Admission & Application Requirements and Guidelines

• Applications are accepted via ORPAS beginning mid-October, 2014
• The last day to submit an application is January 9, 2015
• Offers of admission are sent out beginning in mid-May

• A four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized university
• Applicants whose first language is not English must show evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language, with minimum scores:
  • TOEFL - 105 IBT with a minimum of 23 on the speaking component and no other section below 20
  • IELTS - minimum score of 8
• The MScOT program is an intense program, offered on a full-time, in-class basis only
• Applications must include information that supports the applicant's ability to keep up with a full-time workload
• In evaluating applications, the admissions committee considers both the applicants’ overall academic background and the Statement of Intent

In addition to the academic application materials and the required transcript(s), applicants are required to submit a written personal Statement of Intent that responds to specific questions.  These additional application materials provide a more comprehensive impression of the applicant and what they would bring to this program and to the profession. It is expected that applicants have researched the profession of occupational therapy in order to make an informed career choice. Exposure to the profession of occupational therapy through paid or volunteer work, observational visits or job shadowing in various health care settings is strongly recommended.

• Students with a GPA of 3.6 (as calculated by ORPAS), or better,  are considered competitive applicants
• International Applicants:
  • Are not eligible to apply if their country offers a program in occupational therapy or if they have been trained as an occupational therapist
• Applicants with Master's Degrees:
  • Will be evaluated on their undergraduate record
  • Graduate studies will not be evaluated in the admissions process
• Indigenous Applicants:
  • Two spots are reserved for Indigenous students who are Canadian citizens and have completed a four year undergraduate degree
  • Consideration will be given to Indigenous applicants with a GPA (as calculated by ORPAS) of 3.4 or higher
• Exchange Programs:
  • If convertible, and within the most recent 20 half courses taken, the grades obtained in courses taken on an exchange program are included in the applicant’s GPA
• Applications will not be accepted from applicants who have been required to withdraw from a Professional Rehabilitation Sciences program.

Calculation of an applicant's GPA will be completed based on their final 60 units of university academic study (the equivalent of 10 full courses or 20 half courses) completed by December 31 of the application year. Such calculations will also include grades of courses taken in the summer, part time, intersession, correspondence, or university courses that were failed or taken beyond the four year undergraduate degree. If an applicant is currently enrolled in the fourth year of an undergraduate (baccalaureate) program, this calculation will start with final fall grades (completed December 31) and will move back in chronological order based on the order of courses listed on the transcript. Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, the average of that term (e.g., an applicant's second year) will be used.

Western does not include the following in the calculation of applicants’ GPA:

• Graduate degree course work
• Skill/activity type courses (e.g.,sports performance course, music performance course, arts performance course)
• Bachelor of Education, certificate or diploma program courses
• Non-convertible grades (e.g., pass/fail)

There are no prerequisite course requirements for admission into the MScOT program. However, it is suggested that applicants have taken some undergraduate science courses (ie. anatomy, biology, human physiology).

In addition to the academic criteria required for applicants to be accepted to the program, once admitted to the program, students must also meet/maintain various medical/non-medical requirements in order to participate in fieldwork placements.

Fees and tuition for the MScOT program are established by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.