MPT - Admission Requirements and Process

Admission to the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program is limited to 55 students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as of the ORPAS application deadline. Applicants will be considered for admission primarily on the basis of their academic record in the ten (10) full or equivalent undergraduate courses most recently completed (as of January 1st). Graduate-level courses are not used in the calculation of an admission average. There is no interview in Western’s admissions process. Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency; the TOEFL or IELTS are recommended. Test results must be sent directly to The University of Western Ontario. Minimum scores of 105 IBT (TOEFL) with a minimum of 23 on the speaking component and no other section score below 20 or a minimum score of 8 (IELTS) is required.

Note: The next offers for admission to the program will be made in May 2013.

The following are required for application to the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program:

A four year bachelor's degree from a recognized university (minimum four academic years in length).
Two standard letters of reference (with one being an academic reference) [The R1 & R2 forms are available from the ORPAS application package as downloadable PDF files]
Successful completion of the following university-level prerequisite courses, or equivalent (applicants must use the ORPAS on-line Pre-requisite Form):
- 1 full course (or 2 half courses) in general or introductory Science (may include Physical Science, Life Science or Health Science)
- 1 full course (or two half courses) in either Social Science (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Economics, History, Geography) or in Liberal Arts (e.g., Languages, Fine Arts, Philosophy, Ethics, Classical Studies, Film Studies, Comparative Literature, Humanities, Music, Dance, Visual Arts) or in a combination of these two.
- 1 half-course in English or Writing with a minimum 1500 words of essay writing completed at a university in a country where English is the first language. Course must have an ENGL or WRIT prefix.
- 1 half course in Human, Mammalian, or Vertebrate Physiology (e.g. Western Physiology 1020, 1021, 2130, or equivalent)
- One half course in Statistics (e.g., Statistics, Research Methods, or Research Design).

See below for prerequisite course interpretations
Note: For non-Western courses, full courses are generally defined as six credit, full year courses; half-courses as three credit, half-year courses.
Western Academic Calendar

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The application (COMPASS.ORPAS) and complete instructions are available online through the Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs Application Service (ORPAS), a service of the Ontario Universities' Application Centre at www.ouac.on.ca/orpas/

The next application deadline is Friday, January 11, 2013.

PREREQUISITE COURSE INTERPRETATIONS:

English/Writing

any half course taught by a Department or School of English or Writing (prefix ENGL or WRIT) in a country where English is the first language
should be an essay course (approximately 1500 words of essay writing) - at Western, these English essay courses are designated with an "E", "F", or "G".
should have some evidence of WRITING critique (marked on writing style, i.e. on "how" as well as "what" one writes)
Please Note: Essay courses from other academic departments will NOT be accepted

Science

any full course (or two halves) in general or introductory Science
this may include the Physical Sciences (eg. Biology, Chemistry or Physics) or the Life or Health Sciences (e.g. Anatomy, Physiology, Biomechanics)

Human Physiology

any half course in Human, Mammalian, or Vertebrate Physiology
Please Note: Combined courses (e.g. Human Anatomy and Physiology) will be given credit only for the Human Physiology component of the course (i.e. half credit for a full year course and a quarter credit for a half year course)

Statistics

any half course in Statistics, Research Methods, or Research Design

Social Science or Liberal Arts

one full course (or two half courses) in either Social Science (e.g. Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics, History, Geography, Political Science, Women's Studies, etc.) OR in Liberal Arts (e.g. Languages, Philosophy, History, Classical Studies, Modern Languages, Film Studies, Comparative Literature, Humanities, Music, Dance, Visual Arts, etc.)
Please Note: A full course in English or Writing cannot be used to fulfill both the English and Liberal Arts prerequisites.
These interpretations are reviewed on a periodic basis and may be revised. Please contact this site or the School of Physical Therapy (519-661-3360) for the most recent information.

Calculation of GPA

A calculation of the grade point average (GPA) will be completed based on an applicant's final 60 units of university academic study (i.e., the equivalent of 10 full courses or 20 half courses) completed by January 1st of the application year, and will include summer, part-time, intersession, distance education and failed university courses as well as any undergraduate courses taken beyond the four-year undergraduate degree. For applicants currently enrolled in the fourth year of a baccalaureate program, this calculation will start with the applicant's final fall term grades 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., applicant's second year) will be used. Western does not include graduate-degree or certificate program course work in the calculation of the admission GPA. Practicum/activity-type courses and non-convertible grades (e.g., pass/fail) will not be included in the calculation.

Additional Details

It is recommended that all applicants have some interaction working with individuals who have physical and/or cognitive limitations. Examples of such interactions might include volunteer or paid work in a hospital, physical therapy clinic, group home, camp or school for physically or developmentally challenged individuals.
Applicants are required to have two referees complete a standard letters of reference (The R1 & R2 forms are available from the ORPAS application package as downloadable PDF files). One of these letters must be an academic reference.
Applications to the Physical Therapy program at The University of Western Ontario are made through the Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs Application Service (ORPAS) at www.ouac.on.ca/orpas/. Admission to the program will be limited to 55 students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada at the ORPAS application deadline. Applicants will be considered for admission primarily based on their academic record as calculated by ORPAS (see calculation of GPA in section below). There is no interview in Western's admissions process.
Prospective applicants may complete summer courses and part-time academic year courses in order to fulfill the prerequisite course requirements. All prerequisite courses must be either complete, or in progress, by the ORPAS admission deadline (January 11, 2013). Any prerequisite course in progress as of the admission deadline must be completed by August 31, 2013. Please use the online Prerequisite Form to list your prerequisites.
Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency; the TOEFL or an IELTS is recommended. A minimum TOEFL score of 620 (paper-based), 105 (internet-based), 260 (computer-based) or an IELTS score of 8 is required. Students who, after admission, show an inadequate command of spoken or written English must improve their proficiency to the satisfaction of the School of Physical Therapy. Students may be asked to withdraw from the program if their command of English interferes with their ability to provide quality professional services. Note: Test results must be sent directly to The University of Western Ontario.
The two-year program is designed to prepare the graduate for entry-to-practice competency in physical therapy and is both academically and physically challenging. The program requires full-time study. Applicants should ensure that they are capable of being full-time students.
Supplementary forms for Western's Physical Therapy program are available on the ORPAS online application or at www.ouac.on.ca/orpas/. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all parts of the application file are completed. It is recommended that applicants provide their referees with a stamped, addressed envelope to facilitate this process. The School of Physical Therapy will not contact applicants whose application files are incomplete.

Clinical Experience

Clinical experience, during which students are supervised by practicing physical therapists, is a key and required component of the MPT program. Clinical placements provide the opportunity for students to put into practice the theory learned in the classrooms and laboratories. There are a total of 30 weeks of clinical experience. A junior placement of six weeks duration occurring in the late spring/early summer of the first year provides the opportunity to begin the process of developing the professional and clinical skills required of a reflective health care practitioner. An intermediate placement (six weeks) in the fall of second year builds on that foundation to develop safe and effective assessment and treatment skills. Three six week intermediate and senior placements in the spring and summer of second year allow students to refine their skills, knowledge, professional behaviours and clinical reasoning as they approach entry-level competency.

All clinical placements have an assigned course number and are graded on a pass/fail basis. Each clinical placement block must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program.

Western has more than 133 clinical education sites located in London and communities in southwestern Ontario, extending from Sarnia and Windsor in the west, to Owen Sound in the north and Kitchener/Waterloo in the east. This catchment area includes both small and large centres (e.g., Cambridge, Chatham, Goderich, Newbury, St. Thomas, Stratford, Strathroy, Tillsonburg, Wingham, Woodstock). Students must be prepared to go to any of these locations to complete their clinical experience. Any costs incurred while travelling to clinical placements and/or securing out-of-town accommodations when required are the responsibility of the student.

Travel and accommodation funding (up to $500 per placement to a maximum of $1000 for all placements) is available for students required to do placements outside the London area. This funding is provided through the School of Physical Therapy and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Statement on Potential Health Risks/Immunization Requirements

Students in Physical Therapy may be required to care for persons with infectious diseases (including but not limited to hepatitis B and HIV). Students accepted into the program will be sent complete documentation regarding health status evaluation and immunization requirements. Students will be required to provide documentation of immunization, two-step tuberculosis screen and OESS/VSS clearance (vulnerable sector screening) upon admission.