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McMaster Campus Guide: Main Campus, Burlington and Transit
McMaster's main campus is at 1280 Main Street West in Hamilton. It covers 300 acres in the Westdale neighbourhood and includes the Health Sciences Centre and its hospital. The Burlington campus, the Ron Joyce Centre, mainly hosts DeGroote's MBA and executive education programs. If you're a full-time undergraduate, your fees include an unlimited HSR bus pass.
Sources checked September 29, 2026. View sources
The main campus and the Health Sciences Centre
The main campus sits on 300 acres in Westdale, a west Hamilton neighbourhood. First-year residences, the libraries, the David Braley Athletic Centre and most teaching buildings are here.
The Health Sciences Centre on the main campus houses the Faculty of Health Sciences and the McMaster site of Hamilton Health Sciences hospitals, including McMaster Children's Hospital. The Health Sciences Library is in this building too. Because it's a working hospital, follow patient and visitor signage when you're inside.
Burlington and other McMaster sites
These other sites matter mainly for specific programs. Check which site your program uses before you plan housing or transit.
| Site | Where | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Joyce Centre (Burlington campus) | 4350 South Service Road, Burlington, less than 2 km from Appleby GO station | DeGroote School of Business MBA and executive education. Opened in September 2010. |
| Health Sciences Centre | Main campus, Hamilton | Faculty of Health Sciences and the McMaster site of Hamilton Health Sciences hospitals |
| 10 Bay Street South residence | Downtown Hamilton | Upper-year students; linked to the main campus by a free shuttle |
| Niagara and Waterloo Regional Campuses | Niagara region and Waterloo region | Students in McMaster's MD program |
Your HSR bus pass
Undergraduates taking 18 or more units across the fall and winter terms pay the HSR bus pass fee: $252.05 for 2026-27. You can't opt out; the pass comes from a student referendum contract with the Hamilton Street Railway.
The pass gives unlimited HSR rides for the year. It covers September to August but starts working on August 22, so you can use it on move-in. It doesn't cover GO Transit or the TTC. On GO, the pass on your PRESTO card lets you pay the post-secondary fare.
- Get a PRESTO card and register it to a PRESTO account. The voucher only loads onto a registered card.
- Copy the voucher code from the HSR tile in Mosaic and load it in your PRESTO account.
- Tap your PRESTO card when you board and carry your McMaster student card.
- No tile in Mosaic? Check your account summary for the bus pass charge. If you were charged and the tile still isn't there after a business day, contact the Registrar.
Getting to and around campus
Several HSR routes serve McMaster, including 1 King, 5 Delaware, 10 B-Line Express and 51 University. The McMaster GO bus terminal is on the west side of campus, between Thode Library and Mary E. Keyes Residence. Check GO Transit's trip planner for routes from there.
McMaster runs a free weekday shuttle with up to three buses. They come every 5 to 20 minutes depending on the stop and time of day, and the current routes took effect on August 24, 2026. Shuttles also link the main campus with the Ron Joyce Centre and the 10 Bay residence.
To reach the Burlington campus, take the RJC shuttle from the main campus or the separate shuttle from Appleby GO station. There's no RJC shuttle on statutory holidays unless McMaster posts otherwise.
Parking as a student
Students can apply for a monthly permit in Lot M on West Campus, subject to availability. From May 1, 2026 the Lot M rate is $57 a month. Permits are ordered through an eParking account, and a shuttle serves the west campus lots.
With the bus pass already in your fees, most students living in residence or on an HSR route won't need a car.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- McMaster University: directions to campus
- McMaster University: campus map
- McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences: contact and location
- DeGroote School of Business: Ron Joyce Centre
- Ron Joyce Centre: transportation and shuttles
- McMaster MD Program
- McMaster Students Union: HSR bus pass
- McMaster Parking and Transportation: public transit
- McMaster Parking and Transportation: GO Transit
- McMaster Parking and Transportation: campus shuttle bus
- McMaster Parking and Transportation: monthly parking