McMaster University offers a wide range of mentoring and targeted support schemes throughout the university, and across all our faculties and departments. Some of these schemes are formalized programs, while others are more informal arrangements geared to individuals and their goals.

These diverse support schemes focus on bolstering women in the workplace, whether they are staff, academics, or students at all levels. Because supporting women is not a one-size-fits-all plan, these mentoring schemes come in all forms.

Examples of these support schemes include:

Women in Leadership Living and Learning Community, offered by McMaster’s Housing and Conference Services, provides opportunities such as an international service-learning trip, a formalized mentorship program, fireside chats with faculty members, and leadership development events.

DeGroote Women in Business is an undergraduate association whose vision is to engage, motivate, and empower female business students through mentorship, awareness, and exposure to different industries and companies through various events.

The outreach program, McMaster Women In Engineering (WIE), McMaster Engineering matches first years and those new to engineering with upper-year women mentors who can provide guidance and support. WIE additionally conducts community outreach, giving students a chance to go out to local high schools to encourage all women and non-binary persons to consider an education in a STEM field.

McMaster Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) is an initiative of academics and professionals in science and engineering fields who offer mentorship, hold networking events, and advocate for diversity and equity, in order to recruit, retain, support, and increase the number of females in STEM disciplines at McMaster University.

MentorMatch is a six-month mentorship program that connects third-year Bachelor of Health Sciences Program students with McMaster alumni and community partners. Mentors come from a variety of medical and health fields and are matched with students striving towards similar career goals.

McMaster University now houses the Indigenous Mentorship Network of Ontario which connects Indigenous students with cultural mentorship, career guidance, and community networking opportunities.

Academic Women’s Success and Mentorship (AWSM) Committee is committed to stimulating dialogue on ways to integrate and sustain a culture of leadership, mentorship, and success among female academics across McMaster University.

The all-female Wallingford Hall residence encourages women’s leadership development by pairing current residents with Wallingford alumni in a structured six-month mentorship program.

Female students during the mentorship program in the Fall of 2021 to the Spring of 2022, participated in the 2021 National Bank Financial Women Students Mentorship Program to gain hands-on experience in the field of investment advising.

A $5,000 financial award and a paid co-op opportunity were offered to women studying engineering through the Hydro One Women in Engineering Award.