Applicant Selection and Admission Offers

 

Selection of Applicants

Each Summer, approximately 124 students are admitted to the MScPT program.

  • Approximately 14 students will study at the Augustana Campus, 86 at the Edmonton Campus, and 24 at the Calgary Campus. Admission into any of our campuses is based on the same criteria and standards.

  • Preference will be given to residents of Alberta. A minimum of 15% of the available seats will be offered to out-of-province and international applicants.

  • Applicants who meet all the application requirements will be ranked for an interview based on their GPA in the most recent 60 credits taken prior to February of the admission year and their CASper score. Most Physical Activity and Studio courses will not be used in the calculation of an applicant's GPA. Neither will Practicums, Field Experience, or Work Terms.

  • The top 30% (approximate) will be offered an interview (which will be scored). Please see the tables below for information on previous application cycles.

  • A combination of GPA, CASper, and interview score will be used to determine final admission offers. 

  • Prerequisite courses can show as in-progress on the transcript at time of application. Applicants offered conditional admission (see below) must provide a final transcript showing prerequisite course completion by June 1st.

 

2024 Cycle

Total Applications

628

Number of Interviews

275

GPA Cutoffs

Alberta = 3.755

Out of province/International = 4.0

 

2023 Cycle

Total Applications 640
Number of Interviews 270
GPA Cutoffs

Alberta = 3.80

Out of province/International = 4.0

  

2022 Cycle

Total Applications 651
Number of Interviews 288
GPA Cutoffs

Alberta = 3.74

Out of province/International = 4.0

 

Admission Offers

Following the interview, the Department of Physical Therapy will review the GPA rankings and interview (MMI) scores and make one of the following admission recommendations:

Unconditional offer

 

The highest ranked applicants will be made an unconditional offer of admission.

Conditional Offer

 

Applicants who are ranked high on their GPA score and MMI, but who remain in the process of completing the pre-requisites and/or degree, will be made a conditional offer. The requirements and deadlines of the conditional offer will be determined by the Department of Physical Therapy (University of Alberta Calendar, 203.2.2, (2) c.)

Official documents (transcripts, degree certificates, etc.) may be required upon receiving a conditional offer of admission letter from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR). Documents must be sent directly from the post-secondary institution to the FGSR office.

Waitlist offer

 

Applicants with a combined score just below the cut-off for an admissions offer will be given the option of being placed on a wait list. The number of applicants placed on the wait list varies from year-to-year and will be determined by the Department of Physical Therapy.

In the event that a successful applicant subsequently declines admission, the next highest ranked applicant on the wait list will be offered this seat. Historically, wait list applicants have been made offers as late as one week prior to the start of the program.

Decline

Applicants whose combined score is not competitive will be notified in a decline letter.

Please Note: all offers/declines will be sent via email only. Due to privacy issues only the UofA email account will be used for all communications between applicants and the university.

Admission Offers for Indigenous Applicants

Applicants of Indigenous ancestry (First Nation, Inuit, Metis) are first considered in the general pool of applicants. If Indigenous applicants are not competitive for the general pool they may then compete for the seats reserved for Indigenous students. Applicants applying for the seats reserved for Indigenous students must meet the minimum GPA to qualify for an interview and must receive a passing score on the interview. Applicants applying for the seats reserved for Indigenous students must be Canadian citizens; preference will be given to Alberta residents.

 

The University Calendar provides a definition of an Indigenous Applicant: For the purpose of application and admission to the University of Alberta, and in accordance with the Constitution Act, 1982, Part II, Section (35)2, an Indigenous  applicant is an Indian, Inuit or Métis person of Canada, or a person who is accepted by one of the Indigenous peoples of Canada as a member of their community.

Indigenous applicants must be aware that proof of ancestry does not guarantee admission to any program. All positions at the university are competitive, and admission committees will make their selections from among the best-qualified candidates. Please refer to the University Calendar for examples of acceptable proof of Indigenous ancestry.

Date of Offer Letters

  • Initial offer letters from the Department of Physical Therapy will be sent to applicants via their University of Alberta e-mail in early May. 
  • Applicants are typically given two (2) calendar weeks to accept or decline the initial offer. 
  • If the applicant accepts the offer, the Department of Physical Therapy will forward a recommendation for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR). FGSR will then send an official letter of offer before August.

Date of Waitlist Offers

  • Applicants on the waitlist will be offered seats as they become available.
  • Waitlist applicants are typically given one (1) week to respond to an offer, but the Department of Physical Therapy reserves the right to shorten this time frame when a more timely response is required (e.g. offers made close to the program start date).