Waivers
If you have successfully completed the equivalent of one of the first-year (600-level) courses at another university, you can apply to replace it with a second-year course (700-level). You can waive up to ten courses if you meet the requirements.
You can only waive 600-level courses.
For your reference, MASO has compiled a list of previously waived courses. Please note that this list is to be used as a guideline only. Course waiver requests are not guaranteed and need to be approved by MASO.
Requirements
- The course you completed must be a university, degree-level course.
- You must have earned at least a B in the course (B- if the course was completed at McMaster).
- You must have taken the course within the last five years.
How to Apply for a Waiver
The deadline for waiver applications is the first Friday of each term, unless otherwise specified. Make sure to register for all required courses in the current term, including the courses you intend to waive, before submitting your application.
Required Documentation
If the course you took was at McMaster then please submit:
If the course you took was at another university then more information is required. Please submit:
- A completed copy of the course waiver application
- A copy of the course outline
- The description of the course in the other university’s course calendar
- A list of the textbooks used in the course
Submitting Your Application
Send your documents in a single email to mbawaiver@mcmaster.ca. (If some of your documents are on paper please scan and attach them). No paper applications are accepted.
Please use the following as the subject line of your email, filling in the appropriate information:
- Waiver Application – Term / Year – Your Full Name – Your Student Number
Approval Process
It takes 5 – 7 business days for your application to be reviewed. You will be notified of the decision and provided with further instructions by email.
Replacing a Waived Course
You must replace your waived first-year (600-level) course with a second-year (700-level) course.
There are some restrictions on replacement courses:
- You must have completed the prerequisites for the replacement course.
- Since P720 is a required second year course, you can’t use it as a replacement.
- P700 can only be used as a replacement course in second term (if it’s offered).
- You can’t use a course which is only available to students in a particular specialization (such as Health Services Management).
- If you are a co-op or full-time student, the replacement course must be taken in the same term as the course you waived.
- Part-time students are able to replace their waived course any time before the completion of their MBA degree.
In some cases it’s possible to take a graduate level course from another faculty as a replacement. However, while you need to pass such a course to get the credits required for graduation, replacement courses from other faculties are not included in your grade point calculation.
Questions
If you have any questions about waivers or waiver applications please email mbawaiver@mcmaster.ca.
