ORPAS - Western University | Ontario Universities' Application Centre

About the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)

School of CSD Overview

Western’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) provides the foundational education and training for graduate students seeking careers in the professions of audiology and speech language pathology (SLP).

Audiologists and speech language pathologists work across the lifespan in the areas of hearing, balance, speech, language, voice, swallowing and/or cognitive communication. Audiologists and speech language pathologists provide prevention, counselling and education to individuals, families, caregivers, other professionals, organizations and the public regarding all aspects of hearing, balance, communication and swallowing.

Audiologists and speech language pathologists can be clinicians, clinician-scientists and faculty members who conduct research into normal and/or disordered hearing, speech, language, voice, swallowing, and communication mechanisms and processes. Some have opportunities to work in non-clinical roles in industry, healthcare and non-profit sectors using the knowledge and skills acquired in these graduate education programs.

Our School offers academic, clinical and research facilities for specialized instruction in audiology and speech language pathology, including in-house laboratories, simulation labs and audiovisual and computer-based learning facilities and simulation labs.

We also house the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic and the National Centre for Audiology, which provide well-equipped facilities for assessing and treating hearing, speech, language and voice disorders, and for counselling, tele-practice training and research. Clinical practice and clinical research activities are supervised by full- and part-time clinical faculty who are registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO).

Entry to the graduate programs in Audiology and SLP is very competitive. The number of students who seek admission to the program considerably exceeds the number of seats that are available. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements listed in the Admission Requirements on our website. However, meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Master of Clinical Science (MClSc)

Graduate Degrees Offered

We offer the following degrees:

Master of Clinical Science (MClSc) – Communication Sciences and Disorders (Audiology)
Master of Clinical Science (MClSc) – Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech Language Pathology)
MClSc/PhD

MClSc: Minimum Requirements

The minimum requirements for completion of each degree are:

6 full‑time terms of graduate work, which includes fall, winter and spring/summer terms,
satisfactory fulfillment of the prescribed curriculum in Audiology or SLP and
an accumulation of at least 350 supervised clinical practicum hours approved by the School of CSD.

MClSc: Certification and Registration

Graduates of the MClSc Degree meet all existing requirements for:

membership and certification by Speech Language & Audiology Canada,
membership by the Ontario Association of Speech Language‑ Pathologists and Audiologists (OSLA) and
licensing from the CASLPO.

Registration with CASLPO is required by law for professionals practicing audiology and SLP in Ontario. Graduates of our program wanting to practice in the profession in Ontario and most other provinces will be required to write and pass the Canadian Entry to Practice Exam to meet licensure requirements to practice.

Audiology and SLP: Minimum Requirements

A total of 3 references:
- 2 academic references
- 1 professional or personal reference (using a third academic reference form) from someone who knows you well from a non-academic setting (e.g., work supervisor, coach, clergy member).
A curriculum vitae (CV) is now mandatory.

Audiology or SLP specific volunteer hours will no longer be a requirement for admission. Applicants will still have an opportunity to describe any volunteerism they completed; however, a clinical reference is not required.

Audiology

Audiology: Curriculum

Students must complete all course and program progression requirements to graduate. A part-time study option is not available. All students are enrolled in a pre-determined curriculum each term, consisting of clinical and academic course-based work.

Audiology: Program Structure

Full-time, 2-year (6 terms), in-person, intensive study, with no traditional academic reading weeks
Integration of pre-determined academic curriculum and clinical practicum components
Clinical Placements

Audiology: Clinical Placements

As part of their degree requirements, students in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders participate in clinical placements. Clinical settings may include the H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic, hospitals, schools, treatment centres, private practice locations and specialized clinics and clinical research placements. Many of these settings offer students the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students and professionals from other health disciplines.

Students are required to obtain and complete all mandatory immunizations, vaccinations and medical and non-medical requirements, as specified by Western University, the School of CSD and community-based facilities.

At this time, most placement partners, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and community clinics, have pre-placement policies for students that include mandatory vaccination requirements. Students will be required to be compliant with the public health and policy requirements of our placement partners to attend placements in those facilities. Non-compliance with required health policies will affect acquiring the necessary clinical hours for graduation and, therefore, students will be unable to successfully complete the program.

Students must obtain, pay for and submit documentation of a clear police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS), as required by clinical placement facilities.

Placements are not always available in a student’s hometown and/or home province or in London. Students are required to attend and pay for all living and transportation costs associated with the clinical placements assigned to them. We have Clinical Education Coordinators who will work closely with students throughout the 2-year program.

Audiology Admission Requirements

Audiology: General Requirements

Successful completion of a 4‑year university degree prior to entering the program.
Successful completion of at least 1 half-year (3 credit) course from each of the following prerequisite categories:
- Developmental Psychology or Normal Lifespan Development
- Statistics
- Human Anatomy or Human Physiology
- Social Science, Psychology or Linguistics

We recommend that students complete at least 1 course in mathematics, physics or engineering science.

Proof of a minimum B average (3.0 on the ORPAS scale) in the 10 full courses or 20 half courses most recently completed. We will include grades from both undergraduate and graduate coursework in our considerations for admission.
Provide 2 academic references.
- If you have not taken courses at the university level for more than 5 years, you may provide references from employers or professional colleagues who are able to comment on your suitability for graduate studies.
Provide 1 Professional/Personal Reference.
- Provide a reference from a non-academic person using the third academic reference form provided in the application.
Provide a personal statement of intent (completed online as part of the application).
Providing a CV is now mandatory.

Audiology: Transcripts

You are required to submit official transcripts to ORPAS from each postsecondary institution that you have attended, even if the course(s) are posted on your home university transcript or are not relevant to your application. This includes transcripts for coursework that is:

in progress,
taken on Letter of Permission, for transfer credit or on an exchange or
a college diploma and certificate programs.

For transcripts issued in a language other than English, you must submit:

1 official transcript in the original language and
1 certified English translation.

Selection Method

Audiology: Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

Program admission calculation is based on the final 60 units of university academic study (the equivalent of 10 full courses or 20 half courses) completed by December 31, 2023, of the application year. We will include the following courses:

Graduate-level courses
Summer courses
Part‑time courses
Intersession courses
Correspondence courses
Failed university courses taken beyond the 4-year undergraduate degree

Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, we will use the average of that term (e.g., your second year).

We do not include the following in the GPA calculation:

Placement, internship, activity or co-op type courses
Bachelor of Education courses
College-level certificate courses
Diploma program courses
Non-convertible grades (including “Pass”). We include exchange program grades in the admission average if they are convertible.

Audiology Admission Process

Audiology: Admission Package

We base admission decisions on a strong, overall admission package. We carefully and thoughtfully consider:

Your academic background and preparation for further study.
Successful completion and academic performance on essential prerequisite courses.
Your GPA of previous university coursework.
Your volunteer or work experience.
Reference letters, including 2 academic references and one professional/personal reference.
Your CV (mandatory).
Your personal statement of intent.

Successful applications generally:

exhibit exceptional GPAs obtained during previous university coursework,
have strong academic references from 2 professors who know them well,
submit one strong professional or personal reference from someone who knows the applicant well from a non-academic setting (e.g., work supervisor, coach, clergy member) and
provide a well-written, thoughtful and relevant personal statement of intent.

Academic references should contain letters from your former professors that support and explain the ratings that they have provided on the rating form.

Your personal statement of intent should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities and future goals that make you a good candidate for the profession(s), rather than on your aspirations to become an audiologist or speech-language pathologist.

Admission decisions made by the School of CSD are final and not subject to appeal.

Audiology: International Applicants

We reserve 2 spots for international applicants who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and have a competitive application.
International transcripts should be accompanied by a World Education Services (WES) evaluation.
Note: A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken on exchange.

English-language Proficiency

If your first language is not English, you require:

a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 105 on the internet-based version or
an overall score of 8 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

For TOEFL and IELTS test results, the testing agency must send test results directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Western University, by the application deadline. Western’s TOEFL ID is 0984.

While other graduate programs at Western University may accept Duolingo as a measure of English language proficiency, the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders will not consider or accept Duolingo results for English-language proficiency purposes. Currently students may submit results from 2 English-language ability measures in their application for admission in the School of CSD.

Audiology: Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) Status

If you are a permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada, you must submit a copy of the front and back of your permanent resident card as part of the application, using SAM. The date on the back of the card must be legible.

Audiology: Indigenous Applicants

We reserve 2 spots for Indigenous applicants who are Canadian citizens and have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree. We will consider Indigenous applicants on a case-by-case basis.

To be successful in the program, only applicants with a sub-GPA minimum of 3.0 or higher will be considered for admission.

To be considered for the spots reserved for Indigenous applicants, you must indicate your Indigenous status in your application. If admitted through this Indigenous pathway, you will be asked to provide the university’s Indigenous Initiatives office with documentation confirming your Indigenous ancestry.

Audiology Additional Information

Audiology: Accreditation

The School of CSD is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Canadian University Programs in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CACUP-ASLP). The CACUP-ASLP assures that accredited Canadian university programs provide the academic entry-level preparation required for initial practice in audiology and speech-language pathology. The School also completed and passed an exhaustive internal review conducted by reviewers from Western (i.e., Institutional Quality Assurance Process).

Audiology: Contact Information

School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Faculty of Health Sciences
Elborn College, Suite 1000
1201 Western Road
Western University
London ON N6G 1H1

Telephone: 519‑661‑3227
Email: earmouth@uwo.ca

Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)

SLP: Curriculum

Students must complete all course and program progression requirements in order to graduate. A part-time study option is not available. All students are enrolled in a predetermined curriculum each term, consisting of clinical and academic course-based work.

SLP: Program Structure

Full-time, 2-year (6 terms), in-person, intensive study, with no traditional academic reading weeks
Integration of pre-determined academic curriculum and clinical practicum components
Clinical placements

SLP: Clinical Placements

Students must obtain, pay for, and submit documentation of a clear police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS), as required by clinical placement facilities.

Placements are not always available in a student’s hometown and/or home province or London. Students are required to attend and pay for all living/transportation costs associated with the clinical placements assigned to them.

SLP Admission Requirements

SLP: General Requirements

Successful completion of a 4‑year university degree prior to entering the program.
Successful completion of at least 1 half-year (3 credit) course from each of the following prerequisite categories:
- Developmental Psychology or Normal Lifespan Development
- Introduction to Linguistics
- Statistics
- Human Anatomy or Human Physiology
- Life, Biomedical or General Science
- Social Science, Psychology or Linguistics
Proof of a minimum B average (3.0 on the ORPAS scale) in the 10 full year courses or 20 half year courses most recently completed. We will include grades from both undergraduate and graduate coursework in our considerations for admission.
Provide 2 academic references.
- If you have not taken courses at the university level for more than 5 years, you may provide references from employers or professional colleagues who are able to comment on your suitability for graduate studies.
Provide 1 professional or personal reference.
- Provide a reference from a non-academic person using the third academic reference form provided in the application.
Provide a personal statement of intent (completed online as part of the application).
Providing a CV is now mandatory.

SLP: Transcripts

This includes transcripts for coursework that is:

currently in progress,
taken on Letter of Permission, for transfer credit or taken on an exchange or
a college diploma or certificate program

For transcripts issued in a language other than English, you must submit:

1 official transcript in the original language and
1 certified English translation.

Selection Method

SLP: GPA Calculation

Graduate-level courses
Summer courses
Part‑time courses
Intersession courses
Correspondence courses
Failed university courses taken beyond the 4‑year undergraduate degree

Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, we will use the average of that term (e.g., your second year).

We do not include the following in the GPA calculation:

Placement, internship, activity or co-op type courses
Bachelor of Education courses
College-level certificate courses
Diploma program courses
Non-convertible grades (including “Pass”). We include exchange program grades in the admission average if they are convertible.

SLP Admission Process

SLP: Admission Package

We base admission decisions on a strong, overall admission package. We carefully and thoughtfully consider:

Your academic background and preparation for further study.
Successful completion and academic performance on essential prerequisite courses.
Your GPA of previous university coursework.
Your volunteer or work experience.
Reference letters, including 2 academic references and 1 professional or personal reference.
Your CV (mandatory).
Your personal statement of intent.

Successful applications:

exhibit exceptional GPAs obtained during previous university coursework,
submit 2 academic references from 2 professors who know them well,
submit 1 academic professional or personal reference and
provide a well-written, thoughtful and relevant personal statement of intent.

Academic references should contain letters from your former professors that support and explain the ratings that they have provided on the rating form.

Professional and personal references should contain letters from someone who knows you well from a non-academic setting (i.e., a work supervisor, coach, clergy member).

Your statement of intent should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities and future goals that make you a good candidate for the profession(s), rather than on your aspirations to become an audiologist or speech-language pathologist.

Admission decisions made by the School of CSD are final and not subject to appeal.

SLP: International Applicants

We reserve 2 spots for international applicants who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and have a competitive application.
International transcripts should be accompanied by a World Education Services (WES) evaluation.
Note: A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken on exchange.

English-language Proficiency

If your first language is not English, you must provide:

a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 105 on the internet-based version or
an overall score of 8 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

SLP: Permanent Resident (Landed Immigrant) Status

SLP: Indigenous Applicants

We reserve 2 spots for Indigenous applicants who are Canadian citizens and have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree. We will consider Indigenous applicants on a case-by-case basis.

To be successful in the program, only applicants with a sub-GPA minimum of 3.0 or higher will be considered for admission.

SLP Additional Information

SLP: Accreditation

SLP: Contact Information

School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Faculty of Health Sciences
Elborn College, Suite 1000
1201 Western Road
Western University
London ON N6G 1H1

Telephone: 519‑661‑3227
Email: earmouth@uwo.ca

School of Occupational Therapy

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT)

MScOT: Curriculum

This 2-year graduate program is designed to prepare students who have varied undergraduate backgrounds for entry-level occupational therapy practice. The program is accredited by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. If you wish to become an occupational therapist and are self-directed, motivated, flexible, resourceful and committed to lifelong learning, you are an ideal student for the program.

MScOT: Program Structure

Our program combines in-person classroom, group work, skills labs, fieldwork experiences and individual study to integrate the theoretical content and skills essential for practice. Learning experiences extend beyond the classroom and include fieldwork (both in-person and simulated), skills labs, case studies, clinical mentorships and evidence-based community development projects.

MScOT: Clinical Placements

Fieldwork is a required component of the program.

The program has 4 block fieldwork placements that have an assigned course number and are graded on a pass or fail basis. You are required to pass all fieldwork placements to advance in the program.

During fieldwork, you have the opportunity to integrate theory with practice under the direction of a registered occupational therapist. Fieldwork placements expose you to a broad range of clients, different models of practice and a variety of practice settings. Opportunities for fieldwork experiences are diverse.

We are located in London, Ontario, which has one of Canada’s largest health care centres. The program has priority for placements primarily in Southwestern Ontario, and some opportunities to travel internationally and to Northern Ontario.

Close ties to world‑class hospitals, community agencies and private facilities provide the opportunity for you to engage in varied clinical experiences.

Upon completing the program, you will have accumulated at least 1,000 hours of fieldwork experience. Additional fieldwork hours may also be integrated in other courses in the curriculum.

MScOT Admission Requirements

Essential Skills and Attributes Required

Prior to applying, all applicants should read and understand the Essential Skills and Attributes Required for the Study of Occupational Therapy [PDF] for skills and abilities expected of candidates in occupational therapy entry-to-practice programs.

MScOT Academic Requirements

MScOT: General Requirements

Applicants must:

hold a 4-year undergraduate degree from an accredited university or postsecondary degree-granting institution.
- if you apply in the final year of your bachelor’s degree, you must provide proof of degree completion (i.e., degree conferral) by June 30, 2024.
have a minimum sub-grade point average (GPA) of 3.4.
- Meeting the minimum sub-GPA does not guarantee admission. For 2023, the average sub-GPA of the applicants who received a first-round offer was 3.85.
show evidence of English-language proficiency, if applicable.

Applicants are ranked based on their Casper test score and their sub-GPA. We consider the top ranked applicants for admission.

Applicants must have successfully studied on a full-time basis for at least 2 years during their undergraduate studies. For admission purposes, we consider full-time studies to be 4-5 half courses per semester (equivalent to a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester). Applicants whose most recent 20 half credits do not reflect full-time studies are strongly encouraged to submit a Special Consideration request to explain their situation to the MScOT Admission Committee.

Components of a complete application include:

An ORPAS application.
Official transcripts from each postsecondary institution attended.
Response to the question in the “Personal Submissions” section of the application.
Completed Casper test.
Other supporting documentation, as required, as indicated in Supporting Information.
Application fee payment.

MScOT: Sub-GPA Calculation

Your sub-GPA will be calculated based on your most recent 20 half courses (equivalent to 10 full courses or 60 credit hours) completed by December 31, 2023.

Such calculations will also include grades from the following types of courses:

summer,
part-time,
intersession,
distance studies,
exchange program,
failed university courses,
courses taken beyond the 4-year undergraduate degree and/or
graduate-level university courses.

If you are currently enrolled in the fourth year of a baccalaureate program, this calculation will start with your final fall grades (completed December 31, 2023) and will move back in chronological order based on the order of courses listed on the transcript. If you fail to provide your final grades from the fall 2023 semester, your application will be deemed incomplete and ineligible for further consideration.

Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 20 half courses, we will use the average of that year (e.g., your second year). We do not include skill or activity-type courses (e.g., sports performance courses, music performance courses, arts performance courses), placement or internship courses, Bachelor of Education, college certificate or diploma program courses or non‑convertible grades (including “Pass”) in the calculation.

ORPAS does not use grades from graduate or international exchange courses (outside of North America) in the calculation of sub-GPA; however, we will re-calculate your sub-GPA to include the grades from these courses.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to refuse courses not considered eligible, or comparatively equivalent, to undergraduate or graduate study in the liberal arts or sciences. If convertible, the grades obtained in an exchange program are included in the admission sub-GPA.

MScOT: Transcripts

You are required to submit official transcripts directly to ORPAS from each postsecondary institution you attended. This includes transcripts for coursework that is currently in progress or taken on Letter of Permission, for transfer credit or on an exchange. If you are applying in your final year of your bachelor’s degree, you must provide proof of your degree completion (i.e., degree conferral) by June 30, 2024.

International Transcripts

For transcripts outside of Canada and the US, you must submit:

1 official transcript sent from the institution directly to ORPAS.
1 certified English translation, if the transcript is not in English.
WES evaluation of the transcript.
- Note: A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken on exchange.
If possible, a legend from the university explaining the grading scale.

MScOT Non-academic Requirements

MScOT: Personal Submission

You are required to provide a written response to the following Statement of Intent question:

Western’s School of Occupational Therapy believes in the transformative power of occupation. Through a commitment to social justice, social inclusion, and health and well-being, faculty members and students engage in teaching, research and learning that creates positive change locally, nationally and internationally.

In 500 words (maximum 3,500 characters), describe 2 experiences from your life that have informed your understanding of social justice, social inclusion and/or health and well-being, and have helped prepare you to contribute to our School’s commitments.

MScOT: Casper

All applicants are required to complete a Casper test.

Casper is an online test that assesses non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening.

You must add Western’s School of Occupational Therapy to your Casper distribution list for your score to be sent directly to us from Casper.

For the 2024 application, the last Casper test date that we will accept is January 25, 2024.

You must use the same name and email address on your Casper as you do on your ORPAS application.

Failing to enter correct and identical information may mean that we are unable to match your Casper results with your ORPAS application. In this case, we will consider your application incomplete and your application will be disqualified from further consideration.

We will not consider applicants with incomplete or missing Casper scores.

More About Casper

Testing Dates

Casper FAQ

MScOT: English-language Proficiency

If your first language is not English, you must provide evidence of your English-language proficiency by achieving the minimum required scores, within the last 2 years, on one of the following tests.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The minimum acceptable score is 105, with a minimum of 23 on the speaking component and no other section below 20.
- TOEFL scores must be sent directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Western University using TOEFL ID 0984.
- In addition, you must upload a copy of your TOEFL test score to your ORPAS application.
The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS Academic): The minimum acceptable score is 7.5 out of 9 for each band.
- You must upload a copy of your IELTS test score to your ORPAS application.

Applicants whose first language is not English may be exempt from providing proof of English-language proficiency if they have studied full-time for at least 4 years at a university where English is the medium of instruction in a country where English is the official language. This does not apply to English preparatory programs.

For applicants applying during their fourth year of undergraduate studies, 4 years will be counted as of June 30 of the application year.

If, after admission, you show an inadequate command of spoken or written English, you must improve your proficiency to the satisfaction of the School of Occupational Therapy. We may ask you to withdraw from the program if your command of English interferes with your ability to provide quality professional services.

MScOT Admission Categories

International Applicants

We reserve 4 spots for international applicants who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and have a competitive application.
Internationally trained occupational therapists are not eligible to apply.

Indigenous Applicants

We reserve 5 spots for Indigenous applicants who are Canadian citizens and have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree. We will consider Indigenous applicants on a case-by-case basis. To be successful in the program, we strongly recommend that applicants have a minimum sub-GPA of 3.0.

To be considered for the spots reserved for Indigenous applicants, you must indicate your Indigenous status and upload appropriate documentation as part of your ORPAS application. You may also be contacted by the university’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives if additional information is required.

Supporting Information for Permanent Residents of Canada

If you are a permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada, you need to provide proof of your residency. A copy of the front and back of the permanent resident card must be submitted to ORPAS by the application deadline. The date on the back of the card must be legible.

MScOT Admission Process

MScOT: Admission Considerations

In evaluating applications, the Admissions Committee considers your overall academic background and your Casper score. The School of Occupational Therapy does not conduct interviews.

You must be cognizant that the MScOT Program is an intense program, offered on a full-time, in-class basis only. Your application must support your ability to keep up with a full-time in-person workload.

Additional Considerations

We will not consider your application if you are currently registered in another Canadian occupational therapy program.
We will not consider your application if you have been required to withdraw from a professional rehabilitation sciences program.

Admission decisions made by the School of Occupational Therapy are final and not subject to appeal.

MScOT: Deposit

If you accept an offer of admission to the MScOT Program, you must pay a $500 non-refundable tuition deposit to hold your spot in the class. We will apply the tuition deposit to the fall term tuition upon registration.

MScOT Additional Information

MScOT: Accreditation

Licensing is a provincial requirement in Ontario. The regulatory body is the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

To register for a license, you must successfully complete all academic and fieldwork requirements at a university program in Occupational Therapy, accredited by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, and pass the national certification examination.

MScOT: Police Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening

You are required to have a Police Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening upon admission to this program.

MScOT: Statement on Potential Health Risks and Immunization Requirements

In occupational therapy practice, you may be required to care for persons with infectious diseases (including hepatitis B, HIV or COVID-19). If you are accepted to the program, you will receive complete documentation about health status policies and immunization requirements, as applicable.

We require documentation of immunization and tuberculin status.

Students must also be aware that at this time, most placement partners, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and community clinics, have pre-placement policies for students that include mandatory vaccination requirements. Students will be required to be compliant with the policy requirements of our placement partners to attend placements in those facilities. If students are not compliant with those policies, they will not be able to attend those placements and will fail to meet clinical graduation requirements. Students that fail to meet clinical graduation requirements will not be eligible to complete the program.

MScOT: Contact Information

School of Occupational Therapy
Faculty of Health Sciences
Elborn College, Suite 1000
Western University
London ON N6G 1H1

Phone: 519-661-2111, ext. 84351
Email: askot@uwo.ca

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) Program

MPT: Program Overview

Located in Elborn College on the southwest corner of Western’s campus, the School of Physical Therapy offers personal attention through low student-to-faculty ratios. Classroom and research areas are modern and spacious. We have 22 full‑time faculty members, and are proud to have 10 clinicians who teach full and/or sections of courses.

There are more than 110 clinical facilities within Southwestern Ontario that offer a broad spectrum of clinical placement experiences for MPT students.

The mission of our MPT Program is to deliver collaborative, case-based and experiential learning opportunities that prepare graduates to master the essential entry-level competencies for physical therapy practice in Canada, embrace life-long professional growth, and be leaders in the communities they serve.

The MPT Program is celebrated for its collaborative, case-based learning and practice setting‑based program framework, which utilizes various teaching methods, including:

lectures, through a blended-learning model,
case-based learning,
clinical skills experiential laboratories,
independent self-inquiry,
small group learning teams,
interprofessional education,
research experiences and
clinical placements.

The MPT Program promotes an environment where learners experience belonging, community and success in accessible and equitable learning environments. It enables students to acquire the knowledge and skills to be lifelong adaptable learners within a dynamic health care landscape and enhance physical therapy care for Canadians.

The MPT Degree is awarded upon the successful completion of the 24-month curriculum, which includes approximately 60 weeks of classroom and laboratory work and 30 weeks of clinical education.

Program requirements are completed by the end of August of the second year. Graduates of the MPT Program will be awarded their degree in the fall convocation.

MPT: Clinical Placements

Clinical experiences are a required component of the MPT Program. During these experiences, you are provided with supervision and instruction by registered, practicing physical therapists. Students will acquire 30 weeks (1,125 hours) of experience over the course of 4 placements. Clinical placements can range in length from 7 to 8 weeks.

Location of Clinical Experiences

Western’s MPT Program has more than 110 high-quality clinical experience sites located within Southwestern Ontario. This area extends from Windsor in the west, to Owen Sound in the north, St. Thomas in the south and Kitchener-Waterloo in the east.
The MPT Program assigns all clinical placements. Admitted MPT students must be prepared to go to any of the assigned affiliated health care facilities in Western’s catchment area in Southwestern Ontario to fulfill their clinical experience requirements.
All students will be required to complete at least 2 clinical placements outside the City of London. Students may find it necessary to relocate when sites are further than a one-hour drive from London (e.g., Windsor, Sarnia, Chatham, Owen Sound, Kitchener). Southwestern Ontario is a mix of rural communities, small towns and larger centers or cities and admitted students must be prepared to complete clinical placements within any of these communities. Having access to a car during clinical placement time periods would be beneficial, but not essential. Students are responsible for all costs associated with clinical placements.

MPT Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

MPT: General Requirements

A 4-year baccalaureate degree with high academic standing from a recognized university or postsecondary degree-granting institution is required.
- If you apply in the final year of your bachelor’s degree, you must provide proof of degree completion (i.e., degree conferral) by June 30, 2024.
- The MPT Program is an intense, on-site, full-time program and applicants must demonstrate through their application and academic background that they can be successful in such a program. Applicants may submit a Request for Special Consideration form (available upon request) for extenuating circumstances that may have affected their application.

MPT: Prerequisite Courses

Prerequisite courses must be taken at a recognized university. They may be taken as part of an undergraduate degree or as additional university credit courses. We accept university online courses providing they meet the prerequisite requirements.

All prerequisite courses must be completed in the past 7 years (from the ORPAS Application deadline) and a minimum grade of B- or 70% must be achieved for each prerequisite course. Pass grades are not accepted for prerequisite courses unless completed during the winter 2020 term.

The following university-level prerequisite courses or their equivalents are required:

1 half course in Human/Mammalian/Vertebrate Physiology. (We do not accept Animal Physiology, Invertebrate Physiology or Exercise Physiology to fulfill this requirement.)
1 full course (or 2 half courses) in Science e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, Biomechanics, or Exercise Physiology. (We do not accept Earth Science [e.g., Geography, Geology, Astronomy] or Health Science [e.g., Health Promotion] courses to fulfill this requirement.)
1 half course in Statistics, Research Methods or Research Design.
1 full course (or 2 half courses) in Social Science/Liberal Arts (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Economics, History, Geography, Anthropology) or Liberal Arts (e.g., Languages, Fine Arts, Philosophy, Ethics, Classical Studies, Film Studies, Comparative Literature, Humanities, Music, Dance, Visual Arts); or any combination of these 2.

Full courses are generally defined as 6‑credit, full-year courses; half courses are defined as 3‑credit, half-year courses. You may complete summer courses and part‑time academic‑year courses to fulfill the prerequisite course requirements. All prerequisite courses must be either completed or in progress by the ORPAS Application deadline. A transcript is required to show proof of in-progress courses. We must receive a final transcript that shows the completion of the in-progress course(s) by June 30 of the application year.

MPT: Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

GPA calculations are completed by ORPAS. If you have questions pertaining to your GPA, email MPT Admissions.

A GPA calculation for admission purposes will be completed based on your final 20 half courses of university academic study (i.e., the equivalent of 10 full courses or 60 credit hours), completed by December 31, 2023, of the fall term preceding the application deadline. It will include the following types of courses:

summer,
part-time,
intersession,
distance education and
undergraduate university courses taken beyond the 4-year undergraduate degree.

Because the GPA does not include all your university undergraduate courses, it is referred to as a sub-GPA.

If you are currently enrolled in the fourth year of a bachelor’s degree program, this calculation will start with your final fall term grades (completed by December 31, 2023) and will move back in chronological order based on the order of courses listed on your transcript. Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 20 half courses, we will use the average of that year (e.g., applicant’s second year).

We do not include grades from the following types of courses in the calculation of an applicant’s sub-GPA:

Graduate studies
Placement, internship or activity-type courses
Bachelor of Education
Certificate or diploma program
Non-convertible grades (e.g., pass and fail)
Naturopathic or chiropractic medicine
Continuing Education programs

GPA varies between academic institutions and the GPA provided by ORPAS may not be equivalent to the GPA provided by your institution. ORPAS uses the Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table to process your GPA. Refer to this table for further details on the conversion scale used in this process.

Exchange program grades are included in the admission GPA if they are convertible.

MPT Non-academic Requirements

MPT: Transcripts

You are required to submit official transcripts to ORPAS from all postsecondary institutions that you have attended. This includes transcripts for coursework that is:

currently in progress or
taken on Letter of Permission, for transfer credit or on an exchange.

For transcripts issued in a language other than English, you must submit:

1 official transcript in the original language and
1 certified English translation.

A World Education Services (WES) evaluation is required for undergraduate degrees completed outside of Canada or the United States.

Note: A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken on exchange.

MPT: References

2 standard references are required:
- Academic: One reference must be completed by an individual who holds an academic faculty position in a university, who has taught or supervised you, and who is qualified to judge your academic ability relative to a number of other students. Positions such as a teaching assistant or athletic therapist or trainer do not qualify as academic referees.
- Professional: The second reference must be completed by a professional who can judge your performance and interpersonal skills from their perspective as a physical therapist or someone who supervised you working with individuals in the community.
Notes:
- References must not be submitted by relatives, personal clinicians, friends or family friends.
- Referees should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities.

MPT: Applicant’s Statement

Your statement (4,700 characters maximum or approximately 750 words), which is completed online as part of the application, should include all the following components:

An explanation of why you have chosen physical therapy as a career, demonstrating your knowledge of the profession and its scope of practice.
A description of what you will bring to the physical therapy profession (e.g., strengths, experiences, attributes, leadership skills and/or abilities).
A reflection on how you feel the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization are important in the physical therapy profession. Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous should speak to how their identity will impact their future practice.
Your Applicant’s Statement should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities rather than just on your aspirations to become a physical therapist.

MPT: Experiences

Physical Therapy-related Experience

Provide a brief list (maximum of 4) of any activities (volunteer or paid) directly related to the physical therapy field, including a clear outline of the types of patients and individuals and your role. This experience does not need to take place at a physical therapy clinic but should include working with patients and individuals with needs that could be serviced by a physical therapist.
Documentation must include the total number of hours of involvement, as well as your role, level of responsibility and the population with whom you interacted.

Enter the total number of hours only. Applicants who enter the number of hours per week will not be credited since the total number of hours cannot be discerned.

Non-physical Therapy or Community Service

Provide a brief description (maximum of 4 activities) of any activities (voluntary or paid) that provide evidence of your involvement and leadership in increasing the well-being of individuals, groups or society in general.
Documentation must include the total number of hours of involvement, as well as your role, level of responsibility and the population with whom you interacted.

Enter the total number of hours. Applicants who enter the number of hours per week will not be credited since the total number of hours cannot be discerned.

MPT: Casper

You are required to complete a Casper online video scenario, situational-judgement test. Casper testing takes place outside of the ORPAS Application.

You must add Western’s School of Physical Therapy to your Casper distribution list for your Casper results to be sent directly to us from Altus Assessments.
Testing dates are listed on the Casper website. For the 2024 application, the last Casper test date that we will accept is January 27, 2024.
You must use the same name and email address on your Casper as you do on your ORPAS application.
Failing to enter correct and identical information may mean that we are unable to match your Casper results with your ORPAS application. In this case, we will consider your application incomplete and your application will be disqualified from further consideration.
We will not consider applicants whose Casper score is significantly below average, or whose test is incomplete or missing.
Questions about Casper should be directed to Acuity Insights.

MPT: Permanent Residents (Landed Immigrants)

If you are a permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada, you must submit a copy of both the front and back (date on the back must be legible) of your permanent residency card as part of your application.

MPT: English-language Proficiency

If your first language is not English and you have not completed a 4-year degree at an English language institution, you must provide evidence of your English-language proficiency by achieving the minimum required scores, within the last 2 years, on either the TOEFL or IELTS test.

TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 105 is required.
- TOEFL scores must be sent directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at Western University using TOEFL ID 0984.
- In addition, you must upload a copy of your TOEFL test score to your ORPAS application.
IELTS (Academic): A minimum score of 8 in both the overall and writing section is required.
- The testing agency must send your IELTS test score directly to the School of Physical Therapy.
- In addition, you must upload a copy of your IELTS test score to your ORPAS application.

If, after admission, you show an inadequate command of spoken or written English, you must improve your proficiency to the satisfaction of the Master of Physical Therapy program. We may ask you to withdraw from the program if your command of English interferes with your ability to meet course and program progression requirements, including courses involving clinical placements in professional health-care facilities.

MPT: Other Considerations for the Program

The 2-year MPT Program is both academically and physically challenging. The program requires full-time study.

As a student of the MPT Program, you must:

be capable of being a full-time student,
attend and participate in human cadaver anatomy dissection labs and
be prepared to act as a simulated patient for your fellow classmates for all class laboratories and practical examinations.

MPT Admission Categories

MPT: Indigenous Students

We have designated a minimum of 2 spots for Indigenous students who are Canadian citizens and who have fulfilled the necessary admission requirements. We will consider Indigenous applicants with a sub-GPA (as calculated by ORPAS) of 3.4 or higher. You must self-identify as an Indigenous student in the ORPAS Application to be considered for these spots.

If you self-identify as Indigenous, and want to be considered for a designated seat, you must submit a consent form and documentation for Proof of Ancestry (POA) to the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) at Western University.

Indigenous documentation can be submitted through a scanned copy (front and back) of an applicant’s Indian Status, Métis Citizenship or Membership or Inuit Trust card. Documentation can be emailed to: indigenous.admissions@uwo.ca.

If you have any concerns about the proof of ancestry requirement or have circumstances that have prevented you from obtaining the required identification, email Kylie Bressette with “Assistance required with Proof of Ancestry-MPT” as the subject or call 519-661-4095, ext. 89176.

Self-identifying or applying for a designated seat does not remove your application from the general applicant pool.

Indigenous Services

MPT: International Students

We have designated up to 7 spots for international students who have fulfilled the necessary admission requirements. We will consider international applicants with a sub-GPA (as calculated by ORPAS) of 3.4.

To be considered, you must complete all the requirements listed on the MPT Admission website.

International applicants may apply through OPRAS if they choose; however they are not required to do so. If you would prefer to apply directly to the program, contact ptadmit@uwo.ca for more information.

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the originating academic institution. Official English translations must be completed by a certified translator and must be provided for all non-English documentation submitted.

Transcripts must be evaluated for equivalency. You are required to submit your international transcript to WES for evaluation. Both the original transcript and WES evaluation must be submitted. You are responsible for any incurred costs in obtaining the WES evaluation.

Original transcripts sent to WES from your home university must also be submitted.

If English is not your first language and you have not completed a 4-year degree at an English language institution, you must provide evidence of English-language proficiency; the IELTS is required.

You must have a minimum IELTS of 8.0 in both the writing section and the overall score to be considered for an offer without conditions.

English BOOST Program through the Western English Language Centre.

You must upload the official test results report to your application, and request that the testing agency send a report directly to the School of Physical Therapy at Western University. Western must receive your IELTS test scores by the application deadline.

If, after admission, you show an inadequate command of spoken or written English, you must improve your proficiency to the satisfaction of the MPT Program, School of Physical Therapy. We may ask you to withdraw from the program if your command of English interferes with your ability to meet course and program progression requirements, including courses involving clinical placements in professional health care facilities.

The top applicants will be invited to participate in an interview. The interview is for applicants to meet the Admissions Committee, learn more about the program and ask any questions they may have about coming to Western. This interview will make use of video conferencing software like Zoom.

Previous international students have recommended that students who are new to Canada arrive by July 1st to prepare for their time in the program. All international students should complete the International Student Orientation for Graduate Students offered through Western’s International & Exchange Student Centre as soon as they are able. You must present your Study Permit to the School of Physical Therapy by September 1, 2024.

MPT Admission Process

MPT: General Process

If you have met the requirements and completed the prerequisite courses, you are eligible for admission. Place of residence, program of study and university where undergraduate courses and degree were completed are not criteria in the selection process.

The MPT Program uses the following process to determine admission to the program:

From all the applications received, we give further consideration only to the 300 applicants with the highest sub-GPA and strong Casper scores. The cut-off sub-GPA is dependent on that year’s applicant pool and therefore varies from year to year. The cut-off for the 2023 applicant pool was 3.88.
We screen the top 300 applicants’ files for completeness, including all necessary documentation and appropriate prerequisites.
3 independent reviewers then assess:
- the applicant’s statement,
- references,
- physical therapy experience and
- non-physical therapy activities or community service.

The reviewers assign a score using standardized rubrics for each of these areas. A total final score for each applicant’s file is then calculated. Rubrics are not available for applicants to review.

Casper ranking: We will not consider applicants who rank significantly below average on Casper. Applicants who rank more than 2 standard deviations above average may be added to the files sent for external review, even if they were not within the top 300 applicants ranked by sub-GPA.
The final overall score calculated for each applicant determines the final ranking for offers of admission. We place applicants not receiving a first-round offer of admission on the waiting list in order of rank.

Admission decisions made by the School of Physical Therapy are final and not subject to appeal.

The Admissions Committee may need to contact you during the selection process. Information will be sent to the email address that you used on your ORPAS application. It is important that you configure your email settings to accept messages coming from @uwo.ca addresses. We encourage you to check your junk or spam mail folders often to ensure important information is not missed during this time.

MTP Additional Information

MPT: Police Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check

All students admitted to the MPT Program at Western University must obtain and submit documentation of a police Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC). You may be required to provide this documentation from each country that you have resided in for the past five years. The VSC must include a search of the Pardoned Sex Offender Database and can typically be obtained through your local police department. This is a requirement of the MPT Program and affiliated health care facilities prior to beginning clinical placements.

Conviction of a criminal offence or failure to provide required documentation may affect your ability to start and complete the necessary clinical placements for successful graduation from the MPT Program.

MPT: Statement on Medical and Non-medical Requirements/Potential Health Risks for the MPT Program

Students in the MPT Program may be required to care for persons with infectious diseases (including but not limited to hepatitis B, tuberculosis [TB] and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] or COVID-19) and therefore must meet the Ontario Ministry of Labour policies and guidelines for the protection of workers.

If you are accepted into the MPT Program, we will send you documentation regarding mandatory medical and non-medical requirements for completion of clinical placements and other requirements, as specified by the Program. For example:

Policies
Immunizations
The VSC
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation for health care providers (CPR-level C only)
Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (MCU-WSIB) student coverage
Infection control

Upon admission, you are required to obtain and provide up-to-date documentation of immunizations, including:

2-step TB
Flu vaccinations
Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
Pertussis
Polio
Tetanus/diphtheria
Varicella
COVID-19

All medical requirements are mandatory. Students in the MPT Program are required to take part in clinical placements in different practice settings, including acute care and rehabilitation hospitals. Students must be aware that at this time, most placement partners, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and community clinics, have pre-placement policies for students that include mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Students will be required to be compliant with the policy requirements of our placement partners to attend placements in those facilities.

You must update medical and non-medical requirements during the second year of the program. If students are not compliant with these policies, they will not be able to attend the necessary clinical placements and will fail to meet clinical graduation requirements. Students that fail to meet clinical graduation requirements will not be eligible to complete the program.

You are responsible for any costs incurred to fulfill medical, non-medical and Bill 18 MPT Program and affiliated health care facilities clinical placement site requirements.

MPT: Professional Licensure

Physical therapists must be licensed or registered to practice physical therapy in Canada. All physiotherapy regulators in Canada, except Quebec, require successful completion of the national Physiotherapy Competency Examination (PCE) administered by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators and the requirements of the College for the province which they wish to practice in before being granted the right to practice. The national PCE includes a written exam and many provinces host their own practical or clinical component.

Requirements for registration differ from province to province and territory to territory. Contact each provincial or territorial physiotherapy regulatory board for their specific requirements.

MPT: Accreditation

The MPT Program at Western University has completed the accreditation review process administered by Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada (PEAC). PEAC is an incorporated body under the Canada Corporations Act and operates as the accrediting agency for physiotherapy education programs in Canada. The status of Accreditation – Fully Compliant was granted to the Program on February 15, 2023, to February 15, 2029. A description of Accreditation – Fully Compliant, follows.

Accreditation – Fully Compliant

A program is in compliance with 100% of the accreditation criteria within the Accreditation Standards.
There are no deficiencies.
There could be identified issues and weaknesses that the program must improve upon.
Progress towards improving issues and weaknesses must be reported in regular Progress Reports to PEAC.
If progress is not made, the program’s accreditation status could be changed to partially compliant or probationary.

Contact PEAC for more information.

MPT: Contact Information

School of Physical Therapy Contact Information

Master of Physical Therapy Program, School of Physical Therapy
Faculty of Health Sciences
Elborn College, Suite 1000
Western University
London ON N6G 1H1

Telephone: 519-661-3360
Email: ptadmit@uwo.ca