International Applicants

UBC values diversity and strongly encourages international students to apply for our graduate programs.  25% of our total graduate student body are international students, so you will have the chance to meet and work with other students from all over the world.

WHY COME TO UBC VANCOUVER IN CANADA?

  • UBC is one of the world’s top 35 universities, providing excellence in teaching and research
  • UBC is a comprehensive university with more than 250 graduate programs in 142 specializations and 2000 potential supervisors – it is very likely that UBC will have a mentor for your research interests!
  • UBC was recognized as the most sustainable campus in Canada (College Sustainability Report Card 2009) and was awarded the first Canadian Gold medal in the STARS Sustainability ranking
  • Vancouver is one of the most attractive cities in the world: it has continuously scored highest rankings by The Economist (world’s most livable city), Mercer Consulting (best city in the world) and by Condé Nast Traveler magazine (best city in the Americas)
  • Vancouver has one of the mildest climates in Canada
  • Vancouver has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches and 4 seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains
  • Canada has an excellent health care system and social services
  • Canada is a safe country and study destination
  • Canada has a well-developed and stable economy
  • Canadians are friendly people with an open and welcoming culture

Master of Physical Therapy Admission Requirements

International applicants should read the MPT Admissions Guide before applying.

The following information is for international applicants only. For the purposes of admission, an international applicant is someone who is NOT a Canadian citizen and who does not have landed immigrant status or refugee status at the time of application.

  • May 1 – November 1: Prerequisite courses are reviewed by request
  • October 1: Application period opens
  • December 15: Application closes for international applicants
  • January 10: Deadline for submission of international applicant documents
  • January 16 – Mid-February: Applications are reviewed and evaluated
  • End of February: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) invitations are sent via email to qualified applicants
  • First week of March (exact date TBD): MMIs are conducted
  • Mid-April: Successful interviewees receive conditional offers of admission

Applicants who have completed their undergraduate degree in a country where English is the primary language of instruction are required to have completed a 1st year university level English course and achieved a minimum grade of B (72%) or equivalent. The equivalent of 3 credits (or 1 term/half-year) of 1st year university level English is required and the course must have an assessment of reading, writing and essay composition. Courses in Humanities and/or Social Science will not be accepted.

Applicants who have completed their undergraduate degree in a country where English is NOT the primary language of instruction are not required to have completed a 1st year university level English course but are required to meet the minimum standard in an approved English Language Proficiency Examination. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to the Masters of Physical Therapy program are:

TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language
a minimum score of 600 (paper version); 250 (computer version); 100 (internet version)
MELAB Michigan English Language Assessment Battery
a minimum overall score of 83
IELTS International English Language Testing Service
a minimum overall score of 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.0 in each component of the Academic Test (not General Test)
CAEL Canadian Academic English Language Test
a minimum score of 80
PTE Pearson Test of English
a minimum score of 70 in the Academic Test (not General Test)
CELPIP Canadian English Language Proficiency Index
a minimum score of level 4 high in the Academic Test (not General Test)

All courses used as prerequisites must be approved by the Department of Physical Therapy.

Please follow these steps to make sure that your prerequisite courses are approved.

  • Check the approved prerequisites list.
  • Use the BC Transfer Guide for courses taken at a post-secondary institution in BC, Canada, to check if your prerequisites are equivalent to courses in our approved prerequisites list.
  • If you cannot find your prerequisite courses using the above methods, you must submit a course review form to have your course reviewed and added to our online list.
  • Prerequisite Course Review Requests must be received by  November 1st.

If the Institution's primary language of instruction is English, please submit a Prerequisite Course Review Request using the Request Form. Do not email your request. Applicants are responsible for obtaining the necessary course outlines. Please note that the course outline must include an outline of the course content, a course schedule that shows the topics reviewed each week, the grade distribution and the format of the course.

If the Institution's primary language of instruction is in a language other than English or if the course outline requires translation into English, please submit a Prerequisite Course Review Request using the Request Form and include a certified English translation of the course outline. Please note that the course outline must include an outline of the course content, a course schedule that shows the topics reviewed each week, the grade distribution and the format of the course. Do not email your request.

Interviews are usually scheduled during the first week of March. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements will have their application evaluated for interview consideration. The University of British Columbia’s Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) program is highly competitive and only qualified applicants will be invited for an interview. Fulfillment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview. Selection of interview candidates is based on a review of an applicant's overall application for admission.

Annual international enrollment for the Master of Physical Therapy program is limited to a maximum of 8 seats.

For more information about the interview process, please visit the Interview and Program Entry page.

International applicants are not eligible for consideration for entrance into the Master of Physical Therapy-North cohort.

Master of Physical Therapy Tuition Fees

Please click here for information about Tuition Fees for International Students.