Upload your statement of interest as a PDF to the Upload Materials page in the application.

Write a Statement of Interest discussing as an applicant your interest in applying to the McMaster University’s MSc Global Health program and the field of global health by using the following guiding questions when writing your statement. The statement of interest should be no more than 750 words.

1. Why are you applying to the MSc. in Global Health Program? In your response, provide examples of your past academic, professional, and lived experience to support your answer.
2. What are your expectations of the Global Health program and how will it contribute to your future plans?
3. How will your skills, knowledge, and experiences contribute to the Global Health program and fellow students.
4. In light of the above, justify your preferred path in the program (i.e., concentration and mobility options, thesis).

Applicants should not use generative AI for their application. See McMaster’s statement on the use of generative AI here.

If you intend to pursue the thesis option, a preliminary research statement is a required document.  Please upload your research statement as a PDF in the Optional Documents under the Upload Materials page.

The research statement should be no more than 250 words and include the following:

• What is the primary area of interest that you intend to focus on for your thesis?
• Place your work in a broader context or framework – the big picture.
• Discuss how you became interested in your topic and why it continues to interest you.
• Why is it important? How will your research contribute to global health? Why does your proposed research matter?

A resume uploaded as a PDF to the Upload Materials page in the application. Your resume should be no more than 3 pages single-spaced with 12-point font, and must include the following headings:

• Education
• Honours and Awards
• Experience (could be further subdivided into Research Experience, Teaching Experience, Professional Experience, Volunteer Experience)
• Languages

Additional headings may include:

• Publications
• Conferences

For all experiences, please include a start and end date (e.g. April 2017 to March 2018). Find additional tips and suggestions for your resume on the Student Success Centre website.

Please provide details of all post-secondary study you have undertaken, including current studies, even if a degree has not been awarded.

Begin with the most recent (or current) institution attended and continue in reverse chronological order. You will be required to provide a copy of the transcript for each institution (including continuing education etc.) for your application to be assessed.

Upload your transcripts as a PDF to the Education page in the application. Unofficial transcripts included in your application should include your full name and the name of the issuing institution. The education section should include the following:

• All post-secondary education you have undertaken including current/past studies whether or not a degree has been awarded. Please include the time period when you studied there (approximate dates are acceptable), and the level of study that you have completed.
• This includes bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral/medical degrees, post-secondary diplomas, post-secondary certificates, transfer credits, single post-secondary level courses taken, and continuing education courses, etc.
• Please note: If a transcript is not in English, you are responsible for providing an official translated version. In this case, both the original untranslated transcript and the official translation are required. The only exception to this requirement is where the official translation is done by the institution (university) issuing the transcript.

Do not include in your education section:

• Your high-school academic history
• Additional education/general interest courses that were not taken at post-secondary institutions (i.e., LinkedIn learning certificates, certifications of completion/participation, pass/fail online certificates, etc.).

Electronic documents are required for the online application process. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable (e.g., photos, scans, etc.). Official transcripts will be required from the issuing institution if an offer of admission is accepted.

*Note: Illegible document can cause an applicant’s file to be dismissed before review, so please check your files before submitting your application. WES documents and other standardized testing such as GMAT, GRE, MCAT, etc. are not required for the Master’s application process.

After the application deadline passes, updated documents will not be required or accepted by the program. If offered admission, updated documents will then be required at a later time.

To verify that you meet the required minimum B+ GPA for admission, please complete the following GPA Calculation Template. This document must be uploaded to the Upload Materials page as part of your application.

Refer to our step-by-step GPA calculation guide when completing the template.

For domestic applicants, please include the 10 most recent courses taken at the post-secondary level for which you have a grade on your unofficial transcript at the time of application.

Your final GPA calculation template should include your 10 most recent upper level (300 or 400 level) grades. Avoid 100 or 200 level courses unless you do not have a sufficient number (i.e., 10 courses or 30 credits) of upper-level courses. If this is the case, use your most recent lower-level grades starting in reverse chronological order to complete your 10 courses.

Do not include pass/fail, labs, projects, and practicums or co-op courses in the GPA calculation.

International Applicants

International applicants do not need to complete a GPA calculation template rather re-upload your transcript(s). A GPA calculation conversion will be done by the university to determine your eligibility.

While WES documents are not required as stated above, you could alternatively also use WES to gauge your GPA eligibility, but we do not require this additional expense.

As per School of Graduate Studies requirement, you will need to submit two confidential academic references and will be required to indicate an email address for each referee.

Your referees will receive an email message asking them to complete an eReference immediately after the ‘Send to Recommender’ button is clicked. Your referees will be provided with the necessary information and instructions on how to go about completing their eReference once their invitation is sent to them. You may wish to click on this button just before you submit the application.

Referees have two weeks after the application deadline to submit their references.

If you need to change your reference or referee email address after submitting your application, you may do so through the Application Status Portal.

Reference Requirements

• References should come from professors or faculty members who can best comment on your abilities as a graduate student and as a global health scholar, typically, this should be someone who has supervised you as part of a course.
• Examples include an instructor or professor, a thesis professor or supervisor for a major research paper or project. Typically, teaching assistants are not appropriate academic references.
• We encourage you to submit the application early to allow referees sufficient time to complete the electronic forms, which will be sent via email directly to the referee’s email address you have provided.
• Referees also have the option to upload additional documentation (i.e. PDF reference letter) to supplement the e-reference form.

If you have been out of an academic setting for five years or more (as of September 2024), you are permitted to submit one academic and one professional reference (in lieu of the two academic references typically required).

After the reference deadline, no references will be accepted, and your application will be considered incomplete.

Please note: Failing to meet the School of Graduate Studies reference requirements may mean your application is incomplete and ineligible for review.

Applicants whose first language is not English or whose previous degree was completed in a language other than English, will be required to upload a language proficiency test result as a PDF to the ELP page in the application.

Language requirements as outlined by the School of Graduate Studies can be found here.

Applicants must submit the completed application online with the (non-refundable) application fee of $150 CAD.

If there is an issue with payment, the application will not submit.

When the payment is approved, you will receive an application acknowledgement email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted.

Applications will not be considered for admission until an application fee has been paid.

Applications will not be considered for admission until an application fee has been paid.

For important information about the application process, see the School of Graduate Studies website here.

Begin your McMaster University Application

Once you have paid for and submitted an application, you can monitor you application status here.

Please note: Domestic applicants are typically informed of their admission decision by the end of May, but this can vary by admissions cycle. International applicants are typically informed by the end of April.