Harness the power of information to gain a competitive edge
The Open Source Intelligence program teaches you the latest technology, research techniques and tools to collect and assess data. Learn how to analyze captured data to protect business interests and optimize company operations to be more competitive in today’s fast-paced marketplace.
Virtual Classroom; Online Self-study
Approx. 7-9 hours per week, per course
Certificate: 4+ months
Schedule and fees
Open enrolment
Professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including:
Earning a Certificate of Completion in Open Source Intelligence can lead to rewarding positions such as:
Open source intelligence (OSINT) skills can be used in a variety of industries, including:
Upon completion of the program, students will:
Watch all the Tech and Data Webinar Series recordings here.
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work.
The flexibility of the course helped me a lot to balance my work. Our field in data is continuously changing. I found that sweet balance in terms of the focus of the course. It’s a life cycle of how the data is coming in all the way to make it a service or a product. The course gives you that 360 spectrum.
Explore the requirements below and register today!
Upon successful completion of all four courses listed below, you will receive a digital certificate of completion. Complete with details of the skills and specialized knowledge you have acquired, your credential is digitally shareable, making it easy to add to your resume, LinkedIn profile and to share with current or prospective employers.
Note: Students may request permission to apply OSI 101 and/or OSI 102 to the Data Analytics program.
(Currently Not Available)
Explore course options below and register today!
*Students may begin OSI 102, OSI 103 and OSI 104 any time between February 2nd and April 30th, 2026, and will be given 90 days from their start time to complete the course.
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.