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About

Our Mission

Advance scientific discovery and knowledge and promote scientific literacy and understanding in our community.”

Our Vision

To be the leading Faculty of Science in Canada and among the world’s best in strategic areas of strength through innovation, creativity and excellence in research, education, scholarship and service.”

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The Faculty of Science is one of the largest among Canadian universities, with more than 6,800 undergraduate and 600 graduate students.

More than 1,400 undergraduate and graduate degrees are granted each year, with graduates joining more than 33,000 Science alumni who live and work around the world.

Science has the largest undergraduate enrolment of McMaster’s six Faculties and Schools and faculty deliver foundational courses to thousands of other students from across the university.

More than 200 full-time faculty provide educational and research opportunities to students and conduct pioneering research in the life sciences, physical sciences and mathematical and computational science. At 99 per cent, Science has the highest percentage of faculty with PhDs among McMaster’s six Faculties and Schools.

Established as a stand-alone Faculty in 1967, Science has grown to eight departments and schools:

The Faculty of Science is an active partner with McMaster’s Faculties of Health Sciences and Engineering in five interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Diversity leads to better science. Women represent more than 60 per cent of undergraduate students and the Faculty of Science welcomes more than 500 international students annually.

Leading employers throughout North America are key partners with the Faculty of Science, providing more than 480 co-operative education work terms to students.

All undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in research, both in the lab and out in the field. Every year, more than 500 students choose to work on a senior thesis research project under the supervision of faculty and graduate students.

The Faculty of Science is a research powerhouse at McMaster, with 17 Canada Research Chairs, five endowed research chairs and the university’s only Canada 150 Research Chair.

Researchers in the Faculty of Science secure nearly $25 million in funding annually and collaborate with researchers from more than 30 countries on six continents.

The Faculty of Science has five research-intensive institutes and centres that advance scientific discovery and knowledge in biointerfacesclimate changephysical activity and, the origins of life and music and the mind .

Students, faculty and staff promote scientific literacy and understanding through dozens of outreach initiatives that bring science into the community and welcome the public onto campus.

Meet The Dean Of Science

Dr. Maureen J. MacDonald Dean, Faculty of Science

Maureen MacDonald is the first woman to serve as Dean of Science at McMaster University.

Maureen joined McMaster as a faculty member in 1998 after earning an undergraduate honours chemistry degree at Acadia University, her Masters and PhD in kinesiology at the University of Waterloo and holding post-doctoral positions at Western University and the University of British Columbia. Maureen served as Director of McMaster’s School of Interdisciplinary Science prior to her appointment as Dean in May 2017.

Maureen is a professor with the Department of Kinesiology and a visiting professor with the School of Sport Science Exercise and Health at Loughborough University. Maureen is also a member of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging, the Exercise Metabolism Research Group, the McMaster Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Health Research, and the McMaster Physical Activity Centre of Excellence. In addition, Maureen is an associate member of Rehabilitation Science with the Faculty of Health Sciences.

A highly respected researcher and regarded expert in cardiovascular health, exercise physiology, spinal cord injury and aging, Maureen leads important research into the effectiveness of exercise as a way of preventing illness, improving health status and lifestyle. Her research is widely published and often cited, including in the journals Medicine and Science in Sports and ExerciseApplied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism; and the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Maureen’s commitment to students was recognized in 2018 with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Mentorship Award. She has received multiple nominations for the McMaster Students Union teaching award and has undertaken significant administrative leadership roles on a variety of committees and groups on campus and in the community, including the university’s Committee for Recommending a President.

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Appointment Duration Name
1962-1967 Ronald P. Graham
1967-1972 Dennis R. McCalla
1975-1984 Donald W. Sprung
1984-1989 Ronald F. Childs
1989-1995 Robert H. McNutt
1995-1996 Harvey P. Weingarten
1996-2005 Peter G. Sutherland
2005-2012 John P. Capone
2012-2013 Peter G. Sutherland (Acting)
2013-2016 Robert L. Baker
2016-2017 Bruce Milliken (Acting)
2017- Maureen J. MacDonald