Basic Stream BScN (A Stream) — McMaster/Mohawk Collaborative

SpaceCat Fit Notes

CASPer: 20% weight. Significant GPA offset potential. details
GPA window: All undergraduate courses (cumulative). NOT resettable — weak Dal GPA drags down the average. details
Experiential: None. No written submissions, no interview. GPA (80%) + CASPer (20%) only. details
Out-of-province: No explicit Ontario residency requirement. Ontario resident (SpaceCat) — no issue. details
Overall assessment: Reach — Unlike the Accelerated stream (which uses most-recent 54 units), the Basic stream uses ALL undergraduate courses for GPA. SpaceCat’s weak cumulative Dal GPA cannot be reset with a small window of upgrading. CASPer at 20% helps but cannot overcome a fundamentally weak cumulative GPA against competitors averaging 85%+.

Quick Facts

Institution: McMaster University (School of Nursing), collaborative with Mohawk College
Program name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) — Basic (A) Stream
Degree granted: BScN
City, Province: Hamilton, Ontario (McMaster campus for both McMaster and Mohawk sites)
Program type: Standard 4-year
Duration: 4 years (8 terms)
Delivery format: In-person
Full-time / Part-time: Full-time only
Language of instruction: English
Start date(s): September (one intake per year)
Intake frequency: Annual
Application deadline(s): January 15 via OUAC (Group A for Ontario high school; Group B for all others)
Application system: OUAC 101 (Group A) or OUAC 105 (Group B)
Application code: MN (McMaster site) or MNM (Mohawk site)
Program URL: https://nursing.mcmaster.ca/mcmaster-nursing-programs/undergraduate-programs-school-of-nursing-mcmaster/basic-a-stream-4-years/
Accredited: Yes — CASN

Note on Conestoga: The three-way consortium (McMaster/Mohawk/Conestoga) is ending. Conestoga received approval to launch its own standalone BScN beginning September 2024. The McMaster Basic Stream now operates as a two-site program (McMaster site + Mohawk site).

Admission Requirements

GPA

Minimum GPA: 75% (B) in all university degree credit courses taken (for applicants with university education). 85% in six prerequisite courses for Ontario high school applicants.
Competitive GPA (if known): Not officially published for the Basic stream. The Acuity Insights case study reports competitive averages of ~92% for McMaster nursing overall (2015 data), though that figure may primarily reflect the Accelerated stream. For high school applicants, a minimum of 85% in prerequisites is stated as “typically required for consideration.”
GPA calculated on: For 105 applicants with university education:

“Basic Stream Applicants: For applicants with university credits, we calculate GPA using all undergraduate-level courses. A minimum of 12 units with final grades are required no later than the application deadline.”

This is cumulative — ALL undergraduate courses count. This is critically different from the Accelerated stream, which uses only the most recent 54 units.

Also confirmed:

“GPA calculations are based on an applicant’s undergraduate degree; therefore, master’s and PhD coursework will not be included.”

Number of credits in GPA window: All undergraduate-level courses (cumulative). No window — the entire transcript counts.
GPA scale used: Percentage (McMaster 12-point scale converted)
Do post-degree upgrading courses count? Yes — the FAQ states “all undergraduate-level courses” and does not restrict to courses within a degree program. University-level upgrading courses taken after graduating from Dalhousie would be included, but they would be averaged with ALL prior courses, diluting their impact.
Are online/summer/part-time courses included in GPA? Yes:

“Summer and online courses may be used to fulfill prerequisite requirements, provided they meet the criteria of the chosen stream.”
“Entire record” caveat? Yes — the GPA IS the entire record. There is no window to reset.
Can applicants explain/contextualize a low GPA? No. No written component is reviewed.

Prerequisites

For 105 applicants with a university degree, high school science prerequisites are only required if the applicant has NOT taken university-level science courses:

“If the applicant has not taken university science courses, then they must have obtained a 75% (B) in: Chemistry 4U (OSS curriculum or equivalent), Biology 4U (OSS curriculum or equivalent), One of: Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus and Vectors 4U, Mathematics of Data Management 4U”

For Ontario high school applicants (101):

Course	Required / Recommended	Min Grade
English 4U (ENG4U)	Required	Part of 85% average
Biology 4U (SBI4U)	Required	Part of 85% average
Chemistry 4U (SCH4U)	Required	Part of 85% average
One of: MHF4U, MCV4U, MDM4U	Required	Part of 85% average
Two additional Grade 12 U or M courses	Required	Part of 85% average

Prior Degree Requirement

Minimum credits / degree required: For university applicants: minimum 12 units with final grades by application deadline. No completed degree required.
Completed degree required? No — university credits are sufficient.
Degree field restrictions: None stated for Basic stream (unlike Accelerated, which requires science background).

CASPer

Required. CASPer is weighted at 20% of the admission decision, with GPA at 80%.

“Offer decisions are based on a combination of GPA (80%) and Casper (20%) score.”

SpaceCat’s very high CASPer score is valuable here, but at only 20% weight against a cumulative GPA (80%), it cannot overcome a large GPA gap. The Acuity Insights case study showed CASPer can “pull up” applicants below the cutoff, but likely by a few percentage points, not a fundamental gap.

Indigenous applicants are exempt from CASPer (must apply through FIAP).

Supplementary Requirements

Interview: Not required.
Resume / CV: Not required.
References: Not required.

“Supplementary material such as reference letters, resumes (etc.) are not required or considered.”

How Applications Are Evaluated

Admission model: Formulaic (published weights)
Published formula: 80% GPA + 20% CASPer
GPA cutoff before other components? No — GPA and CASPer are combined into a single ranking score. However, applicants must meet minimum academic requirements to be eligible.

Advanced Standing / Transfer Credit

“It may be possible for transfer credits to be accepted as elective courses. However, this is only discussed after a student has started the program and met with an Academic Advisor.”

Transfer credits are limited to elective courses — no nursing credits transfer. A BA holder would not receive significant program shortening.

Mature Student Pathway

Not explicitly listed as a separate category for the Basic stream. The program categorizes applicants as: Ontario Secondary School, Other Provinces, University Degree/Credits, or Pre-Health Sciences Pathway. A BA holder would fall under “University Degree or University Degree Credits” and be evaluated on cumulative university GPA.

Out-of-Province Considerations

Residency restrictions or quotas: Mohawk site is open to domestic applicants only. McMaster site is open to domestic and international applicants.
Out-of-province tuition differential: Small differential exists for McMaster site (~$1,877 total per the accelerated program data). SpaceCat is an Ontario resident — not applicable.

Source: Program admissions page

Cost

Tuition (total program, approximate): ~$7,000-$8,000/year for Ontario residents (4 years = ~$28,000-$32,000 total)
Additional fees: Non-academic requirements (immunizations, police check, CPR) post-offer

Competitiveness

Cohort size: McMaster site + Mohawk site combined. Exact number not published on the pages reviewed.
Acceptance rate (if known): Not published. Stated as highly competitive.

Information Not Found

Exact cohort size for Basic stream
Specific competitive GPA cutoff for 105 applicants to Basic stream (the 85% minimum for high school applicants is stated; whether 75% minimum for university applicants is genuinely the competitive floor is unknown)
Whether post-degree upgrading courses are averaged into the cumulative GPA or calculated separately — confirm with program
Contact: bscnadmissions@mcmaster.ca / 905-525-9140 ext. 22232