Gain the skills you need to succeed in the health and social service sectors
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:
Current students will have until December 30th, 2026 to complete their program:
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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.
Addiction
Human Resources
Health Informatics
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:
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.
Learn more here.
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.
Explore Certificate options and requirements below and register today!
Earn the Certificate in Canadian Health Studies by completing any five courses listed below.
3.0 UNITS
(Currently Not Available)
$967.97
Earn the Certificate in Health and Social Service by completing any five courses listed below.
$937.17
$857.68
$812.88
Earn the Certificate of Professional Learning in Health and Social Service by completing any three courses listed below.
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.
The schedule table is subject to change. Please visit the course pages to browse classes currently available for registration and the latest cost information.
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:
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.
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.
Visit the Schedule tab to select your course and proceed with the registration steps.