The short version
McMaster writes and publishes course outlines in a tool called Simple Syllabus, which the university calls its Course Outline Portal. The outline library is at mcmaster.simplesyllabusca.com. You can open it, pick a term and a faculty, and read any outline its instructor has made public.
Finding your course
- Open the Course Outline Library at mcmaster.simplesyllabusca.com.
- Choose the term, for example Winter 2027, in the Term filter.
- Narrow it with Select school/faculty: Science, Engineering, DeGroote, Humanities and so on.
- Find your course code. Outlines are listed per section (C01, C02 …), so open the section you're registered in. Sections of the same course can have different test dates.
If your course isn't there
Instructors choose who can see each outline, so not every course appears in the public list, and outlines for an upcoming term show up as instructors publish them. If yours is missing:
- Check the course in Avenue to Learn. Many instructors post the outline there too, often under Content.
- Check the department's website. Several McMaster departments and faculties post outlines on their own pages.
- Ask in the first class or email the instructor. The outline is required, and everything you plan depends on it.
Use this term's outline, not last year's
The library keeps past terms, which is handy for a preview and dangerous for planning. Weights, test dates and late policies change between years even when the course code stays the same. Plan from the outline for the term you're actually in.
Once you have it
Pull out the grade breakdown, the fixed dates, the recurring work and the missed-work rules first; the guide on reading a course outline goes through them in order. At McMaster the missed-work rules usually point to MSAF, which has limits worth knowing before you need it.
To get the dates into Google Calendar, save the outline as a PDF (if it opens as a web page, your browser's Print → Save as PDF works) and upload it to SyllaBuddy. Every dated item lands in your calendar with its weight in the title.
Questions
Is Simple Syllabus the same as Avenue to Learn?
No. Avenue to Learn is McMaster's learning platform, where coursework, quizzes and grades live. Simple Syllabus is where course outlines are written and published. Avenue's calendar only carries what a professor enters in Avenue, which is why the outline matters.
Can I read an outline before I enrol?
Often, yes. Anything public in the library can be read without being enrolled, which is useful for comparing sections or electives before you choose.
Do I need to log in?
Not to browse public outlines. Some instructors limit an outline to McMaster users or to enrolled students, and those need you to sign in or to look in Avenue instead.