McMaster Health Sciences admission requirements: a 90% minimum, a required supplementary application and the January 15 deadline

McMaster asks for six Grade 12 U or M courses. Five are set: English, Biology, Chemistry, one of Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors or Data Management, and one 4U or 4M course that is not math, science or technology. The sixth is any Grade 12 U or M course.

The program page has a search box to check if a course counts as the non-science course. Grade 12 co-op courses can't be used for admission. Plan your courses with our course planner.

The admission page asks for a minimum average of 90%, and McMaster's admission tool lists the range as min. 90%. That is the floor to be reviewed, not a target that wins a seat.

McMaster says the program is limited and highly competitive, with over 8,000 applicants a year for 240 spots. Final and interim Grade 12 marks are assessed together with your supplementary application score. Meeting the course and grade rules only makes your supplementary application eligible for review. McMaster does not publish an acceptance rate for the program. Work out your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

Every applicant must complete the supplementary application. It is scored together with your grades, and the program says a high average alone does not guarantee admission. It lets you show critical thinking and how you reflect on yourself.

The BHSc supplementary page lists the Level I questions as posted on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. The Level I admission page says questions are posted in September, so check both pages. McMaster's supplementary list gives the due date as early or mid February 2027. You get an email in January with instructions. Portal access is time limited and there are no extensions.

Grades and the supplementary score are the only things McMaster uses. It does not accept a CV, résumé or extra material. Multiple reviewers score each application, including faculty, staff and fourth-year students.

McMaster's rules are strict. Your answers must be entirely your own. Talking about your answers with others, posting them online, using generative AI and using admissions consultants are all not allowed. Breaking these rules can remove you from the applicant pool or cancel an offer.

Don't put your name or details that identify you in your answers. Informal citations are fine, and a few typos won't hurt your score.

Indigenous applicants can apply through the Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program. They meet the same course and average rules, complete the supplementary application, and send a FIAP self-identification form by the OUAC deadline.

Black and Latin American or Latinx applicants apply the usual way. They are invited to self-identify for McMaster's equitable admissions processes when supplementary application details are sent.

McMaster's admission tool lists co-op and internship for Honours Health Sciences as not available. Hands-on learning comes from project courses and a fourth-year senior project or thesis, often on funded research with a faculty supervisor.

First year includes Cellular and Molecular Biology, two chemistry courses, an Inquiry course, problem solving in health and 9 units of electives. Later years leave room for electives, a minor, a Child Health Specialization or certificates.

McMaster's 2026-27 and 2027-28 tuition fee schedule shows B.HSc Level 1 tuition of $6,163.20 for domestic students in 2026-27 and $6,286.20 in 2027-28. Students from other provinces pay $7,715.70 and $7,869.90. International students pay $54,017.40 in both years. These are tuition only and the schedule is labelled proposed.

The program began in 2000 and was once called the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program. It uses an inquiry-based model. Students take an active part in their learning, with a focus on problem solving, finding and judging information, teamwork and communication.

It draws on many departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences, including clinical ones such as medicine and psychiatry. With 240 students a year, classes are small. The program lists careers in health care, such as medicine, dentistry and physiotherapy, and in fields like public health, law, policy and business.

Most students stay in the core program after first year. Those who want a focus can add the Child Health Specialization, or a certificate in Biomedical Sciences or in Immunology, Microbiology and Virology. There are also options for students interested in global health.

Elective space grows each year: 9 units in Level II, 18 units in Level III and 12 to 21 units in Level IV. That leaves room for a minor in many subjects across McMaster.

McMaster gives automatic entrance awards based on your final admission average. For September 2027, Health Sciences students with 98% or higher get the McMaster University Entrance Award of $1,000. Students in the Honours Health Sciences Program with 93% to 97.99% get a Faculty Achievement Award of $500. You can receive one of these, not both.

Averages are not rounded. Offers are projected from your average when you apply and depend on your final grades from OUAC. The Access Award, by application on AwardSpring, offers up to $20,000 a year to qualified students from equity-deserving groups in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It is due February 19, 2027.

With 240 seats, many strong students with averages above 90% won't get in. Help your child build a list with other health and life science programs too.

The supplementary application must be your child's own work. McMaster bans outside help, including paid consultants. You can help with timing: watch for the January email and the short portal window.