In mid-June each year, students enroll in courses for the upcoming Fall and Winter academic terms. There are several resources available to ensure you are choosing courses that satisfy your degree requirements and keep you on track for graduation. Additional resources on how to search, plan, and enroll in courses using Mosaic are available from the Office of the Registrar. If you are unsure of your degree requirements, please contact an Academic Advisor.

Level I Students

For Level I students, plan your course enrollment according to the Level II Programs you may wish to major in. Guidelines on Level I requirements can be found here:

• Humanities I
• Integrated Arts I

All Level II Programs at McMaster have specific admission requirements which must be completed during your first year. Program admission requirements are published annually in McMaster’s Academic Calendar under “Programs (by Degree) and Minors.”

Upper-Level Students

For upper-level students, use your Advisement Report on Mosaic to plan your course enrollment each year. Your Advisement Report is individual to you – it automatically tracks which degree requirements have been satisfied and which are not satisfied.

Access your Advisement Report:

• Log into your Mosaic Student Centre.
• Click on the My Academics
• Click on View my Advisement Report.

Important Dates and Deadlines for Course Enrollment

McMaster University’s Sessional Dates govern when students can add, drop, or withdraw from courses during each term. Personalized course enrollment appointment times are released to your Mosaic Student Centre in June each year. You can access the Sessional Dates and enrollment dates on the Office of the Registrar’s website. All deadlines are updated annually.

When enrolling in courses on Mosaic, you may receive one or more of the following error messages. Keep reading to find out how to handle these error messages:

Available seats are reserved, and you do not meet the reserve capacity criteria

This error message indicates that remaining seats in the course are reserved for particular student groups or programs, for example, students who require the course as part of their degree requirements. Reserved seats are released throughout the summer. All reserved seats are typically released by the first week of September for Fall term, and the first week of January for the Winter term. Check Mosaic for seat availability in the course periodically. You may be able to enroll as reserved seats are released, or if someone else drops the course.

Course is full or closed

If a course is full or closed, there are no seats available. The only way to enroll in a closed course is if someone else drops the course and a seat becomes available. Check Mosaic for seat availability in the course periodically.

The University does not use waitlists.

If the course is mandatory for your degree requirements, please contact your home Faculty office.

You do not meet the prerequisite for a Humanities course (but you know that you do meet the course prerequisite)

If the course is in the Faculty of Humanities, please contact the Humanities Academic Advising Office and we will investigate this for you. If a course requires Departmental Permission, you must seek permission directly from the department offering the course before you can enroll.

If the course is offered by a different Faculty, please contact that Faculty office directly.

You do not meet the prerequisite for a Humanities course

Several upper-level courses in the Faculty of Humanities have course prerequisites. Prerequisites ensure students have the appropriate background to succeed in a course.

If you do not meet the prerequisite for a course, but still wish to enroll, you must request a prerequisite waiver from either the course instructor or the relevant Department. Please contact the department in question (e.g. Department of History, Department of English, etc.) to request a prerequisite waiver.

Please note that even with an approved prerequisite waiver, enrollment is still pending seat availability in the course.

Course prerequisites are published annually in McMaster’s Academic Calendar under “Course Listings.”

Multi-term (A/B) Courses (e.g. SPANISH 1Z06 A/B)

Enroll in Part A (Fall) of a multi-term course. Mosaic will automatically enroll you in Part B (Winter). You must enroll in the same section (day / time) for the Fall and Winter terms.

You cannot enroll in multi-term courses through Plan by My Requirements or your Advisement Report. You must search for and enroll in the course using the Search for Classes button in your Mosaic Student Centre.

In April each year, students submit up to four (4) program selections in Mosaic following completion of a Level I program. See Choosing your Program for a step-by-step guide on selecting a Level II program.

For upper-level students who have already selected a program, you can switch your program selection at certain points during the academic year. See Changing your Program for instructions on how to submit a program change request via Mosaic.

Program and Degree Types:

We offer the following Honours degrees:

• Honours Bachelor of Arts
• Honours Bachelor of Music (paused)
• Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts

An Honours Bachelor degree at McMaster requires 120 units total, typically four (4) years in length.

We offer the following Bachelor degrees:

• Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor’s degree at McMaster requires 90 units total, typically three (3) years in length.

There is no deadline by which you must complete your degree. You will graduate upon completion of the degree requirements.

Academic Standing refers to the minimum requirements to continue studying at McMaster University. Academic Standing regulations are published annually in McMaster University’s Academic Calendar under “Academic Regulations.”*

All students’ academic standing is reviewed by their home Faculty office during the month of May each year if they have completed at least 18 units since their last academic review.

For students registered in an Honours program in the Faculty of Humanities:

• You must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.0 to continue in an Honours program.
• If your GPA is 4.5 to 4.9, you may remain in the Honours program, but will be placed on program probation for one reviewing period. You may be on program probation only once.
• If your GPA is 3.0 to 4.4, you must transfer to another program for which you qualify.
• If your GPA is less than 3.0, you may not continue at the University.

For students registered in a non-Honours Bachelor’s degree program in the Faculty of Humanities:

• You must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.5 to continue in, or graduate from, a three-level B.A. program.
• If your GPA is 3.0 to 3.4, you may remain in the program, but will be placed on academic probation. You may be on academic probation only once.
• If your GPA is less than 3.0, you may not continue at the University.

For Humanities I or iArts 1 students in the Faculty of Humanities:

• You must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.5 to continue in, or graduate from, a three-level B.A. program.
• If your GPA is 3.0 to 3.4, you may remain in the program, but will be placed on academic probation. You may be on academic probation only once.
• If your GPA is less than 3.0, you may not continue at the University.

Students whose academic standing is listed as May Not Continue or Required to Withdraw can find more information about their options in our Need to Know section.

If you have any questions about your Academic Standing, please contact an Academic Advisor in your home Faculty.

*Should there be a discrepancy between this webpage and the Academic Calendar, the Academic Calendar shall take precedence.

The Office of the Registrar will reschedule final examinations within the examination period for the reasons listed below. Application to reschedule examinations must be made to the Office of the Registrar at least 10 working days before the scheduled examination period. Failure to meet the stated deadline may result in the denial of the application.

• Conflict with religious, Indigenous, or spiritual obligations
• More than one examination scheduled at the same time
• Three examinations in one calendar day (midnight to midnight).
• Three consecutive examinations over two days (e.g., December 14th at 4:00 pm and 7:30 pm and December 15th at 9:00 am).

Students who miss a final examination for medical or personal reasons may submit a Petition for Special Consideration: Request for Deferred Examination to the Humanities Academic Advising office, normally within five working days of the missed examination.

Examinations are not rescheduled for purposes of travel. Students must be available for the entire examination period published annually in McMaster University’s Sessional Dates.

Minors

Students enrolled in an Honours program are eligible to obtain a Minor in another subject area, provided that the subject area does not significantly overlap with the requirements of their degree program. Minor requirements are published annually in McMaster’s Academic Calendar under “Programs (by Degree) and Minors.”

Please note:

• Minors typically require 24 units.
• A maximum of 6 units of transfer credit may be used towards a minor.

Students do not need to apply for admission to a minor, with a few key exceptions, such as the Specialized Minor in Commerce.

Seats in courses cannot be guaranteed for the purposes of completing a minor. Continue to check Mosaic for seat availability or select an alternate course option for your minor.

Concurrent Certificates

Concurrent certificates are an option available to any student in an undergraduate degree program and may be completed as part of a student’s elective credit. Some concurrent certificates require a student be admitted, while others may be declared at the time of graduation. Concurrent certificate programs offered by the Faculty of Humanities include:

• Concurrent Certificate for Applied Ethics and Policy (CAEP)
• Concurrent Certificate in Applied Linguistics (ALC)
• Concurrent Certificate in Creative Writing and Narrative Arts (CWNA)
• Concurrent Certificate in Critical Curatorial Studies (CCCS)
• Concurrent Certificate in Essential French
• Concurrent Certificate in Professional French
• Concurrent Certificate in International Engagement
• Concurrent Certificate in Leadership & Cross-Cultural Literacy
• Concurrent Certificate in the Language of Medicine and Health

Students should consult the relevant certificate’s guidelines for admission and completion, published annually in McMaster University’s Academic Calendar under “Certificate and Diploma Programs.”

The Faculty of Humanities is committed to supporting students who are transferring from another higher education institution or returning to their program after an extended break in their academic studies. Navigate new university regulations, credit systems, and administrative online platforms can be overwhelming. Below you will find some helpful resources:

1. Check your admission letter for transfer credit directions. Students who have been directed to submit detailed course outlines must do so at their earliest convenience so that transfer credit may be applied to their McMaster record.

2. COMING SOON! Review the transfer/returning student webinar for more information. This video presentation will be posted in due time.

3. Review the Resources for Transfer/Returning Humanities Students tip sheet. This document provides an overview of frequently used resources on campus.

Have questions? Connect with an academic advisor.