • Finally, payment is required in full to secure a spot in your course(s)

A payment receipt email will be issued to you immediately after registering, and a course confirmation email will be sent to you overnight. Within approximately 24 hours of registering, you will also receive an important email containing credentials used to activate your MacID, which you must do before you can access courses in Avenue to Learn. Please review our Getting Started page to learn more about the next steps for beginning your studies after registration, and our Help Centre for our Refund Policy and other frequently asked questions. Please note that on average, each course requires 6-8 hours of study per week, per course (sometimes more) and some courses may have listed prerequisites. Please plan your schedule accordingly. Most students take 1-2 courses per term across a few different terms and a full-time equivalent course load is typically 3-4 courses per term.

For more information and a walkthrough on how to register, please check out this video.

  • 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.
  • Problem processing your payment? Please reach out to your credit card company if your payment was declined. Otherwise, wait two hours before attempting your registration again.

Ready to get started?

Visit the Schedule tab to select your course and proceed with the registration steps.