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About

About BHSc

The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program (BHSc) is one of the top programs of its kind in the world, drawing on a full range of departments within McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences. Our goal is to help develop the next generation leaders making a difference in health around the globe and creating a brighter world.

Stacey Ritz
Assistant Dean, Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program

Message from the Assistant Dean  

Since its inception in 2000, the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program has graduated some of the best and brightest minds from Canada and around the world. 

We offer students the opportunity to study in one of the top programs of its kind and at one the world’s leading universities for health and clinical study. With a ground-breaking approach to the interdisciplinary study of health, we provide our graduates with the foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills to succeed in a diverse range of careers in health and beyond.

What makes our program so unique is the way you will engage and learn and the community that we build. With only 240 students admitted per year, our class sizes are small and create a space where you will get to know your fellow students and our faculty by name, creating connections that last a lifetime. More importantly, the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program will help you to think differently through our inquiry-based learning model. With an emphasis on students as active participants in their learning, inquiry-based learning emphasizes problem-solving, information literacy, collaboration and communication. How you engage and learn in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program is as important as what you learn. 

As a McMaster graduate myself, I can truly say your future begins at McMaster, and the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program will provide you with the community, knowledge and foundation for success, no matter your path.

BHSc Careers

Health-Care Professionals: chiropractor, dentistry, medicine, midwifery, occupational therapy, physician assistant, physiotherapy. Health Professions: global health, health, health research, law, policy, public health. Professional Careers: arts and design, business entreprenurship, consulting, graphics, teaching.
Health-Care Professionals: chiropractor, dentistry, medicine, midwifery, occupational therapy, physician assistant, physiotherapy. Health Professions: global health, health, health research, law, policy, public health. Professional Careers: arts and design, business entreprenurship, consulting, graphics, teaching.

Why BHSc at McMaster?

At the forefront of health sciences education, the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program offers students a ground-breaking approach to the interdisciplinary study of health. The BHSc (Hons) Program is one of the only programs in Canada that draws on a full range of departments within the Faculty of Health Sciences including clinical departments of medicine, pathology and molecular medicine, psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences and health research methodology, evidence and impact. Students will gain first-hand experience in our state-of-the-art labs and through research and hospital partners.

We also know your university experience is more than just a program, it is also about finding your community, and the BHSc (Hons) Program offers both. The program offers the flexibility to choose electives aligned with your interests to truly shape your educational experience. With thousands of applicants for only 240 spots, the BHSc (Hons) Program is a tight-knit community, where students get to know each other and McMaster’s globally recognized faculty by name. You will have the chance to study with the best and the brightest minds from around the globe, develop the foundational skills to be future leaders in health and develop professional and personal relationships that will last a lifetime.

Beyond the rankings and courses, what makes our program so unique is the way you will engage and learn. In addition to the small class sizes, the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program will help you think differently through our inquiry-based learning model. With an emphasis on students as active participants in their learning, our inquiry-based learning emphasizes problem-solving, information literacy, collaboration and communication. How you engage and learn in the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program will create a sense of community and network that goes beyond your four-year degree.

BHSc (Honours) Program students will graduate with the critical thinking skills to succeed in careers in health and beyond. Your future begins at McMaster, and the BHSc (Honours) Program will open your eyes to a world of health career opportunities and provide you with a foundation for success, no matter your path.

Your university experience begins with the right program and community, and the BHSc (Honours) Program offers both. We are a tight-knit community of faculty, staff and students who are keen to connect, engage and grow together. What does that look like for an incoming student? We’re glad you asked:

The BHSc (Honours) Program draws on the strengths of the Faculty of Health Sciences, our world class facilities and network of partner institutions. Here are just a few examples of what awaits you:

  • McMaster is world-renowned for the strength of its health research and students have many opportunities to learn from, and work with, world-class experts in health; check out the posters and abstracts from our project and thesis students to see some of the research our students have contributed to
  • BHSc instructors are drawn from departments across the Faculty of Health Sciences and the broader community
  • A range of health-related institutions located in the Hamilton region, ranging from community based programs to highly specialized tertiary care services
  • Health Sciences Library, which contains 142,000 print volumes, a two-storey reading pavilion, the History of Health and Medicine room, an e-classroom and group study rooms
  • Anatomy Labs, which use of cadavers for the study of the structure of the human body