Overview
Discover how health, aging and well-being connect in Health & Society I. In a close-knit learning environment with smaller class sizes to foster strong connections with instructors, explore the human side of health care – topics like mental health, community services, housing and aging and breaking down the barriers of the health care system.
You will automatically be placed in the Health & Society Honours BA program at the end of your first year, or you can apply to any other health, aging & society degree programs and specializations.
Upper Year Health, Aging & Society Degree Programs Include:
- Honours Aging & Society Honours B.A.
- Honours Aging & Society Honours B.A. Co-op Option
- Honours Aging & Society Honours B.A. Mental Health & Addiction Specialization
- Honours Health & Society Honours B.A.
- Honours Health & Society Honours B.A. Co-op Option
- Honours Health & Society Honours B.A. Mental Health & Addiction Specialization
- Combined Honours Aging & Society and Another Subject Honours B.A.
- Combined Honours Health & Society and Another Subject Honours B.A.
Please note, this program is not affiliated with Health Sciences and does not focus on the clinical side of health.
Co-op Opportunities
If you’re looking to gain work experience throughout your degree, the Aging and Society Co-op Option Program or the Health & Society Co-op Option Program is for you! You can apply to this degree program at the end of your first year in Health & Society I. A co-op program means that you will study at McMaster for five years, with three paid co-op work terms and the rest as academic in course studies.
Dive into the world of health care through work experience in community groups and organizations, hospital administration and opportunities in both the private and public sectors.
Fast Facts
5 World Renowned Research Centres
Hands on Research Experience
Field Placements in 3rd Year
Expandable List
- Limited enrollment program
- Emphasis on experiential education and research
- Students learn about the social impacts of health from different perspectives, with faculty members from a variety of disciplines such as Economics, Sociology, Geography, Social Work, Political Science, and more
- Community-partnered research and other learning opportunities
- Exclusive Level I course, events and personal support.
- Through our partnership with Mohawk College, you can earn a college certificate while completing your degree. Earn a Mohawk College certificate in one of the following areas:
- Business Studies
- Disability Management
- Leadership and Management in the Not-for-Profit Sector.
Housed within the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Office of Experiential Education (EE) offers students many opportunities to connect their academic learning to work experience, career planning and the community around them. We offer the following services to students in any of our degree programs, including Health & Society:
- Placements/Internships
- Career and Networking Events
- Experiential Education Courses
- Grants and Awards
Field Experience
In the study of Health & Society, experience in the field is necessary
to help our students put theory and methods into practice. Students have the opportunity to take either HLTH AGE 3BB3: Field Experience or HLTH AGE 3EE3: The Practice of Everyday Life: Observations and Inquiry. Both of these courses offer students the opportunity to observe, gain experience, and interact in a community agency or institution, in order to augment their knowledge and understanding of health programs and policies. Alongside these opportunities, there is a focus upon active learning throughout our programs via invited speakers and discussion groups with older adult volunteers.
Student Testimonials
Before I came to university, my goal was to work in a hospital. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do in a hospital or how I would get there, but I always knew that is where I wanted to be.
Your Classes
What You’ll Take:
- Inquiry: Introduction to Health and Society (HLTHAGE 1ZZ3)
- Introduction to Aging and Society (HLTHAGE 1BB3)
- Introduction to Mental Health and Illness (HLTHAGE 1CC3)
- 9 units from a select course list
- 12 units of electives
Learn more about Health and Society I requirements here.
Specialization in Mental Health and Addiction
The Specialization and Minor in Mental Health and Addiction provides you with the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship between mental health, addiction, and society. It involves examining the links between mental health and wider social processes, including marginalization, the construction of deviance, and the social determinants of health.
You will also gain a solid understanding of mental illness and some of the ways in which social changes and other non-biomedical interventions can be harnessed to address issues related to mental health and addiction and promote well-being.
McMaster Social Sciences + Mohawk Affiliated Certificates
Through our partnership with Mohawk College, you can earn a college certificate while completing your degree – exclusively available to all Social Sciences students, including Health & Society students.
Certificate options include:
- Business Studies
- Disability Management
For a full list of courses that can be available in this program, please consult the academic calendar.