Program Structure

A breakdown of academic requirements for each year of our program. Course descriptions may be found here or in the McMaster Undergraduate Calendar.

Year 1

  • Practices of Knowledge (1A03)
  • Contemporary Indigenous Studies (1AA3)
  • Writing (1B03)
  • Argumentation (1BB3)
  • Global Challenges Inquiry (1C06)
  • Calculus (1D06)
  • Level I Science OR Electives (one each term; see Note 1)

Year 2

  • Social and Political Thought (2A06)
  • Physics (2D06)
  • Economics (2E03)
  • Statistics (2R03)
  • Electives (two each term)

Years 3 and 4

  • Technology & Society (3B03, 3BB3)
  • Culture and Religion (3RL3, 3S03)
  • Inquiry
    • 3C03 — Coding Inquiry
    • 3CL3 — Theatre, Self, and Social Development
    • 3CU3 — Alumni Experience Inquiry
    • 3EH3 — Exploring Hamilton Inquiry
    • 3GJ3 — Global Justice Inquiry
    • 3TR3 — Trees Inquiry
    • 4CB3 — Education Inquiry
    • 4CD3 — Research and Creative Writing
    • 4CF3 — How Science Speaks to Power
    • 4CI3 — Diversity and Human Rights Inquiry
    • 4CP3 — Media Inquiry
    • 4CT3 — Medical Humanities Inquiry
    • 4DS3 — Digital Society and Public Policy
    • 4EP3 — Environmental Policy Inquiry
    • 4GS3 — Theories from the Global South
    • 4HS3 — History of Science Inquiry
    • 4LI3 — Literature Inquiry I
    • 4LT3 — Literature Inquiry II
    • 4MB3 — Beauty and Truth in Mathematics and Sciences
    • 4ST3 — Selected Topics in Inquiry
    • 4VC3 — Visual Culture Inquiry
  • Individual Study or Thesis (4A06/4C06)
  • Electives (three each term)

Notes

  1. Students take two of the following Level I Science courses: BIOLOGY 1A03, 1M03; CHEM 1A03, 1AA3; EARTHSC 1G03; ENVIRSC 1C03; PSYCH 1XX3. Students may defer taking these courses from Year 1 to Year 2 to allow for first-year electives (one each term).
  2. Students have the option of spending Year 3 on exchange at another university.