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Faculty of Health Sciences

Honours Health Sciences Program

Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

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The Honours Health Sciences Program at McMaster University is unique for many reasons:

  • Many of our courses have small class sizes, which allows more direct contact with a wide range of clinicians and scientists and more class participation
  • The use of inquiry- and problem-based, self-directed learning, peer-collaboration and the opportunities to develop leadership qualities
  • Students gain skills that will facilitate flexible learning and effective function in university and in their future career
  • The program develops a functional literacy in a variety of health disciplines, allowing graduates to draw on a range of perspectives, knowledge and skills

No, although many of our graduates do go on to pursue health professions (including medicine), the Honours Health Sciences Program is not a pre-med program. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad interdisciplinary background in health, using teaching approaches that build competencies as learners, collaborators, leaders, problem-solvers and critical thinkers. The resulting profile of our graduates makes them well-suited for a wide variety of careers in health research, health policy, health promotion and the health professions (including, but not limited to, medicine), among many other paths.

Honours Health Sciences Program graduates have pursued an enormous variety of opportunities after graduation. Some of the most common ones include: 

  • Professional school (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary, law, chiropractic, naturopathic)
  • Graduate school (e.g., medical sciences, health research methodology, health policy, public health, global health, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, health administration)
  • Seek employment (e.g., pharmaceutical industry, insurance industry, hospital and community agencies) 

The skill set that students develop through inquiry is amazingly transferrable to many contexts and fields.

Inquiry is an educational approach that is one of the foundational aspects of the Honours Health Sciences Program, in which students are active participants in their own learning and develop a variety of transferable skills in learning, collaboration and problem-solving, as they also gain knowledge. Learn more about the inquiry approach and why we think it is so important.

Yes, all Level I students are required to complete first year Inquiry (HTHSCI 1E06). Second year transfer students are required to complete HTHSCI 2D06 in place of HTHSCI 1E06 and HTHSCI 2E03. There are also required inquiry courses in year two and year three of the program, and many of our required and elective courses also incorporate inquiry principles.

Inquiry is one of our core educational principles in the Honours Health Sciences Program because we believe that it develops transferrable capacities that are valuable for working in any field, health and otherwise. Learn more about inquiry in the Honours Health Sciences Program.

Many of the required Honours Health Sciences Program courses will involve a group component. The learning process is paramount to our collaborative teaching and learning style. We believe that the skills one develops by working in collaborative teams are critically important for people who want to work in the field of health, where teamwork and collaboration are the norm.

Future Students FAQs

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  • Minimum 90% Grade 12 average in the five required courses, plus one additional Grade 12 course
  • Completion of the mandatory online Level I Supplementary Application by the specified deadline date
  • English U
  • Biology U
  • Chemistry U
  • One of Grade 12 Mathematics of Data Management U (MDM4U), Advanced Functions U (MHF4U) or Calculus and Vectors U (MCV4U). For applicants who present more than one of these math courses, the highest grade at the time of review will be used to calculate the admission average.
  • One non-math or non-science U or M credit (note: PSE4U Exercise Science will satisfy this course requirement)
  • Note: Courses in technological education, science or mathematics are not acceptable. You can use the search feature to determine if your Grade 12 U/M course fulfills this requirement.
  • One additional U or M credit to total six courses. 
  • No additional documentation (i.e., CV/resume, reference letters) is accepted or considered for admission. 
  • Supplementary Applications will be reviewed for those applicants who satisfy the grade and course requirements. A combination of the supplementary application ranking and Grade 12 marks with high rankings on both elements will determine if an applicant will receive an admission offer. 
  • Admission offers will be made in early May. 

Learn more.

  • Minimum 90% Grade 12 average
  • Completion of the mandatory online Level I Supplementary Application by the specified deadline date
  • English
  • Math
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • One non-math or non-science Note: Courses in technological education, science or mathematics are not acceptable.
  • If you are attending a school outside of Canada, you must satisfy the admission requirements.
  • No additional documentation (i.e., CV/resume, reference letters) is accepted or considered for admission
  • Supplementary Applications will be reviewed for those applicants who satisfy the grade and course requirements. A combination of the Supplementary Application ranking and final/interim Grade 12 marks with high rankings on both elements will determine if an applicant will receive an admission offer.
  • Admission offers will be made in early May

Learn more.

Unfortunately, if you missed the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) application deadline date, you will not be considered for this program.

Your Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) ranking of the Honours Health Sciences Program has no impact on our admissions decisions.

An applicant’s grades and their scores on the mandatory online Supplementary Application both factor into the admissions decisions. Supplementary Applications are reviewed for applicants who satisfy the admission requirements. Each Supplementary Application is scored by multiple reviewers and if there is significant disagreement between the initial reviewers an additional reviewer is added. Once the Supplementary Application scores are finalized, an iterative approach is used to determine which applicants will receive an offer of admission based on both the GPA and the Supplementary Application scores. Thus, it is possible to have a very high GPA and still not receive an offer of admission.

Given the large number of applications to the program (over 7,000 applicants), there are many more excellent applicants than we are able to accommodate in our incoming class. Not receiving an offer of admission does not mean we thought the application is weak. It simply that there are more excellent applicants than we are able to accept.

Yes, you may have read media stories about students with a 98%+ average who did not get an offer of admission to the program or have seen in various internet forums that there is no point in applying if you don’t have a GPA of at least 95%. However, we factor both the Supplementary Application score and the GPA into our decision-making, so applicants with a very high GPA may not get an offer of admission if their Supplementary Application score is weak, and applicants with a GPA in the low 90s and a strong Supplementary Application score can get an offer. In fact, we make offers of admission to applicants across the entire spectrum of grades from the low- to high-90s, so do not count yourself out if your average is in the low 90s.

The target enrolment in the Honours Health Sciences Program is 240 students into Level I and 20 students transferring into Level II. Target enrolments may vary from year to year.

Given the volume of applications to the program (over 7,000 applicants), the limited number of seats available and the number of talented and qualified applicants, we simply cannot accommodate everyone in the program due to sheer numbers.

If you are very interested in the Honours Health Sciences Program, but did not receive an offer of admission for Level I, we also have a limited number of spots available for transfer students into Level II.

Admissions decisions are final and we only reconsider applicants in cases where there are errors in the applicant’s high school transcripts. We will not review any additional information or conduct interviews. We do not disclose Supplementary Application scores or rankings to applicants, nor do we provide any feedback on individual applications.

The Honours Health Sciences Program aims to provide students an understanding of health from the integration of biological, psychosocial and health-systems based perspectives of illness and wellness. Life Sciences aims to provide students a foundation in traditional scientific disciplines, such as: biology, psychology, neuroscience, earth and environmental science. Applicants are encouraged to contact each program directly to obtain more information.

The Honours Health Sciences Program does not provide a program specific entrance award but you may be eligible for a McMaster University entrance award. Please review details and eligibility criteria on the Aid and Awards website.

In Level I, Honours Health Sciences Program students are required to complete 21 units of required courses and 9 units of elective courses, for a total of 30 units: 

  • 6 units HTHSCI 1I06 (Cellular and Molecular Biology) 
  • 6 units CHEM 1A03 and CHEM 1AA3 (Introductory Chemistry I and Introductory Chemistry II) 
  • 6 units HTHSCI 1E06 (Inquiry I: Introduction) 
  • 2 units HTHSCI 1G02 (Interdisciplinary Problem-Solving in Health) 
  • 1 unit HTHSCI 1X01 (Praxis Pathways 1) 
  • 1 course in WHMIS 1A00 (WHMIS, Health and Safety) 

Learn more.

We want students to not only do well academically but also to be well as whole people.   

There are multiple ways you can access support as you are transitioning into the program including, but not limited to: 

  • Completion of the mandatory online Supplementary Application by the specified deadline date 
    • One full year of undergraduate university studies
    • Completion of six units (full course) of university Level I Biology and six units of Level I Chemistry. Minimum 10.0 (A-) on a 12.0 scale GPA/average
  • McMaster University transfer applicants are required to complete a Level II program application on Mosaic, which is available in April, as well as the mandatory Supplementary Application
  • Applicants from other post-secondary institutions must apply by April 1 via the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) and complete the mandatory Supplementary Application. 
  • Deadline for external applicants to submit a final university transcript to McMaster University Admissions Office is June 1 
  • Supplementary Applications will be reviewed for those applicants who satisfy the grade and course requirements. A combination of the Supplementary Application ranking and university grades with high rankings on both elements will determine if an applicant receives an admission offer.
  • No additional documentation (i.e., CV/resume, reference letters) is accepted or considered for admission

Note: Transfer applicants are ineligible to apply to the Honours Health Sciences Program Child Health Specialization

If you are currently in Level I of a undergraduate university program, you can apply to the Honours Health Sciences Program Level II as a transfer applicant, provided you satisfy the admission requirements.

We are going to stop you right there. There are a lot of things in online forums about the Honours Health Sciences Program that are inaccurate, not correct and outright nonsense. For example, some forums claim that if you do not have a 95% GPA or higher, there is no point in applying. This is false. Successful applicants span the entire eligible grade range from 90–100%.

Some of these forums have contributors who identify themselves as Honours Health Sciences Program students or alums and give advice based on their insight or experience. Take these with multiple grains of salt. It is possible they are not. Also, even if they are, the information they provide is based on their own individual experience and perception and may not be representative of all students or may not be correct. The information they give may well be useful but just bear in mind it is not the definitive account of things.

Our website represents a repository of information about the program and if you have questions that cannot be answered here, you can contact us with your questions. You can visit us at the Ontario University Fair event each fall in Toronto, on campus during one of the fall or spring preview days or make arrangements to come by the office to chat. We would be happy to meet with you.

Current Students FAQs

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If you wish to study abroad (MacAbroad), please refer to the International Student Services website and contact their office for any questions. 

MacAbroad is typically available to students entering Level III with the application made in Level II.

In the competitive world of professional and graduate school admissions, students are often worried that having a withdrawn notation on their transcript will be harmful to their application and ask us if they can be removed. However, we want to reassure you that one or two Ws on your transcript will not be harmful to your postgraduate applications.

It is widely recognized that there are many reasons that a student might have a W on their transcript and if there are no other indicators of concern it is very unlikely that a W by itself would be a disadvantage.

We do not remove a W from a transcript except in extenuating circumstances (e.g.,, compelling medical or personal circumstances). To be considered, you must submit a Petition for Special Consideration and appropriate supporting documentation.

A request to take a year off during your undergraduate studies will be assessed on an individual basis. Please contact the Academic Program Advisors to discuss.

You will be promoted to apply for graduation in the fall for spring graduates. You can apply via Mosaic > Graduation Tile. More information can be found on the Office of Registrar website. Specific questions about graduation can be directed to our Helpdesk.

A minor is an option available to students enrolled in an honours program and is a focused area of interest using your elective courses. Details for minors can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar. 

If interested in a minor, it is recommended you also review concurrent certificate options. Minors can still be completed if started in Level II. 

Most minors consist of 24 units to be completed during your undergraduate degree. Refer to the Undergraduate Calendar for minor requirements or concurrent certificate options.

If you are interested in applying to the Child Health Specialization, you must complete the Level II program application in Mosaic. You must also complete a Child Health Specialization Supplementary Application and submit it to the Honours Health Sciences Program (BHSc) Office by the deadline. Details will be posted on the Microsoft Teams. Child Health Specialization is not open to Level II transfer students.

Please refer to the three step process for course enrolment.

Whenever you are unsure where/how to seek help, please visit the Honours Health Sciences Program Office.

Learn more..

From Mosaic, to Avenue to Learn, or Microsoft 365, all the links you need to a wide variety of technology services are available through the University Technology Services (UTS) website.

Supplementary Application FAQs

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The Level I and Level II Supplementary Application questions are posted on our website in September.

Supplementary Application details are available here.

Supplementary Application details are available here.

Unfortunately, the Supplementary Application submission deadline is firm and no extensions will be given if this deadline is missed.

If you encounter technical issues while trying to submit your Supplementary Application answers, please contact the Honours Health Sciences Program Helpdesk before the deadline, and our staff will respond to your query during business hours Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:30pm.

We ask that you do not put your name in your Supplementary Application answers. Thinking more broadly than that, you also would not want to give enough information that would allow someone to find out who you were by doing a Google search. For example: 

  • Do not say “as the gold medal winner in the biology category of the 2019 Sudbury science fair” … instead say “as the gold medal winner in my local science fair”
  • Do not say “my dad is the only veterinarian in Kenora” … instead say “my dad is the only veterinarian in my small town”

You can be informal about citations in this context. If you want to refer to a piece of information you got from a website, a book, a paper or somewhere else, you can simply cite it narratively, for example:

  • “According to Statistics Canada, the poverty rate was 15% in 2012.”
  • “In her book, Michelle Obama said ‘Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?'”
  • “In my favourite episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Holt tells Diaz ‘Every time someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place.'”

If you are using someone else’s words or referencing a specific piece of data, for these purposes, you can simply give us a reasonable indication of where you got that from, without needing to use formal academic citation practices.

Rest assured that the odd typo or grammatical issue is not going to hurt your scores. We know that little mistakes happen. Our reviewers are instructed to ignore a few minor mistakes and focus on the substance of the submission unless the typos or grammatical problems impede understanding or suggest a pervasive problem in communication.

The Supplementary Application is an important aspect of the admissions process. It is an opportunity for you to demonstrate capacities that are not readily apparent from grades alone, share your experiences, thought processes and other things you would like us to know and understand about you. It helps us learn more about you as an individual that is not necessarily available on your high school transcript.

Your responses to the questions must be entirely your own. Discussion with others, including current program students, is not permitted. Posting answers to third party websites or online forums is strictly prohibited. Use of admissions consultants is prohibited. We do not endorse any of these enterprises and note that use of these services to craft your Supplementary Application is by definition a violation of academic integrity. Failure to comply with these terms is considered a breach of academic integrity and any violation is grounds for removal from the applicant pool (or removal from the program if such a violation is discovered after admission).

Applicants should be aware that companies and individuals offering to provide services to help students prepare their Supplementary Application for the Honours Health Sciences Program are not endorsed by McMaster University, and that claims made by such agencies that they are able to provide “insider information” about our admissions processes are unfounded. In general, there is a lot of misinformation about our admissions process on the internet based on spurious information, rumours and anecdotes. Information about our admissions process that cannot be substantiated by the information available on our website should certainly be viewed critically. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Further, any individual who is offered, and accepts, admission to the Honours Health Sciences Program but who, upon arrival at McMaster University, is determined to be inconsistent with the person portrayed in this application, will be asked to withdraw from the Program. Posting your answers on the internet, whether draft or final, use of paid admissions consultants, plagiarism, use of generative artificial intelligence, or otherwise working with others to prepare your responses is not permitted and may result in removal from the applicant pool or withdrawal of an offer of admission.

Honours Health Sciences Program faculty, staff and Level IV students review and score the Supplementary Applications. Each application is scored by multiple reviewers. Where there is a significant discrepancy in the scores given by the reviewers, an additional reviewer is assigned.

Grades and the scores on the Supplementary Application are the only elements we consider in making our admissions decisions and, in fairness to all applicants, we do not review any additional material.

Extracurricular activities are no doubt important in shaping your experience and skills but the availability of these opportunities varies widely and, thus, we do not use this as a consideration in our admissions process.