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Our Story

Creating a Brighter World

McMaster University is building a brighter future for all.

We rank among the top 100 public universities globally and, through our cutting-edge research and world-class teaching and learning, we are advancing human and societal health and well-being in our community and around the world.

We are pioneers of problem-based learning, evidence-based medicine and home to the largest university-based nuclear research reactor in Canada. McMaster is one of Canada’s most research-intensive universities, where faculty and students work across disciplines to find creative solutions to the complex problems of our time.

This is our story.

Inclusive excellence

Our goal is to approach everything we do in a way that intentionally engages a diversity of peoples, perspectives and ways of knowing. We know that transformative change happens when everyone is included.

We are:

Building an inclusive campus community through specialized programs for students with disabilities and racialized students, as well as outreach to students from equity-deserving communities at local elementary and high schools.

Supporting tuition and housing affordability by reducing barriers with bursaries and g grant program to help McMaster instructors create and adapt high-quality free open textbooks and course materials.

Advancing Black student excellence through dedicated mentorship programming and outreach initiatives, as well as resources like the Black Student Success Centre.

Building a culture of truth and reconciliation on campus with programming and events that speak to the Indigenous experience. McMaster’s communications standing committee ensures that we highlight stories featuring the voices of Indigenous staff, faculty and students.

Teaching and learning excellence

One of McMaster’s main priorities is to advance teaching and learning innovation within and beyond the classroom and across disciplines and Faculties. We elevate teaching as a professional discipline and equip our students with the knowledge and skills needed to make a transformative impact on our world.

Some of the ways we’re doing this include:

Leading the way in generative AI through critical thinking about this new technological frontier. McMaster has an AI Advisory Committee to explore the use of AI across campus.

Excellence in digital and online learning by ensuring our students, faculty and staff have access to the tools they need with our Digital Learning Strategic Framework.

Supporting experiential learning by connecting students with opportunities to get hands-on training through partnerships with community organizations, internships, co-operative education or through an ever-increasing offering of microcredentials.

Developing the next generation of leaders through innovative leadership programs across different disciplines.

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Supporting academic success for all and celebrating student success. McMaster students are the recipients of some of Canada’s most prestigious honours and awards – a testament to the outstanding quality of teaching and learning across the institution.

Research and scholarship

McMaster’s aim is to be the go-to place for world-class researchers and collaborators who share our values and commitment to working together across disciplines, sectors, and borders to develop knowledge, tackle global issues, and advance human understanding.

McMaster remains among Canada’s most research-intensive universities. We are ranked 14th in the world for impact and are among the top universities in the world in the Times Higher Education’s Industry metric.

Our university is the recipient of millions of dollars in research funding annually and we consistently rank among the best research centres in the world.

Our research priorities are:

  • Artificial intelligence, data and the digital society
  • Addressing the growing burden of chronic disease
  • Civil society, cultures and sustainable prosperity
  • Transformative health innovations & technologies
  • Promoting health and well-being across the lifespan
  • Maintaining and restoring a healthy environment
  • Advancing Indigenous knowledge and reconciliation
  • Advanced materials and manufacturing
  • Realizing McMaster’s nuclear potential
  • Exploring new frontiers

Engaging local, national, Indigenous and global

McMaster is prioritizing the development and expansion of our network of partnerships with communities, collaborators and supporters everywhere – whether that’s close to home or abroad.

From launching research projects that benefit our local aging population to partnerships with different levels of government to aid in policy development, McMaster is committed to improving lives for people locally, nationally, and globally.

McMaster is working toward Truth and Reconciliation by engaging with Indigenous communities through several initiatives. That includes a commitment to land-based learning with courses like the Two Row Paddle, which takes students in canoes or kayaks over 100 km down the Grand River as they learn about the Indigenous histories and communities along the way.

 

Operational excellence

Being a world-class university also means ensuring that McMaster’s administrative operations effectively support the institutional vision and aspirations of our community of researchers, scholars, teachers and learners.

We’re achieving that by consistently investing in student housing, committing to sustainability and campus decarbonization, keeping the budget balanced and expanding revenue sources, improving IT systems, and maintaining our strong reputation as a leading employer in the region.

We’re proud of consistently ranking as one of the best places in the world to learn, teach, and work – and we hope you’ll join us as we continue that journey.