It is your responsibility to make sure that you are meeting all of the program requirements. The online registration system does not automatically check this for you, and unfortunately each year there are a few students who do not graduate on time because they have not met all the necessary criteria.
The Undergraduate Calendar outlines the course requirements for each level of the program. Read through the notes for your level carefully, and let one of our Academic Advisors know if you have any questions.
When choosing your courses, follow the sequence laid out in the calendar.
Make sure you pay attention to course pre-requisites. Also, when considering courses from other departments, read the notes at the beginning of that section of the calendar. Sometimes there are general restrictions you need to know (for instance, some Kinesiology courses are only available to Kinesiology students).
In general, 30 units is a normal course load. It is important to balance your semesters so that you take 15 units in the Fall semester and 15 units in the Winter semester.
To be a full-time student, you need to take at least 9 units each Fall/Winter, but remember that you will still need to meet the specific requirements for each level of the program. Also, be aware of the requirements for programs such as the Dean’s Honour List and varsity sports.
In some cases, it may be possible to overload and take an extra course. If you have questions about this, please contact an Academic Advisor.
Contact an Academic AdvisorThese are the grade requirements for moving through the levels of the Commerce program. For details, please see the Undergraduate Calendar.
At the end of Level I, you must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.0 (63%) on a minimum of 24 units of coursework for Business I, and these must include all required courses of the Business I program.
If you have failed a course, you may still be eligible to advance in the program if:
You have the opportunity to repeat failed courses in order to qualify for Level II. Please refer to the McMaster’s Repeat Policy. If you successfully complete a previously failed course, the most recent grade will be included in your GPA and the course will no longer be considered “failed” in your review to advance in the program.
If you do not meet these requirements, please contact an Academic Advisor.
Here are some tips for choosing non-commerce electives. They are included as helpful suggestions, but remember that everyone’s situation is different. You get to choose which electives you take.
Make sure that you meet all the requirements for a course before you register (check for any pre-requisites, anti-requisites, or co-requisites.) You can find information about course requirements in the Academic Calendar.
For in-depth details, please see the Undergraduate Calendar.
These are highlights of the requirements you need to consider when registering for Business I (first year).
Enroll for 30 units of coursework. You will be taking a combination of required courses and elective courses from other faculties.
Students who entered Business I in September 2021 or later must complete the following required courses:
| Commerce 1GR0 A/B | DeGroote Student Experience and Development I |
| Commerce 1AA3 | Introductory Financial Accounting |
| Commerce 1BA3 | Organizational Behaviour |
| Commerce 1DA3 | Business Data Analytics |
| Commerce 1E03 | Business Environment and Organization |
| Commerce 1MA3 | Introduction to Marketing |
| Economics 1BB3 | Introductory Macroeconomics |
| Economics 1B03 | Introductory Microeconomics |
| Math 1MM3 | Applied Calculus* |
*Students seeking a Minor in Mathematics and Statistics must take MATH 1A03 and should refer to the Faculty of Science section of this Calendar for the requirements for a Minor in Mathematics and Statistics. Students neither seeking this Minor nor planning on a transfer to the Faculty of Science, are advised to take MATH 1MM3.
You are also required to take 6 units of electives to bring your total number of units to 30.
Electives are courses taken outside your major. That is, they are non-commerce courses. You get to choose what you would like to take.
We have put together a list of elective courses which are open to students at Level I.
If you do not successfully complete a course, and would like to repeat it, you may take the course again in a subsequent term as per McMaster’s Repeat Policy.
For in-depth details, please see the Undergraduate Calendar.
These are highlights of the requirements you need to consider when registering for Level II.
If you only took 24 units in Level I, you must complete the 6 units of electives you missed before you can move on to Level III.
At the end of Level I, you must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 5.0 (63%) on a minimum of 24 units of coursework for Business I (on first attempts only), and these must include all required courses of the Business I program.
The GPA requirement is strictly upheld. If your average is slightly below 5.0, you will not have the option of continuing on academic probation.
If you have failed a course, you may still be eligible to advance in the program if:
If you are interested in the internship program, you must enroll in Commerce 2IN0. This course is mandatory for anyone who is hoping to participate in the program.
There is no grade requirement to register in Commerce 2IN0, however admission into internship will require a minimum cumulative GPA of 7.0 (70%) by the end of Summer in Level II.
If you have any questions, please contact us. We’re here to help.
Students may not register and hold seats in the same course for both terms if it is a single-term course. This prevents your fellow students from getting seats in preferred sections of required and elective courses.
If you do not successfully complete a course and would like to repeat it, you may take the course again in a subsequent term as per McMaster’s Repeat Policy.
For in-depth details, please see the Undergraduate Calendar.
These are highlights of the requirements you need to consider when registering for Level III.
It is possible to overload (take up to 3 extra units) if your average from the previous Fall/Winter session is at least 7.0 (70%). Overloading is done at your own risk.
Remember that you have to meet the requirements for non-commerce electives. You cannot substitute commerce electives for non-commerce courses.
If you are interested in the internship program but are not taking 30 units this year, you can still be considered as long as:
If you do not qualify for the Honours Commerce program this year, there is a second opportunity. By one of the formal review times (in May or August), you must:
If you have any questions, please contact us. We are here to help.
Students may not register and hold seats in the same course for both terms if it is a single-term course. This prevents your fellow students from getting seats in preferred sections of required and elective courses.
If you do not successfully complete a course, and would like to repeat it, you may take the course again in a subsequent term as per McMaster’s Repeat Policy.
For in-depth details, please see the Undergraduate Calendar.
These are highlights of the requirements you need to consider when registering for Level IV.
When you are enrolling online, you will be asked: “Will you be graduating upon completion of these courses?”
If you are in your final year and need to overload in order to graduate with your class, you can register for up to 36 units (18 units per semester). Overloading is done at your own risk, and you cannot take more than six courses per semester. Contact an Academic Advisor if the registration system does not let you register for the extra units.
Remember that you have to meet the requirements for non-commerce electives. You cannot substitute commerce electives for non-commerce courses.
If you were not in Honours Commerce in Level III but qualified for it in Level IV, you will need to take the required commerce electives that you missed last year. It may be necessary to re-categorize some of the courses you have taken too. Please contact an Academic Advisor.
If you were in Honours Commerce in Level III but no longer qualify and are switching to the regular Commerce program, then your six units of honours electives will be re-categorized as non-commerce electives.
If you are not in the Honours program in Level IV, you cannot graduate with an Honours BCom, even if your GPA is 5.0 (63%) or higher.
During your last semester, you will need to complete your graduate profile in MOSAIC. You can declare a minor when you complete your profile.
If you have any questions, please contact us. We are here to help.
Students may not register and hold seats in the same course for both terms if it is a single-term course. This prevents your fellow students from getting seats in preferred sections of required and elective courses.
If you do not successfully complete a course, and would like to repeat it, you may take the course again in a subsequent term as per McMaster’s Repeat Policy.
Follow these instructions to register for Independent Study in Business (Commerce 4SY3) or Experiential Learning in Business (Commerce 4EL3).
Please note that you may only register in one instance of each course per term.
Decide what topic you want to study during the course. Determine which department area it fits in best.
Decide which faculty member you would like to ask to supervise you during the course. If you do not know who to ask, approach the Area Chair for advice.
Download the proposal form (for 4SY3) or proposal form (for 4EL3) and fill it out with your supervisor. The form includes information about the components of the course, evaluation, and deadlines.
Once you and your supervisor have completed the form, email it to the Associate Dean (Academic) for approval.
Both your supervisor and the Associate Dean (Academic) need to virtually sign the form when it is complete.
Once the form has been signed by your supervisor and the Associate Dean (Academic), submit the original copy of your proposal to buscom@mcmaster.ca. The Student Experience team will add a waiver and seat authorization on MOSAIC, which will make it possible for you to register for the course.
On MOSAIC, register for Commerce 4SY3 or Commerce 4EL3.
If your proposal has not been approved yet, when you complete the rest of your registration, register for another course in place of your preferred course for the time being. During the drop and add period, after your proposal has been approved, you can drop the replacement course and add your preferred course (4SY3 or 4EL3).
You enroll for courses using McMaster’s online registration system, MOSAIC. You can find MOSAIC by logging into the McMaster Student Portal using your MacID.
You will also use MOSAIC to arrange payment for your courses. You need to do this to finalize your enrollment.
The Office of the Registrar has provided a comprehensive registration guide.
Pay particular attention to the enrollment schedule. It will let you know when you can start enrolling and how long the enrollment period will be open.
Whenever you enroll for a session or update your enrollment, check your Academic Advisement Report to make sure you are meeting the requirements for your program.
If you are having difficulty or a problem shows up on your Advisement report, contact an Academic Advisor for help.
Students will be exposed to engaging instructors who teach in novel and innovative ways.
Social entrepreneurship. This course offers a practical introduction for students interested in the increasingly popular phenomenon of social entrepreneurship. The course focuses on key concepts in the field of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise, introducing students to the range of business models used to pursue both social and financial objectives. It presents and details the challenges facing social entrepreneurs and reviews strategies for recognizing social opportunities, developing a strategic plan, funding social ventures, and measuring social impact.
Prerequisite(s): COMMERCE 1BA3 or IBH 1BA3 and registration in any Bachelor of Commerce or Engineering and Management program or relevant minor.
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