MacID Help FAQs

All students must enrol for Continuing Education programs using the course selection tool on our website by selecting "enrol today".

Watch the video below for a walk-through.

If you are a current student or have ever been a McMaster student or employee, the easiest way to log in is to use your MacID (e.g. smithj) and password.

If you do not know your MacID, you can use your student or employee number, and after providing additional information you can access the system.

If you have never been a student or employee you can create a new account.

For more information on this process, watch this short video:

In your email, try to locate your McMaster Person ID/MacID email. This mail would have your Person ID number and barcode number. If you have both of those numbers go to https://maciam.mcmaster.ca, click “need help with your MacID?” and follow the prompts from there.


If you cannot locate your student number and/or barcode number, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

If you cannot locate your student number and/or barcode number please contact us at conted@mcmaster.ca and we can resend you this information.

First, ensure that you have your MacID username (e.g., smithj). If you do not remember your MacID username, please see the above FAQ. With your username go to https://maciam.mcmaster.ca and click on “forgot password?” You will be instructed to answer your security questions and then reset your password. If you do not remember your security answers, or if you do not have any security questions listed, please contact University Technology Services (UTS) for assistance at either uts@mcmaster.ca, live chat or 905-525-9140 ext. 24357 during business hours. Visit uts.mcmaster.ca/contact-us for more information. They will ask you for your student (person ID) number and barcode number. If you do not remember your student number and barcode number and cannot locate this information in your email, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

If you do not remember your student number and/or barcode number and cannot locate this information in your email please, visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

If you do not remember your security answers, or if you do not have any security questions listed, please contact University Technology Services (UTS) for assistance at either uts@mcmaster.ca, live chat or 905-525-9140 ext. 24357 during business hours. Visit uts.mcmaster.ca/contact-us for more information. They will ask you for your student (person ID) number and barcode number. If you do not remember your student number and barcode number and cannot locate this information in your email, please visit our Contact Us page and we can resend you this information.

Avenue to Learn (A2L) is McMaster's online learning management system. This is where online courses take place. The system is also used by some in-person classes for readings and assignments. Visit http://avenue.mcmaster.ca/ to log in with your Mac ID.

Avenue to Learn is McMaster’s branded version of Desire to Learn’s learning management system called Brightspace. The following video tutorials have been created by Desire to Learn to demonstrate how to navigate common tools in Avenue to Learn (Brightspace):

• Navigation
• Classlist          
• Course Content
• Discussions
• Assignments          
• Taking quizzes 
• Viewing grades 

Students are required to log into the MOSAIC Student Centre (mosaic.mcmaster.ca) to drop a course. You can first review our drop/refund policy here. If you still wish to drop your course, please follow the steps below:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile → Academics section

- Select “Enrolment: Drop” from the dropdown menu (defaulted to   “other academic…”) and complete the steps

- If you qualify for a refund, please allow 2-3 weeks for refunds to be   processed if you paid by credit card or if you paid by debit and     signed up for direct deposit on MOSAIC. If you paid by debit,     cheque, or in-person on the point-of-sale machine, please allow 4-6   weeks for refunds to be processed and for a cheque to be mailed to   you from McMaster’s Student Accounts department.

Students can log into the MOSAIC Student Centre (mosaic.mcmaster.ca) to access this information. Please follow the steps below:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile → Academics section

- Use the drop down menu in the Academics section (defaulted to   “other academic…”) to select “Enrolment/Financial Letters” and click   the grey arrow

- Select the Enrolment/Completion letter

- NOTE: Please ensure that your pop-up blocker is off so that the letter   can be downloaded

You can log into your MOSAIC Student Centre to access this information. Please follow the steps below:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile → Academics section

- Select “Transcript: Request Official” from the dropdown menu     (defaulted to “other academic…”) and complete the form

- NOTE: You will see you also have the option view an unofficial     transcript from the academics section drop down menu. Please     ensure your pop-up blocker is turned off if you would like to view   this.

Students can update their address and phone number in MOSAIC using the following steps:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile

- Scroll down to the Personal Information section and click on     “Demographic Data”

- Select the appropriate tab along the top menu bar for any       information you wish to update

Students can update their legal name by completing a Name Change Request form and faxing it to the Office of the Registrar along with one piece of identification. You will find this form and full instructions in the following link: https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/services/name-change/ 

You can log into the MOSAIC Student Centre to access this information. Please follow the steps below:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile → Academics section

- Select either “Grades” (broken down by term) or “Course History”   from the dropdown menu (defaulted to “other academic…”)

- You will be able to view all completed, registered and/or dropped   courses on this page

After you complete all your required courses and all final grades have been posted in MOSAIC, please apply to graduate using the steps below:

- Log into Mosaic → Student Centre tile

- Ensure the spelling of your name and your address are correct for   the printing and mailing of your certificate or diploma

- Use the drop down menu in the Academics section (defaulted to   “other academic…”) to select “Apply for Graduation” and follow the   steps

Once you have successfully submitted your application, if you are cleared to graduate, you will receive an email in 6-8 weeks. Certificate and diplomas are typically mailed out within 2-3 months. You will also receive an invitation in October to attend the graduation ceremony, held every November in Hamilton (excludes certificates of completion).

Mosaic/Student Record FAQ'sIn accordance to McMaster University’s General Academic Regulations, “it is imperative that students make every effort to meet the originally scheduled course requirements and it is a student’s responsibility to write examinations as scheduled.” Therefore, all students are expected to attend and complete the specific course requirements (i.e. attendance, assignments, and tests/exams) listed in the course outline on or by the date specified.

Students who need to arrange for coursework accommodation, as a result of medical, personal or family reasons, must contact the course instructor within 48 hours of the originally scheduled due date.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Program Manager/Program Associate to discuss accommodations and procedures related to deferred tests and/or examinations within 48 hours of the originally scheduled test/exam, as per policy. A deferred exam fee of $50 will be charged. The student must contact the Centre for Continuing Education to arrange payment. 

Failure to contact the course instructor, in the case of missed coursework, or the Program Manager/Program Associate, in the case of a missed test/examination, within the specified 48 hours window will result in a grade of zero (0) on the coursework/exam and no further consideration will be granted.

*Note: Supporting documentation will be required but will not ensure approval of accommodation(s).

All students must enrol for Continuing Education programs using the course selection tool on our website by selecting "enrol today".

Watch the video below for a walk-through.

If you are a current student or have ever been a McMaster student or employee, the easiest way to log in is to use your MacID (e.g. smithj) and password.

If you do not know your MacID, you can use your student or employee number, and after providing additional information you can access the system.

If you have never been a student or employee you can create a new account.

For more information on this process, watch this short video:

Your Mac ID is a unique, common identifier enabling single sign-on for a number of McMaster systems and applications (including registering online for Continuing Education courses). Your Mac ID is not your McMaster employee or student number. It often looks like a combination of your last name and first initial (e.g. smithj) and is normally the username part of your McMaster email address.

To activate your Mac ID, you will need your student number, barcode and date of birth. First time students will receive their barcode number and student number via email from the University immediately upon enrolling in their first course.

Follow the step-by-step instructions outlined in the email and be certain to make sure your password meets the designated criteria. If you have questions, please call us at (905) 525-9140 ext. 24321.

Review the drop policy to determine if you qualify for a refund.

If you are entitled to a refund, please allow 1-3 weeks for refunds to be processed if you paid by credit card or if you paid by debit and signed up for direct deposit on MOSAIC. If you paid by debit, cheque, or in-person on the point-of-sale machine, please allow 4-6 weeks for refunds to be processed and for a cheque to be mailed to you from McMaster’s Student Accounts department.

Tax certificates are made available by the end of February for the previous year. You can access your tax certificate online in MOSAIC by clicking on the “View/Print Tax Forms (Student)” tile on your homepage. Tax certificates are issued for academic credit courses (not for professional development courses) based on the term the course began. Please make sure to disable your pop-up blocker.

This is now a requirement of Canada Revenue Agency. You can update your SIN through Mosaic using the “Update SIN (Student)” tile, or via the Student Centre. To update your SIN via the Student Centre, click Demographic Data under Personal Information. Enter your SIN, without spaces, and click Save.

Immediately after enrolling and paying for a course you would have received a Moneris receipt by email to the email address you provided during the enrolment process. Alternatively, for payment details you can login to your MOSAIC student centre and print an “enrolment/financial letter” from the academics section, as well as print out the “payments” page in the finances section.