McMaster Arts and Science I
McMaster University
The published admission average for Arts and Science I at McMaster University is 88% for September 2027 entry, under OUAC code MX. This program also requires a supplementary application.
Arts and Science I is a first-year program that lets you study across humanities, social sciences, and sciences together rather than committing to one discipline immediately. You take courses from multiple departments and explore different fields before declaring a major in second year. This suits students who are genuinely uncertain what they want to specialize in, or who want to see how different subjects connect.
Plain-English summary. The universities publish requirements but not an explanation of the program, so this one is written for you and checked against the official listing above. Read the university’s own page before you decide.
Admission average
88%
OUAC code
MX
First-year spaces
70
McMaster University publishes this as “88%+ to be considered. Admission is by selection.” — and notes the average actually needed can sit above the published figure.
What’s the McMaster Arts and Science I acceptance rate?
McMaster University doesn't publish an acceptance rate for Arts and Science I, and no Ontario university publishes one for any program. What it publishes is the admission average: 88% for September 2027 entry. McMaster acceptance rate, program by program
Admission requirements
- Required
- ENG4U
- Choose one of
- MCV4U, MHF4U
McMaster’s own wording
- ENG4U
- 1 of Advanced Functions 4U OR Calculus & Vectors 4U
- Completion of four additional 4U/M courses, of which two must be at the 4U level
- See Ontario high school course codes.
How many other programs require these outright:
Also required
- OUAC Application Deadline: January 15, 2027
- Mandatory Supplementary Application Deadline: February 1, 2027
- Find details on the McMaster website
- .
- Alternative Offers
- If you are interested in specific alternative programs, include your choice(s) on your OUAC application (up to the maxiumum of 3). McMaster will give full consideration to each program selection.
What it costs
First-year tuition at McMaster is $6,163.20 for an Ontario student in arts and science in 2026–27. Engineering and iBioMed, Level 1 ($12,694.70) and Integrated Business and Humanities ($10,293) cost more. McMaster tuition, program by program
Source: McMaster University on Ontario Universities’ Info. Grade ranges change year to year and are not guarantees — confirm with the university before you apply.
What this leads to
The picture for interdisciplinary studies as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.
Most graduates end up in human resources, marketing, project management, public relations, social services, healthcare administration, or research assistant roles. You'd likely start as a coordinator, junior analyst, or program officer in nonprofits, government agencies, or medium-sized companies.
In its favour
- Stable employment with 5% annual growth, and competitive entry salaries around $55,000
- Flexible for career changes—you can pivot into new sectors later without retraining
- Suits smaller organizations and nonprofits where people wear multiple hats
- Less specialized than engineering or nursing, so you're not locked into one field
Worth knowing
- Employers often don't know how to evaluate this degree—they prefer specific majors, so your resume needs stronger hustle
- No clear occupational niche: 37% of graduates end up in jobs that span multiple industries rather than one defined role
- Entry-level research assistant and content coordinator jobs—where most graduates start—are already being automated by AI
- Canadian employers show mixed acceptance of interdisciplinary graduates compared to other countries
How AI is changing this work
About 48% of roles suited to interdisciplinary graduates could be affected by AI in the next decade. The automation threat is real in research support and junior writing roles. What's not being automated yet is higher-level work: using AI to inform decisions about policy, ethics, business strategy, or organizational change. You'll need to quickly move beyond data-gathering and into roles where you're deciding what to do with AI outputs, or you'll be competing with a tool instead of a person.
Where this came from (6 sources)
- 1. 18 Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs in Canada - Study Abroad | educations.com
- 2. 132 Interdisciplinary Studies jobs in Canada
- 3. Career Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Studies in Canada
- 4. 2026 What Can You Do With an Interdisciplinary Studies Degree? | Research.com
- 5. Interdisciplinary Studies Jobs in Ontario (NOW HIRING)
- 6. Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) | Graduate School at The University of British Columbia (UBC)
Deadline reminders
This program needs a supplementary application, and those close before the January OUAC deadline — some in early December. We’ll email you before the ones that apply to Arts and Science I.
We send your email address and the programs you’ve starred, so the reminders are the right ones. Your marks and your average are never sent — they stay in this browser. Deadline emails only, and you can reply to stop them.