Physical and Occupational Therapy Programs

About the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy

As part of McGill's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, we are proud of the outstanding academic environment we offer to our students. The School of Physical and Occupational Therapy is situated on McGill University's Downtown Campus in the beautiful city of Montreal, Quebec.

The school offers Master's and Doctoral programs in three areas:

• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Rehabilitation Sciences

Two Graduate Certificate programs are also offered in Driving Rehabilitation and Chronic Pain Management.

The school is internationally recognized for the excellence of its contribution to research in rehabilitation. Excellence in research and teaching is the foundation and tradition of the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. The Faculty educates professionals and, through research, generates the body of knowledge that guides our professions to advance the health, function, and participation of the individual in society.

Clinical Placements, Language, Vaccination, and CPR Requirements

Clinical hours necessary to obtain membership in both the national associations and provincial licensing bodies for each profession are included within the professional master's programs (M.Sc.A. Occupational Therapy and M.Sc.A. Physical Therapy). This standard is compatible with the licensing requirements in other provinces where legislation is in force.

Working knowledge of both English and French is essential for students who will be working in clinical affiliations throughout the province of Quebec. French is the official language in Quebec and thus health and social services administered by the Ministry of Health are bound by the Charter of the French Language. This means that all health and social service institutions operate in French. Certain institutions have a bilingual mandate for patient care, but team meetings and dealings with third party agencies operate in French only. Some of the clinical communication competencies you will exercise during your studies include: listening to a client or their family describe the reason for consulting, asking questions to learn more, explaining a condition in formal and informal terms, and communicating with other healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists. This could be in-person, on the phone, or with written documentation.

As such, all applicants should be aware that any clinical placements in the province of Quebec require the ability to communicate (written and oral) in French. Refer to the details for the admission requirements of proof of French proficiency in the Qualifying Year Admissions Guides.

Students must therefore possess the recommended minimum level of oral and written French, as outlined in the admission guides, prior to the start of clinical practica. Students who do not speak French will have limited clinical placement opportunities. This may result in delayed graduation from the program.

Valid CPR/AED Level (Health Care Provider) certification or equivalent is required prior to going into any of the clinical affiliation placements and must be maintained throughout the professional master’s program.

Vaccinations

Prior to starting their first clinical course, students registered in a health care program will need to ensure that they have completed all required series of immunizations prior to being placed in a clinical setting. We recommend starting the process as soon as possible as some vaccines may require you to follow immunization schedules that last several months. Students must upload their immunization file to the Wellness portal in September of their U3 or Qualifying Year. Once their file is reviewed by the Wellness Hub, it can take several months for students to complete missing vaccinations. All vaccination requirements must be complete by March 1 of the U3 or Qualifying Year in preparation for the M1 Summer term of two clinical courses.

For complete details, consult the Student Wellness Hub. Please also refer to the Vaccination/Immunization Requirements for Health Sciences Programs in the Undergraduate Course Catalogue's Health Professions – Immunization Requirement.

Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

Language Requirements

Applicants to a graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone), must submit documented proof of competency in oral and written English, by appropriate exams, e.g.:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 86 on the Internet-based test (iBT), with each component score not less than 20; or
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum overall band score of 6.5.

Note: McGill University's Institutional code for the TOEFL and GRE is 0935;
Note: French Language Competency requirement for QY Admissions to the MSc(A) OT or the MSc(A) PT.

M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Science (Thesis)

1. A Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent in Physical or Occupational Therapy or a related field from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement, equivalent to a B Standing, or a McGill CGPA of 3.0 (70–74%);
3. Prerequisite courses may be required in statistics, anatomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, neurophysiology, or other areas, depending on the student's anticipated specialization;
4. Applicants must meet the language requirements listed above.

If a graduate student accepted into the Master of Science program demonstrates superior performance in the first year, the Graduate Committee, in consultation with the thesis supervisor, may recommend waiving the M.Sc. thesis requirement, and allow the student to proceed directly to the PhD program.

M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Science (Non-Thesis)

1 to 4as above; plus two years of clinical experience is recommended.

M.Sc., Applied, in Occupational Therapy or the M.Sc., Applied, in Physical Therapy

Entry to professional practice in Occupational Therapy requires the completion of a Master of Science, Applied, degree in Occupational Therapy (M.Sc.A.OT.). The MSc(A) OT program is only open to applicants who have completed McGill's B.Sc.Rehab.Sc. majoring in Occupational Therapy or Qualifying Year to the MSc(A) OT.

Entry to professional practice in Physical Therapy requires the completion of a Master of Science, Applied, degree in Physical Therapy (M.Sc.A.PT.). The MSc(A) PT program is only open to applicants who have completed McGill's B.Sc. Rehab.Sc. majoring in Physical Therapy or the Qualifying Year to the MSc(A) PT program.

Entry to both the MSc(A) OT and MSc(A) PT programs requires applicants to have a minimum cGPA of 3.0 in the related B.Sc. or Qualifying Year program. Even if the cGPA requirement is met, the Promotions and Review Committee for the program may recommend that an applicant not be admitted to the Master's program if, during the Bachelor's program or Qualifying Year, that individual has (i) documented performance deficiencies (e.g., academic integrity and professional behaviour) and/or (ii) shown insufficient progression toward the program's Essential Skills and Attributes.

Students from McGill or elsewhere who do not hold the degree in Bachelor of Science (Rehabilitation Science) – Major in Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy must apply to the Master's program via a graduate Qualifying Year, or have the option to first apply to the Bachelor of Science (Rehabilitation Science) – Major in Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy and proceed to the Master of Science, Applied, degree in the same discipline.

Qualifying Year:

Students admitted to a Qualifying program are known as Qualifying Students for a Master’s. They must meet the application and admission requirements indicated by the chosen graduate department and the Graduate Admissions Unit of Enrolment Services. The courses taken during a Qualifying Year will not be credited towards a degree program. Students are registered in graduate studies but have not yet been admitted to a degree program. These students take a full load (12 credits minimum) per semester of undergraduate courses as specified by the department. Only one Qualifying Year is permitted.

Qualifying Year for Entry into MSc(A) OT

1. An undergraduate degree or equivalent in any subject from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement in one's undergraduate degree, equivalent to a B Standing, or a McGill cGPA of 3.0 (70–74%) or higher;
3. No prerequisite courses; completion of optional background courses is recommended;
4. Completion of the Canadian Professional Health Sciences CASPer Test (the CASPer test is administered by Altus Assessments);
5. Completion of all application components set out in the Occupational Therapy Qualifying Year Admissions Guide;
6. Applicants must meet the English language requirements listed above, although a minimum overall band score of 7.0 is required for IELTS (International English Language Testing System);
7. Proof of French language competency. Refer to Occupational Therapy Qualifying Year Admissions Guide.

Further information regarding the Qualifying Year is available at mcgill.ca/spot/programs/admissions-0/professional-programs.

Qualifying Year for Entry into MSc(A) PT

1. An undergraduate degree or equivalent in any subject from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement in all undergraduate coursework, equivalent to a McGill CGPA of 3.2 or higher;
3. At least three McGill-equivalent credits in Human Anatomy and at least three McGill-equivalent credits of Human or Mammalian Physiology, with a McGill-equivalent grade of B (70–74%) or higher, completed prior to the start of the Qualifying year;
4. Completion of the Canadian Professional Health Sciences CASPer Test (the CASPer test is administered by Altus Assessments);
5. Completion of all application components set out in the Physical Therapy Qualifying Year Admissions Guide;
6.  Applicants must meet the English language requirements listed above, although a minimum overall band score of 7.0 is required for IELTS (International English Language Testing System).;
7. Proof of French language competency. Refer to the Physical Therapy Qualifying Year Admissions Guide.

Further information regarding the Qualifying year is available at mcgill.ca/spot/programs/admissions-0/professional-programs.

Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science

1. An M.Sc. degree in a rehabilitation-related discipline or related field from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement, equivalent to a B+ Standing, or a McGill CGPA of 3.3 (75–79%) is required;
3. Applicants must meet the language requirements listed above.

Graduate Certificate in Driving Rehabilitation

1. A B.Sc. degree or equivalent in Occupational Therapy or a related field from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement, equivalent to a B Standing or a McGill CGPA of 3.0 (70–74%);
3. See point 4 under M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Science (Thesis) above for more information on language requirements.

Graduate Certificate in Chronic Pain Management

1. A B.Sc. degree or equivalent in a health-related discipline from a university of recognized reputation;
2. Evidence of high academic achievement, equivalent to a B standing or a McGill CGPA of 3.0 (70–74%);
3. See points 4 under M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Science (Thesis) above for more information on language requirements.

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:

• Curriculum vitae
• Two years of clinical experience – recommended for M.Sc. in Rehabilitation Science (Non-Thesis).

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Note: Applications for Winter term admission will not be considered (except for Graduate Certificate in Chronic Pain Management).

Available Programs

Location

School of Physical and Occupational Therapy
1130 Pine Avenue West
Montreal QC H3A 1A3
Canada
Telephone: 514-398-4500
Email: see below
Website: mcgill.ca/spot

Directors

Director and Associate Dean – Laurie Snider
Email: admincoord.spot@mcgill.ca

Associate Director – Judith Soicher
Email: admincoord.spot@mcgill.ca

Director's Academic Associate – Sarah C. Marshall
Email: sarah.marshall@mcgill.ca

Program Director , Physical Therapy – Liliane Asseraf-Pasin
Email: profmasters.spot@mcgill.ca

Associate Program Director, Physical Therapy – Richard Preuss
Email: profmasters.spot@mcgill.ca

Program Director, Occupational Therapy – Sara Saunders
Email: profmasters.spot@mcgill.ca

Associate Program Director, Occupational Therapy – Susanne Mak
Email: profmasters.spot@mcgill.ca

Graduate Programs Director – Isabelle Gélinas
Email: graduate.rehabilitation@mcgill.ca

Graduate Programs Associate Director – Anouk Lamontagne
Email: graduate.rehabilitation@mcgill.ca