International Applicants

There are no prerequisite course requirements for admission into the MScOT Program.

• Applicants must hold an undergrad degree from an accredited university or post-secondary degree granting institution.
  
  • Applicants in the final year of the bachelor’s degree must provide proof of degree completion by (i.e., Degree conferral) by June 30.
• Minimum subGPA is 3.40 (on the ORPAS 4.0 scale)
  
  • Meeting subGPA does not guarantee admission.
  • International students and Domestic students are considered in different pools, last year’s cut-off GPA for international students was 3.52.
• Evidence of English Language Proficiency, if applicable
  
  • TOEFL- 105 IBT with a minimum 23 on the speaking component and no other section below 20
  • IELTS- minimum score of 7.5 out of 9

Additional Admissions Considerations:

• We will not consider applicants who are currently registered in another Canadian Occupational Therapy Program,
• We will not consider applicants if they have been required to withdraw from a professional rehabilitation sciences program,
• Applicants must be cognizant that the MScOT Program is an intense program, offered on a full-time basis only. As such, the application must support a student’s ability to keep up with a full-time workload,
• Internationally trained occupational therapists are not eligible to apply.

Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended must be provided. Official transcripts must be sent directly to ORPAS from the originating academic institution. Official English translations must be completed by a certified translator and provided for all non-English documentation submitted. If possible, a legend from the university explaining the grading scale should be provided.

Transcripts must be evaluated for equivalency. Applicants are required to submit international transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES) for evaluation. Applicants are responsible for any costs incurred in obtaining the WES evaluation. Please note that original transcripts must be sent to WES from the applicant's home university and the WES evaluation must be sent to ORPAS.

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency. The official test results report must be uploaded into the ORPAS application, and also need to be sent directly to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Western University by the testing agency and received by the application deadline.

TOEFL - A minimum TOEFL score of 105 (internet-based) with a minimum of 23 on the speaking component and no other section below 20 TOEFL scores. TOEFL Scores must be sent directly to the School of Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies at Western University using TOEFL ID 0984. In addition, a copy of TOEFL score must be uploaded to the ORPAS application.

IELTS - A minimum IELTS score of 7.5 out of 9 in both the overall and writing section is required. Applicants must upload ILETS score to the ORPAS application.

If, after admission, the applicant shows an inadequate command of spoken or written English, they must improve their proficiency to the satisfaction of the MSc Occupational Therapy program. They may be asked to withdraw from the program if their command of English interferes with their ability to meet course and program progression requirements, including courses involving clinical placements. Western University offers English Language support for international students through the International & Exchange Student Centre.

NOTE: Applicants whose first language is not English may be exempt from providing proof of English language proficiency if they have studied full-time for at least four years at a university where English is the medium of instruction in a country where English is the official language. This does not apply to English preparatory programs. For applicants who are applying during their fourth year of undergraduate studies, four years will be counted as of June 30th of the application year.

All applicants are required to complete a Casper test. Casper is an online test that assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program and will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening. For the 2024 application, the last Casper test date that will be accepted is on January 25, 2024. Visit Casper for all available test dates. Casper FAQ.

Applicants must use the same name and email address on the Casper as they do on their ORPAS application. Failing to enter correct and identical information may mean we are unable to match an applicant's Casper results with their ORPAS application. In this case, we will consider an application incomplete, and the application will be disqualified from further consideration.

NOTE: Applicants must add Western’s School of Occupational Therapy to their Casper distribution list for their scores to be sent directly to us from the testing organization.

We will not consider applicants with incomplete or missing Casper scores.

The Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy (MScOT) program requires students to complete 1,000 hours of supervised placements in diverse health care and social care settings, spanning work with children to older adults. As such, international applicants are required to have a co-op permit (in addition to a study permit) before the start of the program. Upon admission, successful applicants will receive a conditional offer letter which they can use as a required part of their co-op permit application. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that a co-op permit is obtained prior to starting the program.

Please note that once obtained, a co-op permit can only be used to complete the placements at approved and assigned institutions required by the program. International applicants planning to practice as a Registered Occupational Therapist in the province of Ontario should review the registration requirements for the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO). It is also recommended that applicants review the eligibility requirements for becoming a registered occupational therapist (where applicable) in their desired country to ensure Western’s entry-level Occupational Therapy program meets those requirements.

For more information regarding applying to a co-op permit or assistance for international applicants, please visit the IRCC website Work as a co-op student or intern and/or contact Western’s International and Exchange Student Centre at iesc@uwo.ca.

All international students should complete the International Student Orientation for Graduate Students offered through Western’s International & Exchange Student Centre as soon as they are able. Read more about services available for International Students at the International & Exchange Student Centre. It is recommended that students arrive and settle in Canada ahead of the start date of the program.

The tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year are anticipated to be:

Instructional Fees: $37,412.01
Non- Instructional Fees: $2,731.50
TOTAL Per Year:  $40,143.51

Note, fees are subject to change.

For questions, please reach out to askot@uwo.ca or faculty International Recruitment Coordinator at cozkurt@uwo.ca