Overview
Important update about our Certificates in Health and Social Service Skill Development.
We will not be accepting new students into the following programs as of May 30th, 2025:
- Certificate in Health and Social Service Skill Development
- Certificate of Professional Learning in Health and Social Service Skill Development
- Certificate in Canadian Health Care
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Advance your skill set and future-proof your career with our Health and Social Service Skill Development program
Whether you are new to the health and social service sectors, or you are seeking to upskill or reskill your prior training, this program can help you get ahead of your peers. Simply select the courses you need to achieve your goals.
- Academic credit upon successful completion of each course
- Wide range of courses related to individual academic and career pathways for health and social service
- Learn online from health and social service professionals
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Program highlights Learn More
- Choose from 24 course options
- Taught by experts in health and social service
- Earn a Certificate
Health and Social Service Skill Development program features:
- Choose areas of study and individual courses to align with your goals
- Convenient online courses fit your busy life
- Learn from instructors with industry expertise
- Collaborate with peers and network with other professionals from various disciplines
What you'll learn Learn More
- How to develop your skills with specialized courses related to your academic and career pathways
- Pick from specialized areas such as Addiction, Human Resources, Health Information Management and Informatics
Through our Health and Social Service Skill Development program and its course options, you can choose to learn from a number of areas:
Addiction
- Understand addiction, its interventions, prevention and treatments, as well as the ethical and legal issues an addiction professional will face
- Examine and understand the person with addiction issues, including the complexity of concurrent disorders such as mental illness and substance use
- Understand behaviours that lead to effective supervision, including through the concept of Situational Leadership
Human Resources
- Explore human behaviour through influences that affect productivity, efficiency and organizational effectiveness
- Examine the function of training and development, including the psychology of learning, needs assessment, program design and evaluation, and group dynamics.
Health Informatics
- Critically examine the role of a health informatician to develop, maintain and retrieve data from systems used in healthcare to facilitate decision making
- Grasp the overview of disease processes and the effect on different body systems, along with diagnostic tests and therapeutic intervention
- Use relevant medical terminology to work successfully as part of a healthcare team
- Understand the anatomy and physiology of the human body
- Focus on foundational concepts within epidemiology in order to build an understanding of its application within public health and health research
- Understand the Canadian healthcare system, including how it is organized, regulated and managed
Learn more about the Health and Social Service Skill Development program
- Professionals seeking a refresher course in health
- Anyone interested in a new career path to health and social service
- Anyone seeking courses to fill academic or professional skill gaps
- Anyone looking to upskill their existing credentials for a health or social service career
Earning a Certificate in Health and Social Service or a Certificate of Professional Learning in Health and Social Service will enable you to upskill, fill in academic or career gaps and expand your skill set for various health and social service careers, including:
- Addictions Counsellor
- Health Information Professional
- Health or Social Service Human Resources Professional
Are you a current McMaster University undergraduate student?
Explore the ElevateYourSkills option to learn how you can earn a Health and Social Service Skill Development certificate as part of your degree.
- Use your electives to earn a professional certificate or diploma
- Fully online courses that you can fit into your schedule
- Providing you with real-life career skills and experience before you graduate
Check out our latest Health Program Preview webinar to learn more about the Health and Social Service Skill Development program
What our recent graduates say
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
I wanted to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that.
I wanted to be able to reinvent myself and change my career path and I was able to do that because of McMaster Continuing Education. Being a nurse, there are so many different avenues of nursing that I can try new things and continue to learn. The instructors were really understanding. When you’re working full-time, having someone that will promptly answer your questions and make time for you when you need it, they made it really easy.
Krystal
Health and Social Service Skill Development graduate
Other programs you may be interested in
Certificate in Health and Social Service Skill Development
Certificates in Health and Social Service Skill Development
Earn one of the Certificates in Health and Social Service Skill Development with McMaster Continuing Education
Explore Certificate options and requirements below and register today!
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Certificate in Canadian Health Care
Earn the Certificate in Canadian Health Studies by completing any five courses listed below.
Courses (Complete any 5)
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Certificate in Health and Social Service
Earn the Certificate in Health and Social Service by completing any five courses listed below.
Courses (complete any 5)
3.0 UNITS
ADD 207
Human Development in Context: Understanding the Person with Addiction Issues
(Currently Not Available)
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Certificate of Professional Learning in Health and Social Service
Earn the Certificate of Professional Learning in Health and Social Service by completing any three courses listed below.
Courses (complete any 3)
3.0 UNITS
ADD 207
Human Development in Context: Understanding the Person with Addiction Issues
(Currently Not Available)
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Health and Social Service Skill Development Schedule
Health and Social Service Skill Development 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: Visit Learning Formats to determine the best format for you.
Course Name (Course Code) | Cost | Units | Fall 2024 | Winter 2025 | Spring/Summer 2025 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Understanding the Canadian Health care System (HTH 100) | $912.93 | 3.0 | Sep 23 - Nov 24 Format: Online | Jan 27 - Mar 30 Format: Online | — |
Health Information Management I (HTH 101) | $912.93 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Nov 17 Format: Online | Jan 27 - Apr 6 Format: Online | — |
Health Informatics Data Analysis (HTH 110) | TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Jul 6 Format: Online |
Pathophysiology I (HTH 116) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
Pathophysiology II (HTH 117) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
Quality and Performance Evaluation (HTH 122) | $912.93 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Nov 17 Format: Online | — | — |
Medical Terminology (HTH 200) | $912.93 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Dec 8 Format: Online | Jan 13 - Apr 13 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Aug 3 Format: Online | |
Anatomy/Physiology (HTH 300) | $912.93 | 3.0 | — | Jan 13 - Apr 13 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Aug 3 Format: Online | |
Foundations in Epidemiology (HTH 400) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
Introduction to Addiction (ADD 201) | $883.90 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Nov 17 Format: Online | Jan 13 - Mar 23 Format: Online | — |
Assessment and Treatment Planning (ADD 206) | $883.90 | 3.0 | — | Jan 13 - Mar 23 Format: Online | — |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Jul 13 Format: Online | |
Human Development in Context: Understanding the Person with Addiction Issues (ADD 207) | $883.90 | 3.0 | Oct 7 - Dec 15 Format: Online | — | — |
Concurrent Disorders (ADD 211) | - | - | Currently Not Available | ||
Human Resources Management (HRM 901) | $808.98 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Dec 1 Format: Online | Jan 13 - Apr 6 Format: Online | — |
$808.98 | 3.0 | Sep 30 - Dec 22 Format: Online | Feb 3 - Apr 27 Format: Online | — | |
$808.98 | 3.0 | Oct 7 - Jan 5 Format: Online | Feb 24 - May 18 Format: Online | — | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Jul 27 Format: Online | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 26 - Aug 17 Format: Online | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | Jun 2 - Aug 24 Format: Online | |
Training & Development (HRM 902) | $808.98 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Dec 1 Format: Online | Jan 13 - Apr 6 Format: Online | — |
$808.98 | 3.0 | Oct 7 - Jan 5 Format: Online | Feb 24 - May 18 Format: Online | — | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Jul 27 Format: Online | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | Jun 2 - Aug 24 Format: Online | |
Occupational Health & Safety (HRM 921) | $808.98 | 3.0 | Sep 9 - Dec 1 Format: Online | Jan 13 - Apr 6 Format: Online | — |
$808.98 | 3.0 | Oct 7 - Jan 5 Format: Online | Feb 24 - May 18 Format: Online | — | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | May 5 - Jul 27 Format: Online | |
TBD | 3.0 | — | — | Jun 2 - Aug 24 Format: Online |
The schedule table is subject to change. Please visit the course pages to browse classes currently available for registration and the latest cost information.
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
- 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 your first language is not English, you must meet the University’s English language proficiency requirements. Completion of TOEFL exam with a minimum acceptable score of 20 on each of the four components (reading, writing, speaking and listening), valid for 2 years.
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.