McMaster University will close for the holiday break at the end of the work day on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and will reopen Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Click here for McMaster’s fixed holiday schedule.
Classes resume Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Please note: Some clinical placements may start the week of Jan. 12, 2026. Program offices will communicate directly with their students about their start date in these instances.
Residence students
Residence students are expected to leave their residence space by 12 p.m. the day after their last exam, or 12 p.m. on Dec. 20 (whichever is earlier).
All residence buildings, except for those accommodating December Break Stay students, will be closed as of 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. Students will be welcomed back to residence starting Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
Building closures
Most buildings on campus will be locked at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025.
Offices, laboratories, and other spaces with magnetic locks will be locked after this time. Only those with access cards will be able to enter areas with magnetic locks. These buildings will reopen on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Before Leaving
Before leaving, faculty and staff are reminded to please remove garbage from personal offices and leave tied-up bags in a hallway or common area for removal. Please unplug any unnecessary equipment, turn off lights, and close fume hood sashes and water taps in labs to help with campus sustainability efforts.
During the closure period
- Snow clearing services will continue.
- All dining on campus will be closed. Students can order from our various off-campus vendors using their meal cards.
- Housing and Conference Services (HCS) will have a limited number of staff on campus, providing essential services to students who have pre-arranged December Break Stay agreements. All HCS service centres will be closed.
- Parking will continue to be available on campus, but there will be no shuttle bus service during the closure. Find more information on the Parking Services website.
- Campus Safety Services will be on duty throughout the closure period and officers will be on campus.
- Individual requests to open rooms and/or buildings will not be approved. Any exception must have been pre-authorized prior to the closure.
- IT support will be limited. Production applications, such as Mosaic, will continue to be available, but there will be no support for Mac ID or account management. If you encounter any issues, visit the self-service page on the UTS website or submit a JIRA Service Desk ticket for resolution when normal IT support resumes after the closure.