McMaster University is found in Hamilton, Ontario and offers a wealth of programs to future students. From Environmental and Earth Sciences and Computer Science to Social Sciences, Business, and Humanities, the university offers Bachelor Degrees and upper level specializations. Part-time studies and graduate programs are available.
Faculties
Programs and courses are offered by six faculties – Social Sciences, Science, Humanities, Health Sciences, Engineering, and the DeGroote School of Business. The Faculty of Humanities, for example, offers both graduate and undergraduate programs to prepare students for a future career in music, arts, law, business, and other fields. Undergraduate programs in the humanities include Theatre and Film Studies, Communication Studies, History, etc. It normally takes 3 years to complete a degree. The faculty also offers graduate degrees in different subjects and with a focus on research and original contribution. Graduate students are offered Graduate Diplomas (Ph.D), Doctoral Degrees, and Master’s Degrees. The Faculty of Social Sciences offers a number of undergraduate programs to prospective students, among which Social Work, Religious Studies, Political Science, Economics, and others. Graduate programs are also offered by different departments, including Master’s and Doctoral Degrees and Graduate Diplomas.
The university accepts applications from students attending Ontario secondary schools and students outside the Ontario school network. Ontario students are welcome to apply online at the website of the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. A supplementary application may be required in some cases. Several programs actually require this, including Nursing, Health Sciences, Integrated Science, Engineering, Arts and Science, and others. Once you have your application approved, you will be asked to fill in the residence application.
Part-Time Studies and Programs
The university also offers part-time programs, and it takes between 6 and 7 years to earn a degree. Part-time programs are offered by different departments, including Social Science, Science, Humanities, Engineering, and Business. The university also recognizes credits and course work completed at other community colleges and universities. When applying, students are asked to pay document evaluation and application fees. International students are welcome to apply as well, provided that they meet the English proficiency requirements. All students, domestic and international, are asked to send their university, college, and high school transcripts to the Office of the Registrar.
Contributions
McMaster University is known as one of Canada’s most innovative institutions of higher education. Problem-based learning was pioneered here and is now used throughout North America. This is a form of student-centered pedagogy that involves small groups of learners. The focus is mainly on communication and collaboration to gain new knowledge. PBL was first used in McMaster University in the 60s, and many agree that it triggered a small revolution. This is especially true for the medical community. Today, problem-based learning is used in medical schools around the world, as well as schools in nursing, optometry, pharmacy, and dentistry. In fact, it is also used in elementary, middle, and high schools in rural communities, counties, and cities.
Today, McMaster University organizes different initiatives to encourage faculty members and post-docs to engage in research. One such initiative is the Innovation Showcase which encourages researchers to pursue commercialization and entrepreneurship. The Forge was also created as a type of collaborative workspace for young entrepreneurs who work in different fields, from advanced manufacturing to health sciences and digital media.
Different offices also support research, including Research and High Performance Computing Support and the Research Office for Administration, Development, and Support. The latter works to support researchers in their search for external grants and other forms of financial assistance. The office assists researchers while filling in applications for funding and helps them throughout all steps of the application process.
Good Career Choices for young Canadians
Some people want to have а predictable career while others focus on salary, bonuses, and career success. The good news is that Canada offers something for everyone, whether what you are looking for is a stable job or career satisfaction is more important to you. From teaching positions and accounting jobs to IT and social media marketing, the job market offers plenty of opportunities to young Canadians who are well educated, highly motivated, and passionate about what they are doing.
Social Media Marketing
If you are good at promoting brands, services and products online, then social media marketing is a good career choice for you. Businesses in Canada are looking to hire social media coordinators and community managers, content specialists and social publicists, and brand ambassadors. Social media marketers often collaborate with executives, sales, client management, product management, and other specialists and departments.
Teaching Jobs, Benefits and Career Paths
Helping students to learn new things and develop new skills is a rewarding experience for many. Plus, there are added benefits such as great benefits and pension plans, holidays, summer breaks, and more. In Canada teachers earn about $54,000 on average, and this includes salary and bonuses. The pay varies from close to $36,000 at the lower end to about $91,000, depending on location, experience, and other factors. The highest paying skills for teaching jobs include mathematics and verbal communication. There are opportunities for growth if you choose to pursue a teaching career. Examples include elementary school principal and headmaster.
Accounting and Job Opportunities
There are plenty of job openings for accountants in Canada, including corporate sales account officer, manager client services, manager finance credit cards, and tax officers. Other career paths to look into include financial advisor, fiscal economist, accounting coordinator, clerk, accounts payable coordinator, accounts receivable agent, and so on. As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities in this particular field. Depending on your position, you may be tasked with verifying expenses and invoices, processing transactions, bringing accounts current, communicating with customers, and more. If you become a finance officer, for example, you will be tasked with developing forecasts, and appropriate analytics, maintaining good relationships with interested parties and stakeholders, and ensuring that business strategies and plans are implemented in a timely manner. In Canada, the median salary for accountants is $49,705. This includes profit sharing, bonuses, and salary. The pay varies from about $35,000 at the lower end to $72,666. See: Neo Financial Products and Refresh Financial Products
IT and Career Paths
IT specialists are in high demand in Canada and elsewhere across the globe. You will benefit from attractive bonuses and salary, depending on your position. The median salary for information technology managers is $81,602, for example. There are different career paths for IT specialists if this is what you choose to do. You can become a senior project manager, information technology director, project manager, or chief information officer. Alternatively, you can become a director of information technology services, chief technology officer, or program manager. As an IT specialist, you will be expected to have solid knowledge of one or more programming languages as well as experience with different types of hardware and software. Some employers also require additional certifications, including Oracle, Cisco, and others. If you are still in high school, look into majors such as Operations Research, Engineering, Information Technologies, and Computer Science.
There are other good career choices for young Canadians, for example, occupational therapist, electronics engineer, scientific research manager, police officer, lawyer, etc. It all depends on what you love to do and are good at.