The Physical Therapy Program at Western University has been in operation for more than 46 years. In 1997, the School of Physical Therapy was incorporated into the Faculty of Health Sciences along with the
Schools of Communication Sciences and Disorders,
Kinesiology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and
Health Studies. The Master of Physical Therapy
(MPT) degree was offered for the first time in the
2002–2003 academic year. The School also offers a distance education-based Master of Clinical Science
(MClSc) degree in the fields of Wound Healing and
Manipulative Therapy. As well, Master of Science
(MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees are available through the Faculty of Health Sciences
Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences. A combined MPT/PhD program is also available for a limited number of qualified applicants.
The MPT degree is awarded upon successfully completing the 24-month curriculum, which includes approximately 60 weeks of classroom/laboratory work and 30 weeks of clinical education. Clinical experience will be gained in the following clinical settings: acute care (e.g., hospital), rehabilitation and ambulatory care/clinics (e.g., private/public out-patient facilities), as well as the following areas of physical therapy practice:
• Neuromusculoskeletal
• Neurological
•
•
Cardiopulmonary-vascular
Multisystem
Clinical placements are completed in the summer of the first year (six weeks), the fall of the second year (six weeks) and the spring and summer of the second year (18 weeks). Program requirements are completed by the end of August of the second year.
Graduation will take place in the fall.
Admission Decisions
Admission decisions are based on a strong, overall admission package, consisting of:
Located in Elborn College on the southwest corner of Western’s campus, the School of Physical Therapy offers personal attention through low student/ faculty ratios. The School has 14 full-time faculty members, and is proud to have 20-25 clinicians who teach full and/or sections of courses, and more than
110 clinical facilities within southwestern Ontario that offer clinical placement experiences for the MPT students. Classroom and research areas are modern and spacious. The MPT program is celebrated for its collaborative, team-based learning and practice setting-based curriculum, which utilizes various teaching methods, including lectures, clinical skills laboratories, seminars, case-method learning, problem-based learning, self-study, research projects, and clinical placements. The program prepares students for professional roles as clinicians, educators, consultants and researchers in a wide variety of practice settings.
1. Applicant’s statement
2. GPA based on last 10 full course equivalents (or
20 half course equivalents)
3. Paid or unpaid Physical Therapy-related experience (i.e., role and total hours)
4. Volunteer experience (i.e., role and total hours)
5. Awards and Scholarships
6. Letters of reference (one academic and one professional)
Successful applications generally exhibit exceptional grade point averages obtained during previous university course work, strong academic references from professors or research supervisors who know you well, and a strong second professional reference from an individual who can comment on your interpersonal skills and potential clinical strengths as a future clinician.
Admissions decisions made by the School of Physical
Therapy are final and not subject to appeal.
Application Requirements
Please refer to www.uwo.ca/fhs/pt/ and click
“MPT Professional Program” for more detailed information about these requirements.
If you have the necessary prerequisites, you will be considered eligible for admission. Place of residence, program of study and university where studies have been undertaken are not criteria in the selection process. The following criteria are requirements:
Last revised: October 15, 2015 ORPAS 2016 59

1. A four-year baccalaureate degree with high academic standing from a recognized university.
prerequisite course may be graded as a pass/fail.
All others must have standard grades.
2. Two standard letters of reference (ORPAS
Confidential Assessment forms). One
4. Applicant’s Statement (completed online as part of the application).
Confidential Assessment Form must be completed by an individual who holds an academic faculty position in a university, who has taught or supervised you, and who is
The applicant’s statement (500 words maximum) should include all of the following components: qualified to judge your academic ability relative to a number of other students. Positions such as a teaching assistant or athletic therapist/ trainer do not qualify as academic referees. The second Confidential Assessment Form must be completed by a professional who can judge your performance and interpersonal skills from his/ her perspective as a physical therapist, employer or someone who supervised you working with persons with special needs. It is recommended that neither of the Confidential Assessment forms be submitted by either relatives or friends.
• An explanation of why you have chosen
Physical Therapy as a career, demonstrating your knowledge of the profession and its scope of practice.
• An explanation of why you have chosen the
Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) Program at Western University.
• A description of your particular strengths, experiences, attributes, leadership skills and/or abilities that you will bring to the profession.
Letters of Reference that elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities are valued.
Your Applicant’s Statement should elaborate on your unique and exceptional qualities rather than just on your aspirations to become a physical therapist.
3. Successfully completing the following university level prerequisite courses or their equivalents
(use the online Prerequisite Form):
5. Completion of paid or unpaid Physical
Therapy-related experience (completed online as part of the application).
• One half course in Human, Mammalian or
Vertebrate Physiology. We do not accept
Animal Physiology, Invertebrate Physiology or Exercise Physiology.
• One full course (or two half courses) in general or introductory Science, including Physical
Science; Life Science; or Health Science; or any combination of these (e.g., Chemistry,
Physics, Biology, Anatomy, Biomechanics,
Exercise Physiology).
• One half course in English or Writing with an essay component (minimum of 1,500 total words in an essay) completed at a university in a country where English is the first language. A defended Master’s thesis from a Canadian university would also fulfill this requirement.
• One half course in Statistics (e.g., Statistics,
Research Methods, or Research Design).
• One full course (or two half courses) in
Social Science (e.g., Psychology, Sociology,
Economics, History, Geography) or Liberal Arts
(e.g., Languages, Fine Arts, Philosophy, Ethics,
Classical Studies, Film Studies, Comparative
Literature, Humanities, Music, Dance, Visual
Arts); or a combination of these two.
Full courses are generally defined as six-credit, full year courses; half courses are defined as three-credit, half year courses. Only one
You will be asked to provide a brief list
(maximum of four) of any activities directly related to the physical therapy field, including a clear outline of patient experiences, job shadowing and volunteer opportunities, as well as research, co-op placements and employment.
6. Completion of volunteer experience (completed online as part of the application).
You will also be asked to provide a brief description (maximum of four activities) of any volunteer activities that provide evidence of your involvement and leadership in increasing the well-being of individuals, groups or society in general.
7. Awards and Scholarships (completed online as part of the application).
You will be asked to briefly list and describe any awards or scholarships you have received to date, to a maximum of four entries.
Calculation of GPA
A calculation of the grade point average (GPA) for admission purposes will be completed based on your final 60 units of university academic study
(i.e., the equivalent of 10 full courses or 20 half
60 ORPAS 2016 Last revised: October 15, 2015

courses) completed by December 31 of the fall term preceding the application deadline. Calculation will include summer, part-time, intersession, distance education and undergraduate university courses taken beyond the four-year undergraduate degree.
If you are currently enrolled in the fourth year of a baccalaureate program, this calculation will start with your final fall term grades (completed by
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 year to achieve the equivalent of 10 full courses, the average of that year (e.g., your second year) will be used. Western does not include graduate degree course work, practicum/activity type courses,
Bachelor of Education, certificate or diploma program courses or courses with non-convertible grades (e.g., pass/fail) in the GPA calculation.
Exchange program grades are included in the admission GPA if they are convertible.
Additional Details
1. Admission to the program will be limited to a maximum of 55 students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as of the ORPAS application deadline. There is no interview or online essay in Western’s admissions process.
2. 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 completed or in progress by the
ORPAS application deadline (January 8, 2016).
A transcript is required to show proof of “in progress” courses. The school must receive a final transcript that shows the completion of the “in progress” course(s) by August 31, 2016.
Please use the online Prerequisite Form to list your prerequisites.
equivalency evaluated by World Education
Services (WES). These reports will be used only as a reference in the assessment of admission eligibility.
5. Any internationally educated physical therapist who wishes to practice in Canada should first apply to the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy
Regulators for an assessment of your educational qualifications. Internationally educated physical therapists whose degree is found to be substantially equivalent to a Canadian entry-to-practice level degree will not be considered for admission to the MPT program. Any internationally educated physical therapist interested in bridging any gaps identified in the Alliance’s credential review, may read more about the Internationally
Educated Physiotherapists Bridging Program at www.physicaltherapy.utoronto.ca/iept/ oiepb-program/. Western does not offer this program.
6. The two-year MPT 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. Ensure that you are capable of being a full-time student.
7. Students entering the MPT program must be prepared to attend and participate in human cadaver dissection labs.
Clinical Experience
Clinical experiences are a key and required component of the MPT program. During these experiences, students are provided with supervision and instruction by registered, practicing physical therapists.
3. If English is not your first language, you 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), or an IELTS score of 8 is required. 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 Physical Therapy.
You may be asked to withdraw from the program if your command of English interferes with your ability to provide quality professional services.
Note: Test results must be sent directly to
Western University.
4. If you are an internationally educated applicant, you must have your transcripts and degree
Clinical placements provide the opportunity for you to put the theory learned in the classrooms and laboratories into practice. To complement the academic program, you will gain clinical experience in the following three clinical settings:
1. acute care (e.g., hospital),
2. rehabilitation (e.g., hospital, out-patient clinic),
3. ambulatory care/clinics (e.g., private or public out-patient),
Some students will gain additional experience in the community setting (e.g., home care, schools/ pediatrics).
Within each of these settings, you will gain experiences in the following most common areas of physical therapy practice:
• Neuromusculoskeletal
• Neurological
Last revised: October 15, 2015 ORPAS 2016 61

•
•
Cardiopulmonary-vascular
Multisystem
There are a total of 30 weeks of clinical experience.
A six-week Junior placement in the summer of the first year provides opportunity to begin developing the professional and clinical skills, and the clinical reasoning and judgment, 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 and other key professional attributes. Three six-week placements (Intermediate-
Senior, Senior and Professional Consolidation) during the spring and summer of the second year allow you to refine your skills, knowledge, professional behaviours, clinical reasoning and judgment, as you 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 to advance in the program.
obtained through the local police department. This is a requirement of the School of Physical Therapy and our affiliated health care facilities. Conviction of a criminal offence may affect your ability to obtain the necessary clinical placements for successful graduation from the Master of Physical Therapy program.
Statement on Immunization and Other
Non-Medical Requirements
To protect the health of patients and health care workers, including health care students, clinical health care facilities that provide clinical education have mandatory, specific medical and non-medical requirements for all health care students and employees, with no exceptions. Therefore, students are required to submit valid documentation about health status, immunization and other medical and non-medical documentation, upon admission to the
MPT program (e.g., childhood immunizations, annual
TB and flu shots, Vulnerable Sector Screening/ clearance, CPR, first aid, etc.). Failure to fulfill these requirements by a specified date will result in a delay, or the student’s inability to successfully participate in clinical placements and graduate from the MPT program. Please contact the School of
Physical Therapy if you have any concerns related to medical and non-medical requirements. Students are responsible for any costs incurred to fulfill these requirements (i.e., approximately $500).
Western has more than 110 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.,
London, Cambridge, Chatham, Goderich, Newbury,
St. Thomas, Stratford, Strathroy, Tillsonburg,
Wingham and Woodstock). You must be prepared to go to any of these locations to complete your clinical experience. Any costs incurred while travelling to clinical placements and/or securing out-of-town accommodations when required are your responsibility.
Travel and accommodation funding (up to $500 per placement to a maximum of $1,000 during the MPT program) is available if you are required to do a placement outside of the London area. This funding is provided by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and
Universities, through the School of Physical Therapy
(SPT).
The SPT offers limited opportunities for some MPT students, who meet specific criteria, to complete clinical placements in other areas of Canada as well as internationally as placement offers allow (e.g.,
South Africa and Australia).
Licensing
Physical Therapists must be licensed or registered in order 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 before being granted the right to practice. The PCE has two components: a written component, and a practical clinical component. The Written Component may be done as early as the final term of university academic study. The Clinical Component cannot be taken until after the academic course of study is completed, and the Written Component is successfully completed.
Requirements for registration differ from province to province and territory to territory. Each provincial or territorial physiotherapy regulator should be contacted for their specific requirements.
Vulnerable Sector Screening
If you are admitted to the MPT program at Western
University, you must obtain documentation of a police Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS). The
VSS must include a search of the Pardoned Sex
Offender Database. The VSS can typically be
Accreditation
The Master of Physical Therapy Program at Western
University has completed the accreditations review process administered by Physiotherapy Education
Accreditation Canada (PEAC). PEAC is an incorporated body under the Canada Not-for-profit
62 ORPAS 2016 Last revised: October 15, 2015

Corporations Act and operates as the accrediting agency for physiotherapy education programs in
Canada. The “Accreditation, Partially Compliant” status was granted to the program on April 30, 2015, for the period until October 31, 2016. This means that our program is accredited and that graduates will be allowed to take the national licensing exam.
For more information on accreditation status, visit: www.uwo.ca/fhs/pt/programs/mpt/index.html.
Contact Information
School of Physical Therapy
Faculty of Health Sciences
Elborn College, Room 1588
Western University
London ON N6G 1H1
Telephone: 519-661-3360
Fax: 519-661-3866
Email: ptadmit@uwo.ca
Website: www.uwo.ca/fhs/pt/
Last revised: October 15, 2015 ORPAS 2016 63