The Interdisciplinary Minor in Community Engagement allows students to deepen their understanding of communities and develop skills for principled and effective engagement. The minor is designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for participation in communities, regardless of the student’s primary field of study. The interdisciplinary nature of the minor allows for a broad knowledge base from which to establish relationships with a range of communities both locally and globally. Students are required to take CMTYENGA 2A03 - Foundations of Community Engagement - plus 21 additional units chosen from the three course lists below. To ensure a mixture of theoretical and experiential courses, students must take a minimum of six units from Course List A (courses that focus on theory) and a minimum of three units from Course List B (courses that provide the student with relevant skills) and three units from Course List C (projects or capstone courses that involve an advanced community-engaged project and/or community-based research). The courses presented for the minor must include choices from at least two different Faculties (Social Sciences, Humanities, etc.). More information about Community Engagement can be found at http://community.mcmaster.ca.
Notes
Students may submit a request to receive credit toward the Minor in Community Engagement if they successfully complete a course that is not listed in the course lists below but has a significant community engagement component. For example, a student undertaking a thesis course that normally does not require community engagement may elect to work in partnership with a community group as a central component of the thesis. A thesis structured in this way may be eligible for credit toward the Minor. Student requests for course substitution can be submitted by completing the form found at https://community.mcmaster.ca/our-programs-and-initiatives/ce-minor/#tab-content-course-substitutions.
Students are encouraged to speak to their Faculty academic advisors about Faculty-specific rules on double-counting courses for the minor. Students in Arts and Science and Integrated Business and Humanities must consult their academic advisors for information on program-specific pathways to this minor.
Students who entered McMaster prior to September 2024 can use SUSTAIN 3S03 to satisfy either 3 units of List B or C.
Students enrolled in CMTYENGA 3E03 will require a police vulnerable sector check. Financial support to obtain this document is available as needed. Contact community@mcmaster.ca.
Selected from two or more Faculties; must include a minimum of 6 units from Course List A and a minimum of 3 units from Course List B and a minimum of 3 units from Course List C. (See Note 1 above.)