Transcripts & Documents

APPLICANT CATEGORIES AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

An official transcript is a complete academic record of all individual courses and grades achieved at an educational institution. It must be signed by a presiding official and bear the seal or certified stamp of the issuing institution. The signature, seal and/or stamp should appear on all pages of the document. A transcript is considered official only if it is sent directly to McMaster from the issuing institution in a sealed envelope. If evidence of misrepresentation of fraudulent or falsified documentation is found, the penalty is severe.  McMaster University reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission and/or scholarship.

Internationally educated applicants who are currently residing in Canada and are unable to request that their official transcripts be submitted to McMaster directly from their home institutions because they are no longer residing in that country must subsequently provide a credential evaluation with document authentication from World Evaluation Services Canada (WES). McMaster undergraduate programs require the WES ICAP Course-by-Course with GPA calculation assessment for colleges and universities. For High School Diplomas or Secondary Level Credentials, WES only provides the ICAP Basic Report. Please contact WES Canada directly to arrange for the appropriate evaluation. McMaster University may require students presenting documents that will form the basis of their admission to the university, from schools outside of North America, to have those documents authenticated via WES.

Where documentation from a school outside of Canada is in a language other than English, a certified English translation (signed, sealed, and stamped) must be included with the original language documents. A certified translation must be issued by one of the following:

  • the Canadian consulate, high commission or embassy in the country where the documents were issued
  • a translator accredited by a professional association of translators in Canada
  • a translator who has received accreditation through a federal, provincial, or municipal government in Canada.

The translator must include a photocopy of the document(s) from which the translation was prepared, and an original statement indicating that the translation is accurate and authentic. The translator must also include their contact information (including the identification number and/or seal, name, address, and telephone number) printed name and signature in the statement.

STATEMENT FOR APPLICATION FRAUD

If McMaster concludes based on reasonable grounds that the applicant has falsified any information presented to the University as part of their application, without limiting any other rights of McMaster available at law, McMaster reserves the right to revoke the offer and, subject to applicable law and University policy, to terminate a student’s registration.