Basic Stream

Select a tab ​to the right to view the required courses for each level of this Program. 

Current students should select the tab that references the year they started the program. 

Students who have taken any time-off during the program should contact Academic Advising to discuss individual program requirements. 

Prospective students should choose the most-resent tab to get an idea of the requirements, but keep in mind that requirements can change year-to-year. 

Year 1 Nursing

In Year 1 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are provided with a strong foundation in the health and social sciences. They learn about themselves and their clients as individuals, while focusing on health, health assessment and the promotion of health.

Year 1 Basic stream students are required to spend four hours per week working in a laboratory setting with a tutor. During this time, they focus on ​fundamental nursing skills such as communication, hand-washing, vital signs and physical assessment.

​Year 2 Nursing

In ​Year 2 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students expand their definition of the client as an individual and now begin to consider the client as a family and the community.

Year 2 of the Basic Stream requires that students spend eight hours per week at a practice placement where they work together with a group of fellow students and a single faculty member. All students complete one medical placement and one surgical placement, learning to respond to ​chronic, acute, and complex health care situations.

​Year 3 Nursing

In ​Year 3 of the  Nursing Program in the Basic Stream, students are required to spend 12 hours per week working in acute and varied clinical settings, such as pediatrics, mental health, and maternal/child, among many others.

​Year 4 Nursing​

In Year 4 Nursing, students are placed individually in a variety of settings where they are actively involved in enacting the nursing role for 24 hours per week first term; and 24 hours per week in the first six weeks and 36 hours per week in the last six weeks of the second term.

Students are directly supervised by a clinical preceptor and indirectly supervised by a ​faculty member.

Elective Requirements:

15 units of electives of which:

• Minimum 6 units from Level 2 or above coursework 
• Maximum 6 units from non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses

Elective course work must be completed prior to the start of the final term in Level ​4.

What Courses Can I Take for Electives?

McMaster offers a variety of courses across all Faculties that students can complete to satisfy their elective requirements. Students in the Nursing program can also take non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses offered by the School of Nursing toward their elective requirements (to a maximum of 6 units), including independent study/research project courses HTHSCI 4AR3 and HTHSCI 4BR3.

What is Level 2 or above Coursework?

Courses are designated Level 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. You can learn what level a course is designated by the first numeric digit in the course code (ex. PSYCH 1A03 is a Level 1 course while HISTORY 3A03 is a Level 3 course). Courses designated Level 2 or higher are called Upper Level courses.  

Find elective courses

Mohawk and Conestoga site students have the option to take COLLAB courses at their respective site.

• COLLAB elective courses available to Mohawk & Conestoga site students

LETTER OF PERMISSION - Click to find out how to take courses at other institutions towards credit at McMaster. 

Year 1 Nursing

In Year 1 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are provided with a strong foundation in the health and social sciences and are able to choose from a variety of electives. They learn about themselves and their clients as individuals, while focusing on health, health assessment and the promotion of health.

Year 1 Basic stream students are required to spend four hours per week working in a laboratory setting with a tutor. During this time, they focus on ​fundamental nursing skills such as communication, hand-washing, vital signs and physical assessment.

​Year 2 Nursing

In ​Year 2 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students expand their definition of the client as an individual and now begin to consider the client as a family and the community.

Year 2 of the Basic Stream requires that students spend eight hours per week at a practice placement where they work together with a group of fellow students and a single faculty member. All students complete one medical placement and one surgical placement, learning to respond to ​chronic, acute, and complex health care situations.

​Year 3​ Nursing

In ​Year 3 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are required to spend 12 hours per week working in acute and varied clinical settings, such as pediatrics, mental health and maternal/child, among many others. 

​Year 4 Nursing​

In Year 4 Nursing, students are placed individually in a variety of settings where they are actively involved in enacting the nursing role for 24 hours per week first term; and 24 hours per week in the first six weeks and 36 hours per week in the last six weeks of the second term.

Students are directly supervised by a clinical preceptor and indirectly supervised by a ​faculty member.

Elective Requirements:

18 units of electives of which:

• Minimum 6 units from Level 2 or above coursework 
• Maximum 6 units from non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses

Elective course work must be completed prior to the start of the final term in Level ​4.

What Courses Can I Take for Electives?

McMaster offers a variety of courses across all Faculties that students can complete to satisfy their elective requirements. Students in the Nursing program can also take non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses offered by the School of Nursing toward their elective requirements (to a maximum of 6 units), including independent study/research project courses HTHSCI 4AR3 and HTHSCI 4BR3.

What is Level 2 or above Coursework?

Courses are designated Level 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. You can learn what level a course is designated by the first numeric digit in the course code (ex. PSYCH 1A03 is a Level 1 course while HISTORY 3A03 is a Level 3 course). Courses designated Level 2 or higher are called Upper Level courses.  

Find elective courses

Mohawk and Conestoga site students have the option to take COLLAB courses at their respective site.

• COLLAB elective courses available to Mohawk & Conestoga site students

LETTER OF PERMISSION - Click to find out how to take courses at other institutions towards credit at McMaster. 

Year 1 Nursing

In Year 1 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are provided with a strong foundation in the health and social sciences and are able to choose from a variety of electives. They learn about themselves and their clients as individuals, while focusing on health, health assessment and the promotion of health.

Year 1 Basic stream students are required to spend four hours per week working in a laboratory setting with a tutor. During this time, they focus on ​fundamental nursing skills such as communication, hand-washing, vital signs and physical assessment.

​Year 2​ Nursing

In ​Year 2 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students expand their definition of the client as an individual and now begin to consider the client as a family and the community.

Year 2 of the Basic Stream requires that students spend eight hours per week at a practice placement where they work together with a group of fellow students and a single faculty member. All students complete one medical placement and one surgical placement, learning to respond to ​chronic, acute, and complex health care situations.

​Year 3​ Nursing

In ​Year 3 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are required to spend 12 hours per week working in acute and varied clinical settings, such as pediatrics, mental health and maternal/child, among many others.

​Year 4 Nursing​

In Year 4 Nursing, students are placed individually in a variety of settings where they are actively involved in enacting the nursing role for 24 hours per week first term; and 24 hours per week in the first six weeks and 36 hours per week in the last six weeks of the second term.

Students are directly supervised by a clinical preceptor and indirectly supervised by a ​faculty member.

Elective Requirements:

18 units of electives of which:

• Minimum 6 units from Level 2 or above coursework 
• Maximum 6 units from non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses

Elective course work must be completed prior to the start of the final term in Level ​4.

What Courses Can I Take for Electives?

McMaster offers a variety of courses across all Faculties that students can complete to satisfy their elective requirements. Students in the Nursing program can also take non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses offered by the School of Nursing toward their elective requirements (to a maximum of 6 units), including independent study/research project courses HTHSCI 4AR3 and HTHSCI 4BR3.

What is Level 2 or above Coursework?

Courses are designated Level 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. You can learn what level a course is designated by the first numeric digit in the course code (ex. PSYCH 1A03 is a Level 1 course while HISTORY 3A03 is a Level 3 course). Courses designated Level 2 or higher are called Upper Level courses.  

Find elective courses

Mohawk and Conestoga site students have the option to take COLLAB courses at their respective site.

• COLLAB elective courses available to Mohawk & Conestoga site students

LETTER OF PERMISSION - Click to find out how to take courses at other institutions towards credit at McMaster. 

Year 1 Nursing

In Year 1 of the Nursing program in the Basic Stream, students are provided with a strong foundation in the health and social sciences and are able to choose a variety of electives. They learn about themselves and their clients as individuals, while focusing on health, health assessment and the promotion of health.

Year 1 Basic stream students are required to spend four hours per week working in a laboratory setting with a tutor. During this time, they focus on ​fundamental nursing skills such as communication, hand-washing, vital signs and physical assessment.

​Year 2 Nursing

In ​Year 2 of the Basic Stream, students expand their definition of the client as an individual and now begin to consider the client as a family and the community.

Year 2 of the Basic Stream requires that students spend eight hours per week at a practice placement where they work together with a group of fellow students and a single faculty member. All students complete one medical placement and one surgical placement, learning to respond to ​chronic, acute, and complex health care situations.

​Year 3 Nursing

In ​Year 3 of the Basic Stream, students are required to spend 12 hours per week working in acute and varied clinical settings, such as pediatrics, mental health and maternal/child, among many others.

​Year 4 Nursing​

In Year 4 Nursing, students are placed individually in a variety of settings where they are actively involved in enacting the nursing role for 24 hours per week first term; and 24 hours per week in the first six weeks and 36 hours per week in the last six weeks of the second term.

Students are directly supervised by a clinical preceptor and indirectly supervised by a ​faculty member.

Basic (A) Stream elective requirements:

18 units of electives of which:

• Minimum 6 units at Level 2 or above
• Maximum 6 units from NURSING or HTHSCI courses

Elective course work must be completed prior to the start of the final term in Level ​4.

Elective Options:

McMaster offers a variety of courses across all Faculties that students can complete to satisfy their elective requirements. Students in the Nursing program can also take non-mandatory NURSING or HTHSCI courses offered by the School of Nursing toward their elective requirements (to a maximum of 6 units), including independent study/research project courses HTHSCI 4AR3 and 4BR3

Mohawk and Conestoga site students have the option to take COLLAB courses at their respective site.

• Level 1 Electives
• COLLAB elective courses available to Mohawk & Conestoga site students

Letter of Permission

All students may request to complete electives at another institution on Letter of Permission (LOP)​

Details on applying for LOP