Level 1 Programs - McMaster Academic Planner (MAP)

Gateway Programs

Whether you know exactly what area of science you are interested in or are still undecided — or change your mind after you arrive — the structure of our four Level 1 Gateway programs will provide you with a range of Level 2 program options.

Regardless of your path, at the end of first year you will rank, order and apply to up to four Level 2 programs.

Chemical and Physical Sciences

Everything we know is either matter or energy. Understanding the ways in which matter and energy behave and interact is critical to understanding the universe at every level – from the submicroscopic constituents of matter to the macroscopic behaviour of galaxies and star clusters. This understanding comes through a mix of mathematical description, computational modeling, and experimental investigations.

Learn More

Environmental and Earth Sciences Gateway

Human life and society depend critically on environmental resources we all too often take for granted: air, water, soil and the mineral and organic resources of the earth. With increasing attention to global warming and climate change, there have been dramatically more scientific research and employment opportunities in this area.

Learn More

Life Science Gateway

An understanding of the tapestry of life comes not from a single discipline, but is woven from all of the Life Sciences: biochemistry, cell biology, genomics, developmental biology, neurobiology, psychology, ecology, and earth sciences. The avalanche of information available from these fields allows scientists to look at biological systems in unprecedented detail. The key is to integrate knowledge across disciplines in order to understand organisms and their place in the ecosystem.

Learn More

Mathematics and Statistics Gateway

Mathematics and Statistics study patterns underlying diverse phenomena such as the weather, human and animal populations, stock markets, the form of a molecule, or the structure of the space and the time. Using mathematics, we discover subtle and sometimes unexpected features of these phenomena; as well, we can predict their behaviour, which is an extremely important component of our understanding of the world and the space that surrounds us. Statistics can help us make sense of large data sets and complex systems in areas such as astronomy, genomics, social networks, climate simulation, and medicine. Statisticians examine the patterns which arise in data with the goal of distinguishing true patterns from chance effects.

Learn More

Direct Entry Programs

In contrast to the Level 1 Gateway Programs, students enter directly into these programs and the first-year curriculum is a set of prescribed, required courses that must be completed before advancing to level 2 of the program.

Honours Integrated Science

The Honours Integrated Science (iSci) program is the country’s most innovative undergraduate science program, blending content from across the science disciplines, while focusing on the foundations of chemistry, earth science, life science, mathematics, and physics.

Our students learn in a variety of situations — from formal lectures and tutorials to inquiry-based team and individual research projects that involve hands-on laboratories and fieldwork.

Integrated Science students learn to ask creative and critical questions using a wide range of tools. Most importantly they are prepared to tackle real world challenges that face us today and in the future.

Learn More

Honours Kinesiology

McMaster’s Honours Kinesiology program is committed to the discovery, communication and application of knowledge through the multi-disciplinary study of human movement, exercise and the relationships between physical activity and health.

Our comprehensive curriculum engages students in experiential learning. Our undergraduate students are taught by outstanding faculty, have access to state-of-the-art teaching and research labs, and benefit from our active hands-on approach to learning.

Learn More

Medical Radiation Sciences

Today, Medical Radiation Sciences is one of the fastest growing primary health care fields. In recent years, innovations in information technology, digital imaging and instrumentation have made it one of the most advanced, specialized and dynamic areas of health care today.

Medical Radiation Sciences involves the use of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation for diagnostic studies and the treatment of patients. Ionizing radiation includes x-rays and gamma rays; non-ionizing radiation includes magnetic fields and ultrasound. The collaboration between McMaster University and Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology gives students in the Medical Radiation Sciences program the best of both worlds.

Learn More