Essentials Programs course schedules to help you plan your academic year.
Registration: Fall and Winter terms open in mid-July and Spring term opens in mid-March.
Program Requirements: Review certificate or diploma tab.
Time Zone: Courses run in the Eastern Time (ET) Zone.
Course Fees: A McMaster Part Time Student fee is included in the cost of academic credit courses. There is no tax on courses unless indicated at the bottom of the schedule chart.
Additional Fees: New students pay a one-time, non-refundable $39 activation fee for their first academic-credit course. Not every program or course requires textbooks. Learn more about textbooks.
Learning Formats: Each course is offered in Online, Online Self-Study, or Virtual Classroom formats, as shown below. Visit Learning Formats for details.
Explore schedule by Essentials stream:
| Course Name (Course Code) | Cost | Days | Fall 2025 | Winter 2026 | Spring/Summer 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Art of Active Listening (ESS 797) | $310.00 | 0.5 | Fri, Oct 31 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Fri, Jun 12 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Mastering Self-Awareness and Behaviour in Difficult Situations (ESS 800) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Thu, Apr 23 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Future-Focused: Navigating Complexity with Strategic Planning (ESS 804) | $468.00 | 1 | Wed & Thu, Nov 26 - Nov 27 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Tue & Wed, Jun 9 - Jun 10 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Unconscious Bias: How We Make Decisions (ESS 805) | $310.00 | 0.5 | Thu, Oct 9 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Thu, Jun 11 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Cultivate Belonging with Personality Dimensions™ (ESS 807) | $520.00 | 1 | Mon & Tue, Dec 1 - Dec 2 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| Gender-Inclusive Communication & Collaboration (ESS 809) | TBD | 1 | — | — | Wed & Thu, Jun 10 - Jun 11 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Navigating Change For Success (ESS 810) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
| Leadership Foundations - Focus on the 3 C'S (ESS 811) | $520.00 | 1 | — | Tue & Wed, Mar 3 - Mar 4 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Leading Change For Success (ESS 812) | TBD | 1 | — | — | Thu & Fri, May 28 - May 29 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Personal Leadership: Building From Our Strength (ESS 813) | $520.00 | 1 | Thu & Fri, Nov 13 - Nov 14 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| Exploring Work-Life Harmony (ESS 816) | TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Thu, Jun 11 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Exploring Modern-day Work and the Benefits of the Multi-Generational Workplace (ESS 821) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
| Giving & Receiving Constructive Feedback (ESS 834) | $468.00 | 1 | — | Tue & Wed, Apr 21 - Apr 22 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Thu & Fri, Jun 4 - Jun 5 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Emotional Intelligence at Work (ESS 835) | $520.00 | 1 | — | Tue, Feb 10 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Mon, Jun 8 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Snapshot to Project Management (ESS 836) | $940.00 | 2 | Thu & Fri, Nov 20 - Nov 28 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| Achieving Goals With SMARTS (ESS 837) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
| Delivering Powerful Presentations (ESS 838) | TBD | 1 | — | — | Wed & Thu, May 20 - May 21 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Creative & Critical Thinking (ESS 862) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
| Finance For Non-Financial Managers (ESS 874) | $940.00 | 2 | — | Tue & Wed, Apr 7 - Apr 15 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Negotiation Skills (ESS 877) | $468.00 | 1 | Wed & Thu, Nov 26 - Nov 27 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Wed & Thu, May 20 - May 21 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Effective Business Writing (ESS 895) | $468.00 | 1 | Tue & Wed, Nov 18 - Nov 19 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Tue & Wed, Jun 9 - Jun 10 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Navigating Workplace Conflict: Building Stronger Teams through Resolution (ESS 899) | $468.00 | 1 | Wed & Thu, Nov 19 - Nov 20 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Tue & Wed, May 12 - May 13 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Coaching and Mentoring (ESS 902) | $940.00 | 2 | Wed & Thu, Oct 22 - Oct 30 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| Influencing Others with Confidence and Success (ESS 904) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Thu, Jan 29 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Remote Work - Strategies for Efficiency (ESS 905) | TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Thu, Jun 18 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| How to Pick Up the Pieces - Leadership, Motivation and Gratitude in Action (ESS 906) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Wed, Apr 22 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Effective Prioritization to Improve Decision Making, Manage Workload and Improve Well-being (ESS 907) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Thu, Apr 9 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Unconscious Bias: Moving from Bystander to Advocate (ESS 908) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
| Developing Your Social Media Brand with Style and Confidence (ESS 909) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Wed, Jan 21 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Best Practices for Sustainable Living (ESS 910) | TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Tue, Jun 16 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Your Energy Currency: Enhancing and Improving Your Emotional Self-Awareness (ESS 912) | $310.00 | 0.5 | Fri, Nov 7 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| Flexible Work as a Catalyst for Organizational Agility & Well-being (ESS 913) | $310.00 | 0.5 | — | Thu, Feb 5 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
| Tactical Humour: Leveraging the funny to build connections, camaraderie, and community (ESS 914) | TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Tue, May 12 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Scared Scriptless: Improv Bootcamp Presentation Skills Training (ESS 915) | TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Tue, May 26 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom |
| Time Maximization: Unleashing Peak Productivity and Prof Efficiency through Effective Time Mgmt (ESS 916) | $310.00 | 0.5 | Thu, Oct 2 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 0.5 | — | — | Thu, May 14 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Strengthening Communications through Storytelling (ESS 817) | $468.00 | 1 | Thu & Fri, Dec 4 - Dec 5 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — | — |
| TBD | 1 | — | — | Thu & Fri, Jun 18 - Jun 19 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | |
| Managing in a Unionized Environment (ESS 903) | $520.00 | 1 | — | Wed & Thu, Apr 22 - Apr 23 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Format: Virtual Classroom | — |
The schedule table is subject to change. Please visit the course pages to browse classes currently available for registration and the latest cost information.
Course cost includes course material and any applicable taxes.
Use up to two days’ worth of courses in two Essentials Programs. A completed course can be transferred once.
Please note: The following Essentials Programs courses for ESS 807, ESS 811, ESS 813, ESS 835, ESS 862 and ESS 899 include pre-work requiring the completion of online course enrollments one week prior to course start dates. All other Essentials Programs courses offer required online course registrations to be completed three days prior to course start dates.