Academic Regulations and Requirements

Students must read and comply with both these regulations and those set out by their Faculty elsewhere in this Undergraduate Calendar, as applicable.

General Academic Regulations 2022-23

Regulations which apply to all McMaster students.
See the General Academic Regulations [click here]

​School of Nursing Academic Regulations 2022-23

COURSE COMPLETION IN EACH LEVEL

For required Nursing (NURSING) and Health Science (HTHSCI) courses, students must enroll in and successfully complete all the course work of one level before proceeding to the course work specified for the next level. For each of the streams (A, E and F), courses must be taken in the sequence specified by the program requirements.

Academic Standing and Program Probation

A student’s academic performance is reviewed at the end of each term. To continue in the B.Sc.N. Program in good academic standing a student must obtain a cumulative GPA of at least 5.0. A student whose cumulative GPA is at least 4.5 may continue in the program and will be placed on program probation for the duration of one academic year. A student may be placed on program probation only once during the program.

Removal from Program

A student whose cumulative GPA is less than 5.0, and who has not been granted program probation, may not continue in the program. A student who fails to raise their cumulative GPA to 5.0 at the completion of the program probation may not continue in the program. After repeating a required Health Science (HTHSCI) or Nursing (NURSING) course, a student who fails to meet the minimum passing grade requirement or Pass designation may not continue in the program. A student may normally repeat a level of work only once. Students are permitted to repeat 2 graded HTHSCI/NURSING course and only 1 professional practice NURSING course. A student who fails to meet the minimum passing grade requirement, may not continue in the program. A student who does not maintain continuous enrollment in the program without having been granted a Leave of Absence and/or who fails to complete the program requirements for graduation within the maximum allowable time may not continue in the program.

See more definitions of terms in the Glossary of the Undergraduate Calendar 

Multi-Term Course

A Multi-Term Course is a course taught over the Fall and Winter terms.  Students enroll in both the ‘A’ and the ‘B’ parts of the same course.  Part ‘A’ is taken in the Fall term.  Part ‘B’ is taken in the Winter term.  Academic Load and Billing units are assigned to both parts.  Units for GPA calculation are assigned to part ‘B’ of the course only.​

Cumulative Grade Point Average

The Cumulative GPA is the weighted average based on the Graded Units taken throughout the undergraduate career.  The Repeating Courses regulation, effective September 1, 2018, will affect the calculation of subsequent Cumulative GPA.

Term Grade Point Average

The Term GPA is a weighted average based on the Graded Units taken in the term.

Fall-Winter Average

The Fall-Winter Average is a weighted average based on the grades attained in the Fall and Winter Terms. Overload courses and Extra courses are included in the Fall-Winter Average.

Spring-Summer Average

The Spring-Summer Average is a weighted average based on the grades attained in the Spring and Summer Term. Overload courses and Extra courses are included in the Spring-Summer Average.