ORPAS - Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto | Ontario Universities' Application Centre

About the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT)

The program of study in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto is a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT). The vision of the MScOT curricula is to create leaders in occupational therapy.

We are dedicated to creating graduates who are innovative professionals, lifelong learners and educators, essential contributors to health through occupation, and confident and competent scientist‑practitioners who demonstrate skills in, and commitment to, research.

MScOT Program Overview

The MScOT will prepare you in advanced academic and professional knowledge as well as applied research skills for leadership in occupational therapy practice. Our emphasis is on applying theory and research evidence to clinical practice through rigorous studies in occupational therapy and research production and utilization.

As a graduate of the program, you will be eligible to write the certification examination of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, a requirement for registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario and other professional regulatory colleges in Canada.

You may also be eligible to practice occupational therapy elsewhere by passing the licensing requirements specific to that state or country.

Successful applicants will:

Enter the program in September with an appropriate bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.
Complete all required courses of the MScOT degree in 24 consecutive months of full‑time study, including summers and fieldwork.
Graduate at the November (fall) convocation.

MScOT Curriculum

The curriculum is presented in 6 consecutive terms, with 4-6 concurrent courses in each term, which may be modified with Department and University approval.

First‑year courses include:

Research Foundations
Occupational Science: Foundations for Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy Practice
Assessment in Occupational Therapy
Building Practice Through Mentorship
Musculoskeletal Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
Neurological Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice
Mental Health Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
Applied Skills and Technology: Human Factors and Design in Occupational Therapy
Enabling Occupation Across Life
Fieldwork

As a second‑year student, you will engage in:

the Graduate Research Project course,
fieldwork,
parallel courses in enabling occupation across childhood, adulthood and older adulthood, respectively,
further study of Occupational Therapy Practice, including a new Transition to OT Practice course that started in 2022 and
continuing the Building Practice Through Mentorship course.

We regularly review the curriculum and changes may occur during the program, which the Professional Curriculum Committee will communicate to students via the Office of the Chair.

During both years, you will participate in full‑time fieldwork placements. Methods of instruction will include:

interactive lectures,
internet-based distant learning,
divergent case method,
skill labs,
self‑study,
collaborative research,
computer‑assisted instruction and
fieldwork.

MScOT Campuses

The MScOT is offered at 2 locations:

the University of Toronto Mississauga campus in the City of Mississauga and
the University of Toronto St. George campus in the City of Toronto.

We will admit 90 students to our St. George (downtown Toronto) campus and 40 students to our Mississauga campus for September.

Lectures may be video conferenced between the St. George and Mississauga campuses. All students will have labs, mentorship and study groups at their campus site.

Campus Assignment

If offered admission to the University of Toronto’s MScOT program, you will be assigned to either the Mississauga campus or the St. George campus. We will automatically consider all University of Toronto MScOT program ORPAS applicants for both campuses.

All applicants will receive an online survey where they can indicate their campus preference. There will be 3 options presented:

Prefer UTM (Mississauga)
Prefer UTSG
No preference

For the current application period, the survey will be conducted in February or March. We will note the final deadline in the survey notification email. If you are admitted to the program, campus preferences will be considered but they are not guaranteed.

Offers of admission are posted to your ORPAS application, where it will simply show whether you have a University of Toronto MScOT program offer. Your ORPAS application will not display your campus assignment. Instead, a notification from the Department will state your campus assignment as either UTSG (Toronto St. George campus) or UTM (Mississauga campus).

Campus Assignment FAQs

More About Campus Assignment

MScOT Admission Requirements

MScOT Academic Requirements

MScOT Minimum Academic Requirements

You must have completed an appropriate bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, from a recognized university, with a minimum mid‑B average in the final year (i.e., 5 full-course equivalents [FCEs]) before being permitted to register in the MScOT program, if offered admission.

The mid‑B average is a minimum requirement; a higher GPA, based on the last 10 FCEs completed (ORPAS refers to this as your “sub-GPA”), will be required to be competitive in the admission process. The average entering sub-GPA of successful applicants, based on the last 10 FCEs completed, tends to range from 3.70 to 3.80 on the 4.0 ORPAS scale, as calculated by ORPAS.

You must complete at least 10 FCEs (or 20 half-course equivalents) at a recognized university for your application to be considered. Transfer credits from the provincial college level that have not been assigned a grade by the university issuing the degree will not count toward this total.

Currently enrolled in the final year of a bachelor’s degree program

If you are currently enrolled in the final year of a bachelor’s degree program, you are also eligible to apply.

You must provide proof of your completed undergraduate bachelor’s degree (i.e., degree conferral) by June 30, 2025. To determine initial ranking only, we will review the last 10 FCEs completed at the university undergraduate level. This includes summer session and part‑time courses taken beyond completion of your 4‑year undergraduate degree.

Currently enrolled in the fourth year of a bachelor’s degree program

If you are currently enrolled in the fourth year of a bachelor’s degree program, this calculation will start with your final fall grades (completed by December 31, 2024). Where grades must be extracted from an academic year to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, ORPAS will use the average of that year (e.g., your fall and winter terms, which comprise the entire second academic year), in accordance with ORPAS sub-GPA calculation guidelines.

International Transcripts

Whether you are a Canadian or non-Canadian applicant, we strongly encourage you to have your international transcript assessed by World Education Services (WES) if you:

have an international transcript,
have not met minimum course number criteria using your Canadian or US data and
require inclusion of your international educational data.

Request a course-by-course evaluation for your international grades. The assessment will not be valid without an overall GPA. However, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to apply their own evaluation.

WES must send evaluations directly to ORPAS and they must be received by the ORPAS transcript deadline.

ORPAS will convert grades of courses taken at accredited universities in the US. You do not require a WES evaluation for these courses.

MScOT Grade Point Average (GPA) Calculation

We will not normally include the following courses in the GPA calculation:

graduate-level courses,
community and provincial college courses (even if transfer credit is granted),
naturopathic and chiropractic medicine courses,
internships and placements,
activity courses (may include sports performance, music performance and fine arts studio performance),
language translation courses,
non-convertible grades (including “Pass”) and
teacher education degree courses.

Other exclusions are listed in the ORPAS GPA Calculations, which may be updated during the application cycle.

If you repeated a course, and both the original and repeated course are within the last 20 half courses, then ORPAS will include the grades from both courses in your GPA calculation.

ORPAS uses the Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table to calculate your GPA. Review this table for details on the conversion scale used in this process.

MScOT Non-academic Requirements

MScOT: Citizenship and Residency

You may apply if you have permanent residency or hold Canadian citizenship.

MScOT: Educational Background and Life Experience

We are interested in students from a variety of educational backgrounds and life experiences. We are committed to equity and welcome diversity.

You need to be self-directed and committed, and must strive for excellence, as the program is intensive. We determine admission to the program through an evaluation of academic and non‑academic materials, with academic grades more heavily weighted.

MScOT: Required Supplementary Application Materials

These additional application materials provide a more comprehensive impression of you and what you would bring to this program and to the profession. They include:

We expect that you have researched the profession of occupational therapy to make an informed career choice. We strongly recommend exposure to the profession of occupational therapy through observational visits or volunteer work in various health care settings, though we understand that access to these types of opportunities may be limited.

Unrelated work or volunteer experience is also welcome, though you should describe the transferrable skills obtained from these experiences and how they relate to your interest in the occupational therapy profession and/or the pursuit of a graduate-level program. Use the resumé and personal submissions to describe your accomplishments and how you would apply those developed skills to s\ucceed in an occupational therapy program.

The submissions you provide should also reflect an understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion.

We recommend learning about the occupational therapy profession through personal research or lived experiences, such as:

reading academic journals,
obtaining paid, volunteer or lived experience whereby you are exposed to situations involving problem-solving, working collaboratively with others and taking initiative,
attending academic and research conferences or lectures,
immersing yourself in academic course material related to occupational science and occupational therapy, and
developing a transferable skill set via related or unrelated work experience, like the ability to collaborate with diverse individuals and demonstration of resiliency in challenging situations.

MScOT: Personal Submissions Responses

You must respond (provide long-form answers) to specific questions in the Personal Submissions section of your ORPAS application.

Responses to these questions are intended to draw upon your knowledge and general understanding of the profession of occupational therapy.

While you should attribute factual information to the appropriate reference or source (e.g., citation), we are mostly interested in your individual perspective rather than a lengthy literature/research review.

Notes:

As a matter of confidentiality, do not include real patient or client names in your responses when writing about your experiences (if applicable).
We will not provide editing or advisory support as we are interested in your unique perspective based on your education and experience with occupational therapy.

MScOT: Resumé

The resumé should be single‑spaced and typed in 11‑point font on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, with 1‑inch margins on all 4 edges, and must be no longer than 2 pages.

We do not recommend formatting outside of these parameters; we will not consider additional pages.

Do not include:

a cover page; this is not necessary and will not be considered if included.
personal contact information (e.g., address, email), as we expect you will use all the available space to outline your experience, education and, if applicable, awards, presentations, publications, interests and skills.
a personal photo or confidential health information.

MScOT: References

You must submit 2 references using the Confidential Assessment Forms (electronic or paper-based) included in your ORPAS application.

If your referee is completing their Confidential Assessment Form online, they must use their employer-based or institutional-based email address. We strongly prefer a verifiable email address related to a place of employment or association (e.g., ot.studentservices@utoronto.ca), rather than a free or ad-based email address. Referees should use their institutional letterhead when uploading their reference document.

Your referees should be individuals who can address your aptitude for studies in a health care profession.

One of the two submissions must come from a referee in academia who has evaluated your academic performance, unless you are a mature student (5 or more years since graduation).

The second letter may also be from an academic source, though we recommend that it come from a professional source who can honestly comment on your ability to s\ucceed in challenging environments.

Some examples of professional references include:

volunteer supervisors,
research supervisors,
managers from your current volunteer or paid work role,
occupational therapy mentors (via job shadowing),
community leaders and
experienced health care professionals.

Ensure your referees are familiar enough with you and your past work to comment on all the available rating categories. Their roles do not have to be related to health care or occupational therapy.

References from co-workers who do not directly supervise your work are discouraged, and references from family or friends are considered ineligible.

Your referees must submit the Confidential Assessment Form and accompanying reference letter directly to ORPAS.

MScOT: Casper

You must complete the Casper online situational judgement test to maintain admissibility to the MScOT program. Casper evaluates personal and professional characteristics that we believe are important for success in our program and as a practicing clinician.

The test measures skills such as communication, ethics and empathy. We use Casper to enhance our existing admission requirements by providing an additional layer of equity and objectivity to the selection process.

You can complete Casper on any computer with reliable internet, audio capabilities and a webcam, from a location of your choice. We highly recommend a quiet environment. Applicants can apply for Casper test-fee waiver or subsidy, as well as disability-related accommodations.

We discourage unsanctioned preparatory courses as a way to study for this test, although you may wish to read about how to prepare for Casper and review the structure of the test.

You must add the MScOT program at the University of Toronto to your distribution list for the admission office to receive your Casper score.
Additionally, you need to ensure that the email address you use in your ORPAS application is the same email address you use in your Casper account.
Update your Casper account as soon as you receive your ORPAS Reference Number.
Note: Our final date for testing may be earlier than other OT programs in Ontario.

Failure to follow these instructions may result in your disqualification from the admission process.

Casper Dates

More About Casper and Booking Your Test

MScOT: English-language Proficiency Requirements

It is essential that you have a strong command of English.

If English is not your first language and you have not completed a program of study where the language of instruction and examination was English, you must complete an acceptable English-language proficiency test before an offer can be made. This is a condition of admission and must be met before the earliest date for offers of admission to this program.

This requirement must be satisfied by successfully completing an English proficiency test acceptable to the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies, with minimum acceptable scores as listed therein (with the exception of the TOEFL).

We strongly recommend that you use the TOEFL with a minimum paper‑based score of 600, accompanied by the Test for Written English (TWE) with a minimum score of 5 or a minimum score of 100 on the internet‑based test.

TOEFL candidates should request that results be sent to institution code 0982. Arrange to have the English-language proficiency test scores forwarded by the examining agency directly to the University of Toronto – Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy by March 1, 2025.

We require satisfactory English-language proficiency test results before any firm offer of admission can be made. We may require an interview at the request of the Department’s Admissions Committee.

If you graduated from a university in a country where the primary language is not English but the medium of instruction and examination at your university was English, arrange for a letter to be sent directly to ORPAS from that institution confirming that the language of instruction and examination at that institution was English.

If you are currently enrolled in, or graduating from, a bilingual French-English or francophone university based in Canada, and are confident in your ability to complete the MScOT program entirely in English, you may email the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy to request a written waiver of this testing requirement prior to the ORPAS application deadline.

MScOT: Education Outside of Canada

If you completed your education outside of Canada, we advise you to make every attempt possible to obtain official academic records, including a copy of the diploma if you have graduated.

To be considered official, ORPAS must receive academic records directly from the originating institutions. Official documents will be required before any firm offer of admission is made.

You must also submit official English translations, done by a certified translator – either by a certified provincial translator or a translator approved by a Canadian Visa Post abroad – for all non-English documentation.

All official documentation and certified translations must be submitted by the ORPAS transcript deadline.

We may require an interview at the request of the Department’s Admissions Committee. We will use WES evaluations only as a reference in assessing admission eligibility. Providing a WES evaluation does not replace the requirement for official transcripts.

The School of Graduate Studies provides an International Degree Equivalencies Tool, where you can check to see if you meet the minimum academic requirements to apply.

MScOT Additional Information

MScOT: Health Requirements

Although not required for this admission application, you will be required to complete the Rehabilitation Sciences Health Form after acceptance and prior to registration. These requirements must be met before you can participate in fieldwork placements, and are subject to change depending on federal, provincial or public health guidance.

Completing this form requires proof of a tuberculin test in each year of the program and up‑to‑date records of vaccinations for:

chicken pox,
diphtheria/tetanus,
Hepatitis B,
measles,
mumps,
polio and
rubella.

A Canadian government-approved 2-dose vaccination for COVID-19 is also required.

An additional booster vaccination based on updated public health guidance may be required while in the MScOT program. The Director of Clinical Education will provide registered students with updates to this matter, as the pandemic situation continues to evolve.

Annual influenza vaccination is strongly recommended, as it may be required by some placement sites, including hospitals.

You must also provide up-to-date records of:

certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the Health Care Provider (HCP) or Basic Life Support (BLS) level and
completion of a certified Emergency or Standard First Aid course (subject to change).

You are expected to provide information about any physical, psychological or learning difficulties that may affect your education in the program.

MScOT: Police Record Checks

Many facilities also require a Police Record Check. We strongly recommend that admitted students obtain a Police Record Check or Vulnerable Sector Screening. We will provide admitted students with information on how best to obtain these verifications prior to orientation in September.

A fieldwork placement can be cancelled or delayed if you fail to obtain a clear satisfactory Police Record Check or Vulnerable Sector Screening. This may affect your graduation date.

Contact the Department’s Director of Clinical Education or Program Manager before applying if you have concerns.

Notices for MScOT Applicants

Submitting an application to the program implies that you accept the admission policies, procedures and methods by which you are selected. Due to the high application volume, we cannot provide personalized feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

If offered admission in May, you must also consider your campus assignment, which will be delivered by email, prior to the offer response deadline. Once assigned to a University of Toronto campus, either at Mississauga or St. George (Toronto), you will remain there for the duration of the MScOT program. Campus assignment is permanent; admitted students may not transfer between campuses under any circumstances.

The admission policies and procedures are under regular review. Although we endeavour to inform you in a timely fashion, we reserve the right to change the admission and registration requirements at any time. We post helpful information to our website throughout the application cycle (October to January).

MScOT Program Admission Policies and Procedures

MScOT Contact Information

Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
160-500 University Avenue
Toronto ON M5G 1V7

Telephone: 416-978-0455
Fax: 416‑946‑8570
Email: occupational.therapy@utoronto.ca

Department of Physical Therapy

Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MScPT)

MScPT Program Overview

Our Goal

The goal of the University of Toronto MScPT Curriculum is to develop highly competent academic practitioners who will consistently demonstrate the essential competencies of a practicing physical therapist in a wide range of settings upon graduation.

Central to this goal is the assumption that graduates will be able to:

gather and analyze evidence,
identify professional issues,
practice sound decision-making,
exercise good judgment and
engage in best practices, as well as lifelong learning.

Our graduates will practice in unique and complex situations that demand insight and understanding of conflicting values and a variety of ethical stances in social, cultural and organizational contexts.

They will develop confidence, competence and ethical sensitivity toward individuals and groups, and demonstrate these attributes in their clinical practice.

The shared educational values of the educators and learners consist of 3 foundational pillars:

Critical Thinking
- Critical thinking is the ability to interpret, integrate, analyze and evaluate various forms of knowledge to make judgments/inferences in order to make the best evidence-informed decisions for clients, families and communities.
- The diverse knowledge we draw on includes clinical and life sciences, humanities and social sciences, and global and Indigenous knowledge.
- Critical thinking requires you to embrace ambiguity and to reflect and make changes to yourself and your practice. A critical thinker is receptive to new ideas and ways of thinking, challenges conventional practices and innovates new ones.
An inquiry mindset
- An inquiry mindset is characterized by taking initiative to access relevant information and viewpoints. This mindset equips you to strive for the highest level of competence by employing the habits of mind needed to s\ucceed throughout your professional careers.
- Habits of mind that support an inquiry mindset include self-directed and lifelong learning, flexibility in thinking, creativity and innovation, and persistence and resilience in the face of difficulties.
A strong sense of professionalism
- Professionalism means acting with integrity and respect, demonstrating leadership within and outside the profession and working toward the development of a physical therapy identity that reflects these core values.
- We are committed to principles of equity and diversity. This means implementing a process where you are engaged in learning to become systemic advocates for the clients, families and diverse communities that we serve.

Based on these values, our goal is to graduate academic physical therapy practitioners who will demonstrate:

critical-thinking skills, which encompass the 3 distinct but related domains of clinical reasoning, critical appraisal and critical reflexivity.
an inquiry mindset, which includes:
- having a flexible and open mind to learning new knowledge and
- taking initiative and being self-directed in their learning.
professionalism, which includes:
- acting as self-regulating professionals who exhibit strong personal, moral and ethical values,
- being cognizant of the changing laws, codes and guidelines that impact themselves and their clients and
- being creative entrepreneurs with sound business acumen capable of excelling in professional practice in a wide variety of venues.

Teaching and Learning Environment

Based on our educational mission of the MScPT program and the 3 overarching pillars, we aim to generate a teaching and learning environment that consists of the following specific values and actions.

The learning environment will enable learners to:

embrace complexity,
deal with uncertainty and
develop and practice resilience and perseverance.

Instructors will develop a teaching environment to facilitate learning by modeling the following educational values:

Cultivating a supportive learning environment
Providing opportunities for creativity and innovation
Supporting and challenging the learners
Using a common language to explain our educational values (e.g., critical thinking, integration and inquiry mindset)
Ensuring our shared language reflects our educational values
Integrating diverse content and practice settings
Supporting learners with diverse learning needs through multimodal teaching and learning methods
Creating and using authentic cases

In addition, the MScPT program integrates:

Clinical and Foundational Sciences

We provide opportunities to integrate knowledge from both the clinical and foundational sciences to understand and apply the concepts of evidence-based practice. You learn to utilize the concepts and applications in the context of the changing health care system.

We place an emphasis on movement, which occurs on a continuum from the microscopic level to the level of the individual in society. Movement is influenced by lifespan. Both the client and the physical therapy delivered are affected by human development, growth and the aging process.

Evidence-informed Practice

Scientific inquiry skills and the integration of evidence-informed principles into clinical decision making are fundamental in the curriculum. You develop your critical analysis and problem-solving skills, and your ability to integrate information from empirical and scientific literature and practical experience.

Physical therapy is practiced across a continuum of care where therapeutics are delivered in acute, rehabilitative, chronic and community settings to address impairments, disabilities and, in some instances, handicaps.

You can render sound clinical judgments and to continually evaluate your findings and therapeutic approaches.

Professionalism and Interprofessional Education

You learn and develop the skills essential to become health care professionals.

We emphasize:

professional values,
responsibility,
accountability and
sensitivity and ethical attitudes toward both the consumer and health care community.

We also foster the development of effective verbal and written communication throughout the program.

In the program, you learn to evaluate and consider the implications of your professional actions. We also provide you with opportunities to have:

interprofessional mentoring,
learn from faculty from diverse disciplines and
interact with small groups of interprofessional students in the clinical setting.

Multiple Educational Strategies

Professional education requires you to engage in diverse and varying learning experiences and types of evaluation. The complexity of the learning experiences evolves throughout the program.

We also encourage you to develop a sense of responsibility for your education and professional development. To help you do this, we foster collaborative learning experiences with:

students,
faculty,
physical therapy practitioners and
other members of the health care system.

MScPT Curriculum

The MScPT Curriculum is designed to integrate physical therapy practices, research and internship components. It is organized into 14 units to maximize educational principles. Five major themes are integral to the curriculum. Educational strategies for the program will include:

lectures,
seminars,
tutorials,
laboratories,
case-based learning,
simulation,
active clinical exposure sessions,
integrated sessions and
clinical internships.

We have also integrated an enhanced research component into the curriculum. You are required to take all units.

The Essential Skills and Attributes Required for the Study of Physical Therapy/Physiotherapy document, created by the Ontario Council of University Programs in Rehabilitation Sciences (OCUPRS), contains information on the skills and attributes required to successfully complete a university program in physical therapy. We encourage you to review this document carefully prior to applying for a graduate degree in physical therapy.

MScPT Program Administrators

Kara Patterson, PhD
Associate Professor and Interim Chair

Brenda Mori, BScPT, MSc, PhD
Professor, MScPT Vice Chair Education and Director of Clinical Education

MScPT Courses of Instruction

Course Code	Name	Grade	Weight
PHT 1101H	Critical Foundations of Physical Therapy	Grade	0.50
PHT 1102Y	Physical Therapy Practice I	Grade	3.00
PHT 1103Y	Physical Therapy Practice II	Grade	3.00
PHT 1104Y	Physical Therapy Practice III	Grade	3.00
PHT 1105Y	Clinical Internship I	(H/P/FZ)	0.75
PHT 1106H	Advanced Critical Thinking in Physical Therapy	Grade	0.50
PHT 1107H	Scholarly Practice I	Grade	0.50
PHT 1108Y	Clinical Internship II	(H/P/FZ)	0.75
PHT 1109Y	Clinical Internship III	(H/P/FZ)	0.75
PHT 1110Y	Physical Therapy Practice IV	Grade	3.00
PHT 1111H	Selected Topics in Physical Therapy	Grade	0.50
PHT 1112Y	Clinical Internship IV	(H/P/FZ)	0.75
PHT 1113Y	Scholarly Practice II	Grade	1.00
PHT 1114Y	Clinical Internship V	(H/P/FZ)	0.75
Total			18.75

Note: H/P/FZ stands for Honours/Pass/Fail.

B- (70%) is a passing grade for MScPT students.

MScPT Admission Requirements

The 2‑year program is designed to prepare you for entry‑to‑practice competency in physical therapy and is both academically and physically challenging. The program requires full‑time study and you must ensure that you are capable of being a full‑time student. The program does not allow for deferrals of admission.

In addition to the listed requirements, you may apply if you have permanent residency (are a landed immigrant) or hold Canadian citizenship.

MScPT Academic Requirements

MScPT Academic Assessment

Undergraduate Student Applicants

You must have completed an appropriate bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.

While the grade point average (GPA) cut-off varies from year to year, the cut-off for the 2023-2024 cycle was 3.91. Programs that lead to degrees in almost any discipline (e.g., liberal arts and science) are acceptable.

FAQs About Degrees Not Accepted

You may apply for admission during your fourth year of university study, provided you have fulfilled the prerequisite course requirements, as outlined. If you are applying in the final year of a 4-year degree program, you must provide proof of degree conferral prior to enrollment in the Physical Therapy program, and no later than June 30, 2025.

We calculate your GPA based on your last 10 full-course equivalents (FCEs) of university academic study (i.e., the equivalent of 10 full courses or 20 half courses) completed by December 31, 2024, and will include:

summer,
part‑time,
intersession,
correspondence,
repeated and
failed university courses taken beyond the 4‑year undergraduate degree.

Due to the discrepancy in grade reporting across universities, to capture 10 FCEs, the GPA must be calculated based on yearly versus term grades. Thus, where grades must be extracted from a year to achieve the equivalent of 10 FCEs, we will use the average of that entire year (including both the fall and winter terms).

We will not include activity courses, non‑convertible grades (including “Pass” and “Credit”), and Consecutive Bachelor of Education (BEd) undergraduate degree courses in this calculation.

Review the How to Apply section of the Department’s website and the ORPAS GPA Calculations for full details on courses that are not included in the sub-GPA calculation.

If a course is repeated, and both the original course and the repeated course are within the last 20 half courses, then we will use the grades from both courses in the GPA calculation.

GPA varies from school to school and the GPA that ORPAS provides may not be equivalent to the GPA at your academic institution. ORPAS uses the Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table to process your GPA. Review this table for details on the conversion scale used in this process.

The School of Graduate Studies requires that all applicants to a master’s level program have at least a mid‑B average or better in the final year (i.e., 5 FCEs at the senior level). The mid‑B average is a minimum requirement and a higher GPA based on the last 10 FCEs completed will be required to be competitive in the admission process.

For us to consider your application, you must complete at least 10 FCEs at a recognized university. Transfer credits from the college level that have not been assigned a grade by the university issuing the degree will not count toward this total.

FAQs About How the GPA is Calculated

Graduate Student Applicants

We usually assess you on your last 10 FCEs completed by December 31, 2024, including both undergraduate and graduate courses. You are required to have a minimum of a mid‑B average in all graduate courses, as per regulations set by our School of Graduate Studies.

This is a minimum requirement, and a higher GPA based on the last 10 FCEs completed will be required to be competitive in the admission process, as outlined. If you are completing or have completed a graduate degree, we will otherwise consider you in the exact same manner as all other applicants.

GPA and Degree Requirements

Applicants who Graduated from a Non‑Canadian University

If you completed your education outside of Canada, you may apply if you have permanent residency (are a landed immigrant) or hold Canadian citizenship. You must apply in the same manner as all other applicants.

To be considered, originating institutions must send official academic records directly to ORPAS. We may use photocopies of academic records to process an application, but we will require official documents before making any firm offer of admission. You must also submit official English translations, completed by a certified translator, for all non‑English documentation.

All requirements for applicants within this population are the same as those in the Undergraduate Student Applicants’ section. Review this information for degree and grade requirements. We will evaluate transcripts for equivalency. We will assess transcript equivalency only through the application process.

To facilitate this process, we strongly encourage you to contact World Education Services (WES) to evaluate foreign credentials. You are responsible for incurred costs. We will use WES evaluations only as a reference in assessing admission eligibility.

WES evaluations are not mandatory, and we will not penalize you if you do not submit a WES evaluation. If you utilize WES and have original documents sent to WES, original documents from the originating institution (i.e., your home university) must still be sent to ORPAS.

MScPT Prerequisite Courses

You must have earned a minimum grade of B- (or 70%) in all prerequisite courses, as per the grade recorded on the transcript.

We will not count your prerequisite course grades in your GPA calculation unless they are within the last 10 FCEs you completed.

All applicants are required to complete:

0.5 FCE (e.g., 1 half course) in human physiology.
- The course should cover the principles of human physiology, including the living cell; the internal environment; neuro-muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal and endocrine systems; metabolism; reproduction; and homeostasis.
- Plant physiology will not be accepted, nor will a combined animal/plant physiology course. (Combined human anatomy/physiology courses are acceptable as long as you have 1 FCE.)
- Human physiology courses must be verified by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Verify your human physiology courses are approved by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Email Student Services if the course you would like to use is not listed on the Department’s website.
0.5 FCE (e.g., 1 half course) in human anatomy.
- Course content must be comprehensive, covering gross anatomy of the human musculoskeletal, visceral and neurological systems. (Combined human anatomy/physiology courses are acceptable as long as you have 1 FCE.)
- Human anatomy courses must be verified by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Verify your human anatomy courses are approved by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Email Student Services if the course you would like to use is not listed on the Department’s website.
1.0 FCE (or 2 half courses) in life and/or physical sciences.
- Life sciences examples: Anatomy, biology, basic medical sciences and pathology.
- Physical sciences examples: Chemistry, physics, geology, physical geography, etc.
1.0 FCE (or 2 half courses) in social sciences and/or humanities and/or languages.
- Social sciences examples: Anthropology, political science, economics, sociology and psychology.
- Humanities examples: History, religion, philosophy, classics, English, etc.
- Languages examples: French, Italian, Spanish, etc.
0.5 FCE (e.g., 1 half course) in statistics or research methods.
- Statistics courses that may be acceptable include basic statistics, psychology statistics, geography statistics, kinesiology statistics, biometrics and quantitative research methods.
- Calculus in itself is not acceptable as a statistics course, and statistics content in other courses does not meet the requirement.
- Statistics/research methods courses must be verified by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Verify your statistics/research methods courses are approved by the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Email Student Services if the course you would like to use is not listed on the Department’s website.

You must complete all prerequisite courses at the university undergraduate degree level. You must have completed all prerequisite courses within the last 7 years, or no earlier than September 2018, and no later than May 31, 2025.

We accept web‑based and distance education courses, provided that they are at the university undergraduate degree level.

You must complete the prerequisite section of the application and include a URL that links to an online course description from the university academic calendar. It is acceptable to include a link to a large PDF of the entire academic calendar. In this case, include the page number the course is located on at the end of the link (leave a space and then enter “pg x”).

If you cannot find the course in the current academic calendar, we encourage you to use the university’s archived calendar from the year you took the course. All Canadian universities offer an “archived calendar” section on their website.

In a small number of cases, applicants may not be able to provide a link to an online course description. If this applies to you, then you are required to upload a copy of your detailed course descriptions directly to ORPAS using Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM).

Course descriptions should not exceed 3 pages. Include your full name on the paperwork. ORPAS will forward the documentation to your university/program choice(s).

MScPT Non-academic Requirements

MScPT: English-language Proficiency Requirement

You must demonstrate proficiency in the English language if:

you completed your undergraduate degree outside Canada,
English is not your primary language and/or
you graduated from a university where English was not the language of instruction and examination.

You must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through successfully completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with the following minimum scores:

Paper‑based test: 600 with 5 on the TWE and 50 on the TSE
Internet‑based test: 100/120 overall and 22/30 on the Writing and Speaking sections

TOEFL candidates should request that results be sent to the University of Toronto, institution code 0982. There is no need to specify a department.

Alternatively, the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto, offers the “Academic English” certificate, whereby a minimum grade of B+ in Level 60 meets the English-language proficiency requirement.

All official English proficiency test results must be forwarded to the Department of Physical Therapy by March 1, 2025. English-language proficiency test results are valid for 2 years.

Internationally educated physical therapists who successfully complete the national Canadian Physiotherapy Competency Examination (with the exception of individuals licensed to practice in Q\uebec) and are licensed for independent practice in Canada with a provincial regulating body may be eligible for our MScPT Advanced Standing Option.

Internationally educated physical therapists who are not licensed for independent practice in Canada are not considered for admission to the MScPT program.

The first step for internationally educated physiotherapists who wish to practice in Canada is to apply to the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators for an assessment of their educational qualifications.

We do not consider internationally educated physiotherapists who are credentialed as having a degree that is substantially equivalent to a Canadian entry‑to‑practice degree for admission to the MScPT program.

If you are interested in bridging the gaps identified in The Alliance credential review or preparing for the Physiotherapy Competency Examination, read more about the Internationally Educated Physiotherapists Bridging program.

MScPT: References

You must submit 2 references (1 professional and 1 academic) using the ORPAS Confidential Assessment Forms in the application.

Both referees should be individuals who can address your aptitude for studies in a health profession. References from family members and friends are unacceptable.

Referees must submit the forms directly to ORPAS.

More About References

Physical Therapy Admission FAQs

MScPT: Casper

You are required to complete the Casper online situational judgement test to maintain admissibility to the MScPT program. Casper evaluates personal and professional characteristics that we believe are important for success in our program and as a practicing clinician.

The test measures soft skills such as communication, ethics and empathy. We use Casper to enhance our existing admission requirements by providing an additional layer of equity and objectivity to the selection process.

You can complete Casper on any computer with reliable internet, audio capabilities and a webcam, from a location of your choice. We highly recommend a quiet environment.

We strongly discourage preparatory courses as a way to study for this test, although you may wish to read about how to prepare for Casper and review the structure of the test.

You must add the MScPT program at the University of Toronto to your distribution list for the admission office to receive your Casper score.

Additionally, you need to ensure that the email address you use in your ORPAS application is the same email address you use in your Casper account.

Failure to follow these instructions may result in your disqualification from the admission process.

Important Dates Regarding the Test

Book Your Test and Learn More About Casper

MScPT: Computer Administered Profile (CAP)

We invite only the top applicants to write the CAP. We will notify you by email with additional details if you are invited to write the CAP.

The CAP is a 2‑hour evaluation with a set of short‑ and long‑answer questions.
The CAP is designed to assess personal characteristics/attributes, life experiences, knowledge of the profession, critical-thinking and problem‑solving skills.
The CAP is not a personal profile, nor is it an MCAT‑type exam for which you can study.

Typical questions will explore your understanding of the profession and your ability to problem solve. We base enrollment selection on a combination of Casper score, academic preparation and sub-GPA, prerequisites, references and CAP score. Review the Department of Physical Therapy website for full details.

MScPT Additional Information

MScPT Requirements for Registration

You must meet all registration requirements to participate in clinical settings. If your ability to participate in clinical settings is postponed for any reason, your expected graduation date may be delayed.

Failure to meet the following requirements for registration may result in revocation of an offer of admission or cancellation of registration:

MScPT: First Aid and CPR

You must provide a copy of a valid certificate in standard first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the Basic Rescuer (C) level before being permitted to enroll in the MScPT program. These courses are generally taken between August 1 of the year you are accepted and the first day of class.

MScPT: Immunization

You are required to be fully immunized before you enter the clinical setting. If you do not submit a completed immunization record, you will be suspended from clinical training until proper documentation is submitted.

MScPT: Police Record Checks

As all physical therapy students undertake significant portions of their education in settings with exposure to vulnerable populations, you are required to complete and submit the results of a Vulnerable Sector Screening Check.

This process must be initiated through your local police service and must be completed prior to registration in the Physical Therapy program. Costs incurred will be at your own expense.

Police forces may use slightly different language to describe the various levels of record checks available. Your record check must include search results from local police records, Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP’s) Canadian Police Information Centre and the Pardoned Sex Offender Records. This high level of record check is the one required by volunteer and other agencies who serve children and other vulnerable populations.

The Department of Physical Therapy also requests disclosure of any convictions in any jurisdiction and/or any findings of professional misconduct.

The Department of Physical Therapy reserves the right to revoke an offer of admission or cancel registration based on a review of this information.

If you have ever been convicted of a criminal offence for which you have not received a pardon, you are strongly urged to consult with your provincial College of Physiotherapists for advice about eventual eligibility for registration to practice physiotherapy.

MScPT: Registration to Practice

Registration to practice physical therapy is required in all provinces and territories. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland require that all applicants for licensure have passed the Physiotherapy Competency Examination, which includes both written and clinical components.

Upon successful completion of the Physical Therapy program at the University of Toronto, you may apply to the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators to take this examination.

MScPT: Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada (PEAC) Accreditation

The Master of Science in Physical Therapy program at the University of Toronto has completed the accreditation review process administered by PEAC.

PEAC is an incorporated body under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and operates as the accrediting agency for physiotherapy education programs in Canada. The status of Accreditation – Fully Compliant. 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 criteria in non-compliance.
There could be identified concerns that the program must improve upon and report back about in Progress Reports.
If progress is not made, the program’s accreditation status could be changed to partially compliant or probationary at any time in the six year accreditation cycle.

Important:

If a program loses its accreditation status, its students may not be considered graduates of an accredited physiotherapy education program.
Students must be considered graduates from an accredited physiotherapy education program in Canada in order to be eligible to write the Physiotherapy Competency Exam and be licensed to practice physiotherapy in Canada.
The program’s accreditation status is important to graduating students with regards to becoming licensed to practice physiotherapy in Canada. It is recommended that students contact the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators for information regarding the process to become licensed as a physiotherapist in Canada following graduation.

Definitions of the Levels of Accreditation

For more information, contact:

Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada
Suite 26, 509 Commissioners Road West
London ON N6J 1Y5
Telephone: 226-636-0632

MScPT Contact Information

Department of Physical Therapy
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Rehabilitation Sciences Building
160‑500 University Avenue
Toronto ON M5G 1V7

Telephone: 416‑946‑8641
Fax: 416‑946‑8562
Email: physther.facmed@utoronto.ca

Department of Speech‑Language Pathology

Master of Health Science (MHSc)

MHSc Program Overview

The Master of Health Science (MHSc) program prepares students for professional practice in speech‑language pathology. Academic and clinical experiences are integrated to provide the skills required for assessing and treating a wide variety of individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. The program can be completed on a full‑time basis only.

The Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are full‑time, research‑oriented programs that prepare students for advanced scientific work in the discipline. These research programs do not prepare students for a clinical career.

This application guide contains information for the MHSc (clinical) program only. For more information on how to apply to the MSc or PhD degree programs, contact the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute directly at 416-978-0300 or visit the University of Toronto’s How to Apply website.

MHSc Curriculum

All requirements of the MHSc program must be successfully completed within 2 consecutive years. There is no thesis requirement, but students are required to complete the course titled “Integrating Client, Practitioner and Research Knowledge in Practice”, which runs throughout the 2-year program.

The innovative curriculum links academic coursework to relevant clinical placements so that theoretical learning is immediately consolidated by practical experience. The 22‑month curriculum is organized into 9 units (5 academic and 4 clinical).

First Year (Units 1 to 5)

Unit 1 (September – December): Provides coursework in anatomy, speech science, audiology, child language and principles of clinical practice.
Unit 2 (January – February): Contains coursework related to developmental disorders, including language intervention, articulation and phonology, and fluency.
Unit 3 (March – April; July or August): An 8‑week clinical placement in developmental disorders.
Unit 4 (May – June): Covers augmentative and alternative communication, voice and aural rehabilitation.
Unit 5 (March – April; July or August): A 4‑week clinical placement in speech, language and/or hearing disorders.

Second Year (Units 6 to 9)

Entrance into the second year of the program is contingent upon successful completion of all first‑year courses and clinical placements. In the second year of the program, students complete Units 6 to 9, as follows:

Unit 6 (September – December): Includes coursework in neurogenic and structurally related disorders.
Unit 7 (January – February): Includes an 8‑week clinical placement in neurogenic and structurally related disorders.
Unit 8 (March – April): Includes advanced coursework in principles of clinical practice, and clinical analysis of communication and swallowing disorders. The course titled “Integrating Client, Practitioner and Research Knowledge in Practice” concludes with students documenting achievements and competencies in academic and clinical areas.
Unit 9 (May – July): A 10‑week clinical placement during which students assess and treat clients with a variety of communication disorders.

MHSc Clinical Placements

Students are required to:

accept clinical placements anywhere they are assigned at a designated placement site;
arrange their own travel and accommodation; and
cover related expenses (budget approximately $3,000).

Students can expect that at least 1 clinical placement will take place outside of the Greater Toronto Area (Burlington to Barrie to Oshawa).

By accepting an offer of admission to the MHSc program, students agree to accept placements as assigned. Clinical placements are final and may not be appealed. Although personal preferences are considered for clinical placements, individual placement requests cannot be guaranteed.

MHSc Admission Requirements

MHSc Academic Requirements

Undergraduate Degree

Applicants must hold the equivalent of a 4‑year University of Toronto bachelor’s degree from an approved university (which includes 20 full-course equivalents, but does not necessarily need to be an honours degree) with at least a mid-B standing in the final year (or in the last 5 full-course equivalents).

For applicants with a 3‑year degree, additional coursework must be undertaken in accordance with the structure for a 4‑year degree at the University of Toronto, as outlined in the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar.

Coursework should consist of 75% liberal arts/science content. All applicants are required to be either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (landed immigrant) of Canada at the time of the application. International applicants are not accepted.

The University of Toronto uses the ORPAS sub-grade point average (sub-GPA) to determine eligibility for the MHSc program, and the sub-GPA is part of the overall assessment process. The sub-GPA is calculated using the most recent 10 full-course equivalents.

If an applicant is currently enrolled in the fourth year of a baccalaureate program, this calculation will start with the final fall grades (completed December 31, 2024) and will move back in chronological order, based on the transcript. Where grades must be extracted from a term to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, the weighted average of that year (e.g., the second year) will be used.

How the Sub-GPA is Calculated

MHSc: Prerequisite Courses

Applicants are also required to complete the stated prerequisite undergraduate university-level courses with a final grade of B+ in each course to be considered for the MHSc program.

Prerequisite courses include:

child development (0.5 full-course equivalent),
elementary statistics (0.5 full-course equivalent),
general linguistics (0.5 full-course equivalent),
human physiology (1.0 full-course equivalent),
phonetics (0.5 full-course equivalent) and
research methods (0.5 full-course equivalent).

To determine whether a particular course meets a prerequisite requirement, consult the MHSc program website. If a course is listed on the website, it has been approved and will satisfy the specified prerequisite course.

Course offerings are subject to change and not all courses listed on the MHSc prerequisite section of the website are necessarily offered at any given time. It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm course offerings with the institution of interest.

Any course with a final Pass/Fail (or Credit/no Credit) grade does not qualify for consideration even if the course content has previously been approved.

Pre-approval Process

To claim a course as a prerequisite, if that course is not listed on the MHSc prerequisite section of the website, applicants must obtain pre-approval from the Department. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit pre-approval requests well before the application deadline.

Once approved, the course will be listed on the MHSc prerequisite section of the website. If a course is approved, but is not on the website at the time an application is submitted, applicants should include their receipt of approval with the application.

For more information on this pre-approval process, email Student Affairs or phone 416-978-1794.

Important: It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all prerequisite course requirements have been satisfied. If a course is not listed on the MHSc website as a suitable prerequisite and if pre-approval was not obtained and submitted with the application, the applicant may be disqualified from the admission process.

Receipt of approval must be submitted with the application for each prerequisite course that is not listed on the MHSc program website. Requests from applicants to verify courses after the application deadline has passed will not be accepted.

Claiming Prerequisites in the ORPAS Application

Using the ORPAS Prerequisite Form, applicants are required to submit a list of the courses taken to satisfy the prerequisites. Applicants should enter the courses in the order stated here (e.g., child development, elementary statistics, general linguistics, human physiology, phonetics and research methods).

Further documentation beyond the ORPAS Prerequisite Form is not required if prerequisite courses are already listed as approved on the Department’s website.

Prerequisite courses should be completed within the last 10 years. Web‑based courses and summer courses may be used to fulfill prerequisite requirements.

For each prerequisite course that is claimed, include the following on the ORPAS Prerequisite Form:

course title,
complete course code (department and number),
university the course was completed at,
date the course was completed,
weight or credit value (e.g., .5 or 1 credit; 3 or 6 credits) of the course and
final grade for the course, if available.
- If a final grade is not yet available, indicate “IP” (in progress) in the final grade section for courses currently being taken and “FP” (future/planned) in the final grades section for courses that are planned for the future.

Final transcripts stating conferral of the bachelor’s degree and final grades for all prerequisite courses must be received by ORPAS no later than August 1, 2025.

Offers of admission are conditional until applicants have satisfied all requirements including, but not limited to, receipt of final transcripts indicating degree conferral with a minimum of a mid-B standing in the final year and a minimum of B+ in each prerequisite course.

Ensure that the ORPAS Prerequisite Form in the Personal Submissions section of the application is completed accurately. Only courses that are listed on this form may be claimed toward the prerequisite requirements. Errors in documentation of prerequisite courses on this form may result in the disqualification of an applicant from the admission process.

MHSc Non-academic Requirements

MHSc: Confidential Assessment Forms (CAFs)

A minimum of 2 academic references are required.

Once contact information for each referee is submitted using the application, select “Send Email” to email referees asking them to complete and submit the CAF and a separate letter of reference that addresses the points listed on the form.

Letters should be written on university letterhead and signed by the referee, indicating the referee’s name, academic rank and telephone number or email address.

Referees must be full‑time faculty members (normally with a rank of lecturer, assistant professor or higher).

College instructors are not considered to be appropriate academic referees.

The receipt of CAFs and/or reference letters after the application deadline may impact the competitiveness of an application.

MHSc: Clinical Experience

In recognition of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have waived the volunteer requirement (including the clinical letter) for the 2024-2025 admission cycle only (fall 2025 admission).

A minimum of 14 hours of experience supervised by a speech-language pathologist in a communication disorders setting and in a volunteer, educational or paid capacity is required to apply to the MHSc program.

Relevant experience may be sought at any facility where services are supervised by a qualified speech‑language pathologist. A qualified speech‑language pathologist will hold registration, certification or licensure from a regulatory body or professional association and/or certification from Speech-Language and Audiology Canada.

The clinical experience should involve direct interaction with individuals with communication and swallowing disorders. It might also include observation of speech‑language pathologists working with individuals with communication and swallowing disorders or discussions with speech‑language pathologists about the profession.

MHSc: Statement of Intent

All applicants must complete a Statement of Intent, found in the Personal Submissions section of the application. There are 2 components to the Statement of Intent.

First Section: Questions

The first section should be a maximum of 3,000 characters and should address the following items, in particular the first 4:

Outline reasons for choosing speech‑language pathology as a career.
Highlight specific personal attributes that would be relevant for the profession.
Emphasize academic and non‑academic accomplishments.
Outline reasons for choosing the MHSc program in speech‑language pathology at the University of Toronto.
Demonstrate current knowledge about the profession of speech‑language pathology.

Applicants may also wish to use this statement to explain irregularities in their application and to outline any research experiences.

MHSc: Education Outside of Canada

For education completed outside of Canada, applicants must send ORPAS all official academic records, including an official transcript of any completed courses or diplomas that have been conferred.

Official English translations, done by a certified translator, must also be submitted for all non‑English documentation.

Academic records must be received directly from the originating institutions to be considered official. Photocopies of these records may be used to process an application, but official documents are required before any firm offer of admission is made.

MHSc: Language Requirement

All applicants to the MHSc program must have excellent oral and written English skills. English-language proficiency is required for both the academic and the clinical aspects of the program.

Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate facility in the English language by completing one of the English proficiency tests listed on the School of Graduate Studies website.

The Department of Speech‑Language Pathology strongly prefers that the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) be used to satisfy this requirement.

With respect to the internet‑based version of the TOEFL, applicants must achieve a minimum overall score of 100/120, with a minimum of 22/30 in the Speaking section and a minimum of 22/30 in the Writing section. TOEFL candidates should use the institution code for the University of Toronto, which is 0982.

If it is impossible for an applicant to take the TOEFL, the Department will accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (minimum score of 8).

MHSc Admission Process

The Department of Speech-Language Pathology will admit 60 students to the MHSc program for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Applications are reviewed by members of the Admissions Committee and are ranked relative to other applications.

The following criteria are taken into consideration during the assessment of an applicant’s file:

The strength of the applicant’s previous academic background:
- Previous academic performance and overall quality of previous academic work are considered, as demonstrated by indicators such as coursework, grades, scholarships or awards obtained and academic references.
- No single academic background is considered best suited as preparation for the study of speech‑language pathology.
The applicant’s potential for clinical practice, as determined by:
- the completion of a minimum of 14 hours of volunteer or work experience in a clinical setting under the supervision of a qualified speech‑language pathologist (waived for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle);
- the extent and quality of the clinical experience and the letter(s) of recommendation from the speech-language pathologist(s); and
- indicators of excellence in interpersonal skills, as demonstrated in academic and extracurricular activities (waived for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle).

MHSc Additional Information

MHSc: Interview

The program may include interviews for selected candidates as part of the application process. Additionally, when the submitted documentation requires clarification, applicants may be invited for an interview at the Department of Speech‑Language Pathology.

The meeting provides the opportunity to explore in‑depth issues, such as spoken and written language ability and areas of academic performance or interpersonal communication skills.

Applicants who live outside of Toronto and are unable to attend a personal meeting may be invited to participate via teleconference or video conference.

MHSc: Health Requirements

MHSc program applicants are expected to be in a state of health that allows for full participation in the academic and clinical programs without posing a risk to oneself or others.

Applicants who have been offered admission to the program will be required to submit medical certification that confirms immunization against:

chicken pox,
COVID-19 (2 dose equivalent),
diphtheria,
hepatitis B (as well as medical certification confirming a negative tuberculosis test result. Refer to Notes in this section for details.)
measles,
mumps,
polio,
rubella,
tetanus and
other vaccines that may also be required.

Additional details pertaining to immunizations will be sent to admitted students prior to the program start date.

Notes:

Tuberculosis certification must be by skin test or chest x‑ray.
If a skin test yields a positive result, a follow‑up chest x‑ray is required and must be dated no earlier than 1 year prior to beginning the program. This must be repeated annually.
In addition, many clinical sites require annual flu shots that can be obtained at no additional cost from the University of Toronto Health and Wellness Centre, community flu shot clinics or any doctor’s office in Ontario.

MHSc: Police Record Checks

Many placements (e.g., school boards, social service sites) require Police Record Checks. If admitted, applicants are strongly encouraged to complete and pay for this service.

Failure to obtain a satisfactory Police Record Check may result in an alternative or delayed placement that may also delay a student’s graduation date.

More information will be provided at orientation.

MHSc: Indigenous Applicants

The Department reserves 1 place annually for an Indigenous applicant who satisfies all admission requirements, as outlined in this document and on the Department website.

To apply under this category, contact the Department directly before the application deadline to self-identify.

MHSc: Information Sessions

The Department organizes several information sessions, given by faculty on the Admissions Committee, throughout the year for prospective students to learn more about the program, ask questions and meet current students. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of these sessions.

Do not directly contact any of the faculty or staff members in the Department about admission procedures.

Department of Speech-Language Pathology

MHSc: Contact Information

Student Affairs
Department of Speech‑Language Pathology
Temerty Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto
160‑500 University Avenue
Toronto ON M5G 1V7

Email: slp.studentaffairs@utoronto.ca
Telephone: 416-978‑1794
Fax: 416-978‑1596