1. Pre-application checklist and requirements

Applicants to the Master of Physical Therapy program must satisfy the following residency qualifications:

  1. Applicants applying for a seat designated for an Indigenous student must be Canadian citizens.
  2. Other applicants must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants AND be residents of the Province of Saskatchewan or of the Yukon, Northwest or Nunavut Territories.
  3. For the purpose of determining qualifications for admission to the School of Physical Therapy, an applicant normally is considered to be a “resident” under item (2) if one of the following conditions applies:
    1. The applicant has established their primary place of residence in Saskatchewan or one of the Yukon, Northwest or Nunavut Territories, at least one calendar year immediately prior to September 1 in the year of proposed admission.
    2. Irrespective of the current place of residence of the applicant, the applicant's family home (the home of parents, legal guardians, foster parents or spouse), is in Saskatchewan, or one of the Yukon, Northwest or Nunavut Territories.
    3. The applicant is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, the University of Regina or other degree-granting college in Saskatchewan.
    4. The applicant is currently serving, or is a member of a family unit in which the parents, legal guardians or spouse are serving in the Armed Forces or R.C.M.P., and the family unit has been transferred to Saskatchewan or one of the Yukon, Northwest or Nunavut Territories.

Applicants must hold a 4-year baccalaureate degree (in any discipline) from a college or university of acceptable standing.

A minimum 75% average is required on the pre-requisite coursework with a minimum grade of 70% on each pre-requisite course.

Additional prerequisites

Human Physiology (6 credit units)

  • CPPS 302.3 (formerly PHPY 302.3) and one of NEUR 301.3 (formerly PHPY 301.3), CPPS 303.3 (formerly PHPY 303.3), NEUR 350.3 (formerly HSC 350.3) (or equivalent*)
  • BMSC 207.3 and BMSC 208.3 (formerly PHSI 208.6)
  • or the U of R equivalent, KIN 267 and 268
  • normally Exercise Physiology courses are not a substitute for the human physiology requirement

Human Anatomy (3 credit units)

  • CPPS 310.3 (formerly ACB 310.3, or equivalent*)
  • or the U or R equivalent, KIN 260

Statistical Methods (3 credit units)

  • Stats 245.3 or PLSC 214.3 (or equivalent*)
  • or the U of R equivalent, STAT 100 and 200

 

Prerequisite Equivalency Checks

Applicants must seek and receive approval for equivalent courses from the Admissions committee well in advance of application.  

Normally Exercise Physiology courses are not a substitute for the human physiology requirement.  

IMPORTANT: If you do not see your courses listed in the assessed pre-requisites below, please send complete and detailed course outlines/syllabi to rs.admissions@usask.ca (a list of lecture and lab topics taught week by week must be included).

 

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence that they are proficient in the English language. Acceptable test scores required for the Master of Physical Therapy program are:

  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

A minimum overall total of 100 and at least 22 out of 30 in each component.

  • IELTS (International English Language Testing Service)

A band score of 7.5 out of 9 in each area and overall.

  • CanTest (Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees)

A band score of 5 for each area and overall.

The University and the School of Rehabilitation Science are committed to decolonization, Indigenization, reconciliation and equity, diversity and inclusion, and are proud to support academic opportunities for Indigenous students. We continue to grow our relationships and engaged partnerships among Indigenous community members, thought leaders, Knowledge Keepers, and cultural service provider We recognize, value, and affirm our responsibility and commitment to actively engaging Indigenous learners in order to co-create a culture of inclusivity, respect, and social accountability in all of our teaching and learning spaces.

The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) academic program maintains 8 Education Equity seats for Indigenous students. Applicants choosing to apply for the Education Equity pathway into the MPT program must indicate such on the online application and must also meet all usual entry requirements. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin |tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship with documentation is a condition of acceptance for this program. 

 
Please visit: https://indigenous.usask.ca/indigenous-initiatives/deybwewin-taapwaywin-tapwewin.php  to proceed through the verification system as soon as possible. If you have any questions or require additional information about deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin please contact: indigenoustruthpolicy@usask.ca.

The deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting documents is December 15 each year.

There is a non-refundable application fee of $120.00 is required as part of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies application.  https://cgps.usask.ca/

PLEASE NOTE that reference letters normally required for a Graduate Studies application are not required for the MPT and will not be accepted as part of the applicant’s file. 

Students from any universities other than the University of Saskatchewan must arrange to have their transcripts from all post-secondary institutions forwarded directly to the School of Rehabilitation Science. Official transcripts should be requested at the time of application if the 4-year baccalaureate degree has been completed and awarded.  If students are currently studying:

  • One copy of an official transcript which will include final grades of first term courses to be received at the School of Rehabilitation Science no later than May 15th, 2025.
  • Two copies of an official transcript showing all final grades for second term courses, and confirmation of the awarding of the baccalaureate degree, must be received by May 31 and sent directly to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Admissions Office.

2. Start your application

Applications will open on September 30 and close December 15.

Before you apply

Start an application

Applicants who have completed all of their studies at the University of Saskatchewan do not have to upload their academic transcripts. If you attended any other university other than the University of Saskatchewan, transcript(s) will need to be uploaded by the applicant (including current fall semester grades).  Deadline to submit transcripts is May 15, 2025.

Please note that reference letters normally required for a Graduate Studies application are not required for the MPT and will not be accepted as part of the applicant’s file.

3. Non-Academic Assessment: CASPer®/Personal Statement

The CASPer® (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal characteristics) test and a Personal Statement is one component of the admissions process for the MPT program.

CASPer® is a situational judgement test used to assess non-academic competencies including communication, collaboration, equity, professionalism, problem solving, empathy, motivation, resilience, self-awareness and ethics.

CASPer® is administered by Acuity Insights. The applicant is responsible for registering, taking the CASPer® test, and having the results sent to School of Rehabilitation Science.

All applicants are required to take the CASPer® test. 

We recommend applicants register to take the CASPer® test as soon as they submit their application. Additional information, registration and test dates for the CASPer® test can be found on the following website:

https://acuityinsights.app/

CASPer® test results are only valid for a single admissions cycle thus students who have taken the CASPer® test for previous admissions cycles will have to re-take the CASPer® test.

NOTE:  If you are taking the CASPer® test for other universities, you will be able to use those test results to send to this program. 

The personal statement is a specific question, answered in 100 words or less, that will relate to the applicants’ desire to be a PT and/or attend the School of Rehabilitation Science MPT program.  The question will be sent to all applicants in mid-January for submission to SRS on January 31. The applicant will also be asked to sign an academic integrity statement when submitting the personal statement. This personal statement will be changed annually and assessed by the admissions committee.

The composite Non-Academic Assessment score will be 80% CASPer® test score and 20% personal statement.

4. Criteria for acceptance

Selection Criteria

Meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the Master of Physical Therapy program as each year there are more applicants than available positions. 

Selection for admission is based upon academic assessment (i.e. admission average) and non-academic assessment (i.e. CASPer®/personal statement). The minimum admission average that will be accepted is 75%. The admission average is a weighted average calculated using a minimum of 60 credit units. The most recent credit units at the time of application are used (up to and including 1 term if currently studying). If you have completed a graduate degree only your graduate courses will be considered for the admission average. 

For the purpose of calculating the admission average, all courses in a given term will be used.

The non-academic assessment score (CASPer®/ Personal Statement) is weighted 40% and the academic assessment (admission average) is weighted 60%.  The two scores (non-academic assessment and academic assessment) are added for the final admissions score.

The top 55 applicants will be offered admission (47 top-ranked applicants from the general pool and the 8 top-ranked applicants for the Indigenous seats.) 

Indigenous applicants are first considered in the general pool. 

Notification of Admission Status

Notification of the results of the admission process will be forwarded to applicants by email in early April.  Offers of admission are pending successful completion of the 4-year Baccalaureate degree, any prerequisite courses being completed during the year of application, and a minimum 75% average on pre-requisite coursework with a minimum grade of 70% in each pre-requisite course.

Any appeal related to admission status should be forwarded, in writing, to the School of Rehabilitation Science Admissions Committee.  Grounds for appeal of an admission decision are limited to (1) unit procedural errors, or (2) evidence that information used in the decision process was wrong or incomplete. Failure by the applicant to provide accurate and complete information is not grounds for any appeal.

5. Post-acceptance requirements

Requirements of applicants admitted to the first year of the Master of Physical Therapy program are as follows:

  • Must maintain current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) throughout their time in the program. See the CPR Certification Requirements on the MPT Policies and Forms website. 
  • Must comply with the mandatory immunization requirements. Students must also be Respirator Fit Mask tested while in the program.
  • Must complete a specific police/criminal record check and vulnerable sector check prior to starting the program before being accepted for clinical placements in clinical facilities.
  • Additional common requirements as preparation for clinical placements include: additional health, disability and dismemberment insurance, and signed confidentiality agreements.

6. Course Requirements

Master of Physical Therapy  (M.P.T.) is a course based program. A minimum total of 132 credit units are required to complete this program. Typical course information can be found here.

7. Admissions Statistics

2020-2024 admissions statistics including casper, GPA, and number of applicants

8. Frequently Asked Questions

December 15th each year

September 30th each year

STATS- Statistical Methods (3 credit units)

  • Stats 245.3 or PLSC 214.3 (or equivalent*)
  • or the U of R equivalent, STAT 100 and 200

Human Physiology (6 credit units)

  • CPPS 302.3 (formerly PHPY 302.3) and one of NEUR 301.3 (formerly PHPY 301.3), CPPS 303.3 (formerly PHPY 303.3), NEUR 350.3 (formerly HSC 350.3) (or equivalent*)
  • BMSC 207.3 and BMSC 208.3 (formerly PHSI 208.6)
  • or the U of R equivalent, KIN 267 and 268
  • normally Exercise Physiology courses are not a substitute for the human physiology requirement

Human Anatomy (3 credit units)

  • CPPS 310.3 (formerly ACB 310.3, or equivalent*)
  • or the U or R equivalent, KIN 260

Using the last/most recent 60 credit units

Please see Residency requirements on our website for more information: https://rehabscience.usask.ca/mpt-admission.php#1Preapplicationchecklistandrequirements

Re-take prerequisite courses if the minimum average is not obtained.

Take additional courses to bolster your GPA if earlier course grades bring your GPA down. 

Practice the CASPer test on-line with their tools.

We have specific calculators for different schools/locations, including international calculators to do grade conversions.

Contact Information

For admissions information not provided on this page, please contact