McMaster Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour admission: you start in Social Sciences I or Life Sciences, then pick PNB in year two

McMaster's PNB department says students normally finish a gateway Level I program, then choose a discipline as they enter Level II. It says students who want the Honours BA or BSc in PNB usually apply to Life Sciences I or Social Sciences I. The Faculty of Science now calls that program the Life Sciences Gateway.

The PNB department offers its core program as both an Honours BA and an Honours BSc. It says graduates of either degree are equally qualified. The BA sits in the Faculty of Social Sciences. The BSc sits in the Faculty of Science.

So your OUAC choice is really a choice of first year. You don't list PNB itself. If you want the science-heavy route, compare it with our McMaster Life Sciences guide, which covers that gateway in detail.

Social Sciences I asks for an Ontario high school diploma and six Grade 12 U or M courses, including ENG4U. The admission tool adds a note for PNB. You need MHF4U and/or MCV4U, plus SBI4U, to enrol in the prerequisite courses for PNB. If you don't have them, you take an equivalent McMaster course.

The PNB department words it more softly. It says SBI4U, MHF4U and MCV4U are highly recommended for Social Sciences I. Students without them must take equivalent courses in Level I. Either way, taking them in high school saves you a heavy first year.

The Life Sciences Gateway asks for ENG4U, one of MHF4U or MCV4U, SBI4U, and one more from MHF4U, MCV4U, SCH4U or SPH4U. Students without calculus must take calculus in Level I.

Map these courses with our high school course planner.

McMaster's admission tool lists the anticipated admission range for Social Sciences I as low to mid 80s. It lists the Life Sciences Gateway as mid 90s. These are ranges, not published minimums.

The PNB department's own page gives different numbers. It lists an anticipated cut-off of 87% to 90% for Life Sciences I and 78% to 82% for Social Sciences I, both marked subject to change. The admission tool is the newer Fall 2027 source, so plan around it. Confirm with McMaster admissions if the gap matters for your list.

Use our Top 6 average calculator to see where your marks sit. McMaster does not publish an acceptance rate for PNB.

This is the step that matters most. For the BSc, McMaster's Academic Planner lists Honours PNB as limited enrolment. Admission is by selection. The minimum is any Level 1 program with a GPA of at least 5.0.

You also need one of PSYCH 1XX3 or 1FF3 with at least 7.0 (B-), one of MATH 1A03 or 1LS3, BIOLOGY 1A03 and 1M03, one of MEDPHYS 1A03, CHEM 1A03, PHYSICS 1A03 or 1C03, and three courses from the Science 1 course list.

For the BA route, the PNB department points you to the undergraduate calendar for the Level II rules. The Social Sciences pages we checked do not post the BA Level II GPA. Ask an academic adviser in your first term.

Social Sciences I and the Life Sciences Gateway have no supplementary application in McMaster's admission tool. There is no essay, interview or Casper test for these first-year programs. Your Grade 12 marks decide the offer.

Current Ontario high school students are considered on a rolling basis from February to March. McMaster releases offers as grades arrive until May 15. Final decisions are communicated by the May 27 deadline. McMaster lists April 1, 2027 as the application deadline for both programs.

PNB is the scientific study of the brain and behaviour. Typical second-year courses include PNB 2XA3 Human Perception and Cognition, PNB 2XB3 Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology, and PNB 2XC3 Animal Behaviour and Evolution.

The department describes PNB as research-intensive. It has 21 to 42 credits of elective space, so you can add a minor. A Music Cognition specialization is also offered. Upper years include independent research courses from Level 2 and a fourth-year thesis.

The PNB department's programs page lists a PNB Co-op option for the BSc only. The Science Careers and Experience Centre's list of current Science co-op programs does not name PNB. It does list Life Sciences. Ask the Science Careers and Experience Centre whether PNB co-op is open for your entry year.

The BA route has no PNB co-op. The Social Sciences I page lists co-op only in Economics, Political Science and Work and Labour Studies. Science students can take Applied Science Placement Courses in Level III, which need 60 or 120 hours of work. Science students can also apply for paid internships, typically 4 months long.

McMaster's proposed tuition schedule lists the same Level 1 domestic tuition for a BA in Social Sciences and a BSc in Science. It is $6,163.20 for 2026-27 and $6,286.20 for 2027-28. If you start in Fall 2027, the 2027-28 figure is your first-year rate.

These are tuition fees for Ontario domestic students. They don't include ancillary fees, residence, meals or books. The schedule is marked proposed, so check it again before you pay.

McMaster gives automatic entrance awards for September 2027 entry. You don't apply. The bar depends on your faculty.

In Social Sciences, the McMaster University Entrance Award is $3,000 at 94.00% or higher for 2027-28. The Social Sciences achievement award is $1,000 for 91% to 93.99%. In the Faculty of Science, the entrance award is $3,000 at 97.00% or higher. You get one or the other, not both. The need-based Entrance Bursary ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 and is due February 19, 2027.

The key thing to know is that admission happens twice. Your child is admitted to a first year, then competes for PNB at the end of it. A strong high school average gets them in the door. First-year grades decide the major.

Social Sciences I has the lower admission range. Life Sciences sets a higher bar but leads to the BSc. Both lead to equally recognized degrees, according to the department.

The PNB department runs four program types. Applied Psychology in Human Behaviour leads to a Bachelor of Applied Science and is the least research-intensive. PNB sits in the middle. BioPNB is a combined honours BSc in PNB and Biology. Neuroscience is the most interdisciplinary.

Social Sciences also offers Social Psychology, which blends sociology and psychology. If you want health care rather than the brain itself, look at our McMaster Health Sciences guide.