Master of Science (Physical Therapy) / Doctor of Philosophy (Rehabilitation Sciences) Combined Program (Physical Therapy)

The Department of Physical Therapy and the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine offer a program of combined study which permits highly qualified students to earn both the MSc in Physical Therapy and the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences after five years of full-time study.

Prospective students will apply to the MScPT/PhD combined program and must meet the entrance requirements of both programs. Students have the option of starting in the clinical MScPT program or in the PhD program and the possible flow of the program is described on the Rehabilitation Medicine website.

Applications will be reviewed by both the MScPT Admissions committee and the Rehabilitation Science PhD Program Committee. Admission will be recommended only for those students judged to have the ability and motivation to handle the significant demands of the combined program. At the time of application, students should have an identified area of research study and a PhD supervisor who has agreed to supervise their program. In addition to new applicants, students already admitted to the MScPT or PhD program are eligible to apply for the combined program in the first year of study.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants to the combined MScPT/PhD program must meet the entrance requirements of both the MScPT program and the PhD in Rehabilitation Science program (see Rehabilitation Science ). They must have completed a four-year honors baccalaureate degree or a master’s degree in a related field from a recognized academic institution. Interested students must have completed the required prerequisite courses for the MScPT program and show evidence of research potential as demonstrated by scholarly work. In addition, they must meet the GPA and English language proficiency requirements of each program.

Program Requirements

Students in the combined program complete all academic and clinical requirements of both programs, with efficiencies proposed to integrate common content from each program. The Program requirements for the MScPT and the PhD in Rehabilitation Science can be found in the University Calendar. The PhD thesis will fulfill the research capping requirement (PTHER 900 ) for the MScPT. Content in the MScPT professional issues and evidence based practice courses fulfil the requirement for REHAB 603 . PTHER 574 , an advanced evidence based practice course may be used as a PhD elective by combined students if the content (program evaluation) is pertinent to their research area – otherwise combined students will be exempt from taking PTHER 574 . The sequence of coursework and other requirements will be determined by the candidate’s PhD supervisory committee in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education in the Department of Physical Therapy.

Students enrolled in the combined MScPT/PhD program will not have the option of transferring to the MScPT program or the PhD Rehabilitation Sciences program.

Length of Program

A minimum of five calendar years will normally be required to complete the combined MScPT/PhD program. The time required to complete the program may vary for individual candidates but cannot exceed the statutory limits of the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.