McMaster University (reviews)

My time at the McMaster campus was not bad by any means, but I wouldn’t say it was outstanding. Very routine in how administrative questions were answered and dealt with, often meaning you would get an initial response but no follow up with actual detailed information. As a student, you have to navigate their horribly designed (multiple) websites at one time to figure out what classes you are required to take, let alone electives and how they work within joint majors or with minors. The program itself was decent. The profs were reasonable and often helpful, though you have to make the effort to reach out for assistance (as is expected in any university setting). Many profs will help you long past finishing their classes. The workload was doable and within reason, especially for those working full time while studying. The university as a unit handled the whole Covid situation poorly in my opinion. They would send out emails and notices with detailed instructions of how everything was going to be changed and handled and then send out a new email within 72 hours revoking what they had previously said and changing it again. Though this was obviously a new and unpredicted turn of events, I know many other schools handled it with grace and didn’t jump the gun to make decisions only to inconvenience and confuse the students by changing things multiple times. Overall the school was okay. No significant red flags on why it wouldn’t be a fit for anyone, but nothing special enough about it to make it stand out from others.

The first thing you notice as a life sciences student at McMaster is that you are one of many. LifeSciences is just about the biggest first-year program at McMaster. That’s not a bad thing either. While there is not a huge sense of a life sciences community in comparison to other programs like engineering, there are many opportunities for life sciences, and half the campus is potential study buddies. One of the great things about life sciences is that it is a gateway program so it is very broad, which is nice if you are not sure exactly what you want to do in the sciences. You get a decent amount of choice within a certain range when choosing the courses you take each semester. Thus you can give yourself a heavy course load or a light course load on your choice, which is nice to have as an option. Since there are so many people in each class, the course structure is very well designed compared to smaller programs. They are easy to navigate, and most of them are well structured on and offline. My experience with this program was that they in fact really do want you to succeed and make it possible to do so, as long as you are willing to put in the effort.

I am taking the Business I course at McMaster University. The course is a manageable one but can be quite difficult in areas such as accounting and finance. I like the Student Experience Program which helps students learn how to work with others in a simulated work environment. Furthermore, out of all the classes under the Business I course, I would say I prefer the Marketing classes the most. The classes are engaging and the professors really know how to relate with the students. This makes the learning process very enjoyable. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to branch into areas concerning marketing, accounting, finance, economics, and data analytics.

Hey, Prospective McMaster Math and Stats students!

I am an International Student pursuing Mathematics and Statistics at McMaster University, and I just finished my Second Year. Here are some of my views on University life, Course Selections, Specializations and more. The program is awesome, and you won’t regret coming here! Full of nice people, most of which will want to work together. Find some friends, work together to solve problems, and you’ll do great! The program allows you to take a bunch of electives throughout your course (I had 6 in my first year), so you can very easily minor in something, or you can take a bunch of bird courses and relax. The department here also provides opportunities to undergrads like TA work, summer Research Assistant positions and CO-OP, so you get a chance to stand out there.

If you like math, this is a fantastic program to develop your math skills and take the plethora of courses in other fields at McMaster while gaining valuable work experience in their CO-OP program. During my second year, I chose Stats Sub-plan CO-OP as my specialization. A bunch of students go for AFM, so that is fairly competitive to get into. Selection is based on your grades and an application for those applying in AFM. If you’re looking for more info, go to the McMaster math and stats information, it should show all specializations they offer for the second year and the grades required.

The professors in the math department are definitely good at their job, and I genuinely enjoy learning from them. They also aren’t trying to lower the average or cut out the numbers, so don’t worry about crazy hard courses in your first year. Most of my time isn’t spent doing assignments but more on learning the material outside of class! One tip I’d give to my first-year self would be to plan where and when you take your courses; it can help make sure that you get a spot in the popular first-year bird courses. Overall, a pretty nice program that you can easily succeed in if you put your mind to it. Good luck, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Having only completed the first year, the Arts and Science program has greatly expanded my ways of thinking. I feel that the small classroom size (approximately 65 people) along with the wide variety of topics being taught allows students to think “outside of the box” to gain a deeper knowledge about several topics. I am extremely grateful to be a part of this program.

McMaster is one of the top research universities in Canada. We take pride in our medical and engineering research facilities as the school is known for its prestigious Health Science Undergraduate Program. McMaster University is connected to McMaster Children’s Hospital and which has its Medical School in its facilities. I am on the pre-med track for my undergraduate studies of Honours Biology and have enjoyed many classes in my program. Honorary mentions to my PSYCH 1X03 and 1XX3 classes in the first year of Life Sciences Gateway because the professors and course content were spectacular. They were some of the most enjoyable courses I have enrolled in, at McMaster University. Furthermore, campus life is amazing due to the balance of both the worlds of academic focus and a fun/chill student community. Everyone I have met, whether online due to COVID-19 or during in-person classes, were all kind and respectful people. I have just finished my second year of undergraduate studies and I love it so much here. I would recommend McMaster to my younger brother and to anyone who is considering pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree for post-secondary.

I enjoy the diversity of classes that I can take in my program, you do have required classes but there are also many electives you can take. Everyone in the program is helpful and it is easy to work with others to complete assignments and study. It does not feel like you are competing against other people. I think the student life is a very good mix of being able to go out and socialize but still having a good schoolwork mentality. Everyone is motivated and hardworking in the program and school so it’s easy to make friends as everyone is like-minded. There is a big international community and there’s a lot of diversity within the program and school, it is easy to find people that you relate with. There are also a lot of associations and clubs for different ethnic groups and clubs for different interests. The school has lots of resources and career services which you can go to for any questions you have. I think the career prospect is good as there are lots of ways you can prep and get help if you need it.

The Political Science programs at McMaster University are diverse and full of amazing opportunities. While this review discusses the Honors program, the department also offers others such as combined honours and specializations. The students are very nice, however considering it is an English/essay-based program, it is a little bit competitive depending on your class. Similar to the professors, some are quite accommodating and modern while others are quite strict and old-fashioned. Nonetheless, the program has an extensive list of super interesting classes to choose from to help expand your knowledge. Additionally, the program offers student exchange and the ability to study abroad in your 3rd or 4th year is amazing! If you are looking for a great program for political science, then the one(s) at McMaster University are great.

I joined my program not knowing what I intend on doing in the far future however I knew that I am a person who likes to go out and get things done, on hands type of guy. I am at McMaster University in the Business program and I finished my first year not long ago. As much as this is a highly notorious university with an impressive reputation I felt like the program could’ve used a more interactive aspect aside from the regulars come in and watch the slides and leave. So I do think the university or even universities across Canada could offer a more dynamic study style.

Overall everything at McMaster University is great! Beautiful campus, great professors, people are nice, wide variety of programs. The staff are very helpful when dealing with all kinds of questions and concerns. Made my first few years unforgettable.