FAQs

• For information about how Winter 2020 grades and credits will effect GPA calculations please consult the official U of A policy.
• If prerequisite courses, i.e., approved human anatomy and statistics courses, were taken in Winter 2020 a grade of credit will be accepted as a passing grade to meet the prerequisite course requirement.

Yes, you need to complete the following prerequisite courses within 10 years of the date of application:

• Statistics (3 credits/one term) General introductory course covering basic statistical concepts.
• Human Anatomy (min. 3 credits/one term) General introductory course covering basic human anatomy.

NOTE: At minimum applicants need to have achieved a passing grade in each course to meet the requirements.

Prerequisite grades are only included in the 60 credit GPA calculation if they fall in the most recent 60 credits.

Send an email with the course name/number, outline/syllabus and name of university/college to mscot@ualberta.ca

Note: Course outlines/syllabus must be submitted, calendar descriptions of courses are not accepted.

To determine the GPA we count back chronologically starting from the most recent, applicable 60 credits completed by January 1st of the admission year until we hit 60 credits. If the 60 credits lands in the middle of a semester we take the average of the whole semester. Courses taken in Spring/Summer terms, exchange programs and graduate programs are counted in the GPA.

Certificate-level and Diploma-level courses, activity courses in phys. ed, studio/performance courses in fine arts, practicum courses, pass/fail courses and seminar/research/thesis courses are not included in the calculation of the admission GPA. Repeated courses, or courses of repeated content of previously passed or failed courses are not included in the calculation. If applying with any courses listed as in progress after January 1st (winter term) of the year of admission they will not be calculated in the GPA calculation.

If taking course(s) outside of a degree (ie, special student, open studies) the course(s) must transfer to the U of A at a 200 level or higher. 100 level U of A or transfer credit courses will NOT be counted in GPA calculations if taken outside of a degree. Courses taken within Alberta can be checked using the Alberta Transfer guide.

In order to be able to submit a application, applicants are required to enter their personal information, complete educational history and upload transcripts.

All other supporting documents (CV, letter of intent, updated transcripts, department checklist, reference letters, English language tests) can continue to be uploaded into the application AFTER it has been submitted up to the January 31st application deadline.

NOTE: To submit a application applicants must sign a declaration stating that all information provided is true. Once this declaration is signed and the application is submitted applicants can not make any changes to their personal information, or educational history. It is very important that this information is correctly entered BEFORE the application is submitted. Failure to list, and provide transcripts for all academic institutions ever attended may be considered a intentional omission and will lead to the cancellation of your application for admission, or withdrawal of your offer of admission. See the Application Requirements for Academic Documents webpage for additional document information.

For instructions regarding submitting an application while still completing a degree, or taking courses see the Transcripts heading on the Admissions webpage. Applicants can also consult the Department Checklist document that is available for download from the Documents section of the online application.

Once a applicant has signed the declaration, paid the application fee and hit submit their application has officially been submitted to the department.  It is then the students responsibility to ensure all supporting documents including reference letters have been uploaded to their application by the due date. To submit documents after the application has been completed applicants must log into the application system under Submitted Applications. If applicants do not log in under Submitted Applications they will not be able to upload documents, see their Application ID, Student ID number, or track the submission of their reference letters.

The CV/Resume, Letter of Intent and the Department Checklist can be uploaded to any one of the 4 Department Check spots on the application. One spot will remain blank as CASPer results are sent directly to the department.  Applicants will not upload any documents related to the CASPer exam.

After submitting an application applicants may see several required action items. These items will most likely pertain to the following application items:

• Transcript/Marksheet English Translation
• Degree Certificate Original Language
• Degree Certificate English Translation

If an applicant completed their degree at a North American University, their degree completion and/or date of confirmation is stated on their transcript, and the mode of instruction was English, or they have not convocate at the time of application they will not be required to upload any of the documents referenced above. These fields can remain blank.

If an applicant completed their degree outside of North America, or in a language other than English they will be required to provide all documents listed.

Applicants will also have one required action item in the Department Check section. Applicants are required to upload their CV, Letter of Intent, and Department Checklist document to any one of the four spots listed. One spot will remain empty as CASPer results are sent directly to the department.

For a complete list of all required documents consult the Admissions section of our website, or see the FAQ section header "What documents are required by the January 31st deadline?"

To complete the Letter of Intent applicants must create a account in a external system called GARS. A link to the GARS system can be found in the online application system, and in the Department Checklist document that applicants are required to download from the Documents tab in the application system. To create a account applicants will need their application ID number which starts with 16, or 17. This number is only generated and emailed to the applicant AFTER they have submitted and paid for their application. NOTE: it may take 24-48 hours for this number to appear in an applicants portal.

In order to submit and pay for the application, applicants need to complete their personal information, all educational information, and upload transcripts. All other supporting documents (CV, LOI, Department Checklist, updated transcripts, and reference letters) can be uploaded AFTER the application is submitted.

Once an applicant has created an account in GARS they will be able to complete the Letter of Intent questions. After completing the questions applicants will be required to sign a electronic declaration, then create a PDF document. This PDF needs to be uploaded to any one of the 4 Department Check spots in the online application by the January 31st application deadline.

NOTE: In order to upload documents after a application has been submitted applicants must log in under Submitted applications.

Applications that are missing the Letter of Intent will be considered incomplete and not reviewed for admission.

Applicants CV, Letter of Intent, Department Checklist, Transcripts, if applicable test of English language, and both Reference Letters must be uploaded to the online application by January 31st. No hard copies of documents are accepted.

Applicants must also complete the CASPer exam BEFORE the January 31st application deadline. For CASPer information see the FAQ heading "Where can I find more information about the CASPer testing application requirement?"

The January 31st application/document deadline is firm with no exceptions.  Applications missing any required documents will not be reviewed for admission.

Yes, there is a nonrefundable application fee of $135. You must pay it by credit card just prior to the final submission of your online application form.

The department does not have access to a application or any supporting documents until the applicant has paid the $135 fee and submitted their application. Once a application is paid for and submitted applicants have until the January 31st deadline to upload all supporting documents.

Please note that as of September 1, 2021, the fee for applications to all graduate programs has increased from $100 CAD to $135 CAD.  If you have questions about the fee, please contact grad.webadm@ualberta.ca

The online application system opens November 1st until January 31st, 11:59 pm MST.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to start their application early, and to thoroughly read all application information on our website and the department checklist document BEFORE starting their application. Applicants that start their application close to the January 31st deadline may not have time to complete the CASPer exam, obtain appropriate transcripts, have prerequisite courses approved, have enough time for referees to complete and return their letters to the application, or have any questions or technical issues answered/resolved by the due date. All emails sent to the department/ through GSMS, or requests to change referees will only be responded to during normal business hours.

The admission requirements and deadlines are firm with NO exceptions. We will not grant extensions because applicants started or submitted their application without sufficient time to complete all requirements by the due date. To be fair to all applicants any applications missing required documents will be considered incomplete and not reviewed for admission.

Unsuccessful applicants may re-apply in subsequent years once they have completed more coursework. Any courses taken after a degree has been granted must be 200-level (second year) or higher in order to be counted in the GPA. Graduate course work may also be used. Courses taken through Athabasca University must transfer to the University of Alberta as a 200-level course or higher in order to be used in the admission GPA after a degree has been completed. Please use the Alberta Transfer Guide for assistance.

Unsuccessful applicants may also want to consider registering in an after-degree program or another course-based Master's program. That way, if unsuccessful in gaining admission in subsequent years, the applicant will be on their way to obtaining another credential rather than simply a random collection of coursework.

NOTE: The following courses are not included in the GPA calculation. Activity courses in phys. ed, studio/performance courses in fine arts, practicum courses, pass/fail courses and seminar/research/thesis courses are not included in the calculation of the admission GPA. Repeated courses of previously passed or failed courses are not included in the calculation. If applying with any courses listed as in progress after January 1st (winter term) of the year of admission they will not be calculated in the GPA calculation.

To track the submission of reference letters applicants must log into their application under Submitted Applications/GSMS Portal. If applicants log in under existing users they will not be able to see the status of reference requests. Once the reference request email has been sent the status will be listed as "reference request email sent".  When the referee opens the email the status will change to "initiated". Once the referee has submitted the mandatory electronic reference form the status will immediately change from initiated to "submitted".

It is the applicants responsibility to monitor their application to ensure their reference letters are submitted by the January 31st application deadline. Applications that are missing one or both reference letters will be considered incomplete and not reviewed for admission.

NOTE: The electronic reference request email instructs referees that they have two weeks to complete the request before the link expires. This does NOT mean that reference letters can be submitted after the January 31st application deadline. It is the applicants responsibility to ensure their reference letters are returned to their application by the January 31st deadline.

In order to change a referee, or have another reference request email sent applicants must request this through the application portal. It is highly advisable that appliant's ensure their reference letters are submitted well before the due date. All requests to change a referee or have a additional reference request email sent need to be approved by the department which will only be done during normal business hours.

A email with a link to the electronic reference form will be sent to your referee once their email address in entered in your online application form. Referees will not receive the automated email with the reference form until after the applicant has paid for and submitted the application. Once the referee received the reference request email they will have 2 weeks to complete the reference request and upload it back to the applicants application.  If the referee does not complete the reference request in the time allotted the link will become inactive and the applicant will need to request a new email to be sent.

Applicants must check their online application frequently to ensure their referee has uploaded their form by January 31st. Applications missing reference forms will not be considered for admission.

With over 600 applicants and only 120 available seats, admission into our program is very competitive. We receive several hundred very competitive applications each year and it is unfortunate that we have to ultimately refuse so many of them.

Due to the volume of applications and the comprehensive, academically challenging nature of the OT program, all applicants meeting the application requirements are first ranked based upon the admission GPA. We then review the entire application and select applicants who present a history of academic success and strong supporting documents.

However, while an applicant may demonstrate a competitive GPA, meeting the admission GPA in a particular year does NOT guarantee admission. All aspects of the application are reviewed to ensure a proper fit with the program and the OT profession.

Successful applicants present applications with extremely strong supporting documents that demonstrate a thorough working knowledge of the profession and a compelling desire to be an Occupational Therapist based on their personal, academic and/or professional backgrounds. This should be most clearly defined in the Letter of Intent and supported by reference letters.

Due to the very competitive nature of admission it is strongly recommended that serious applicants apply to more than one OT school in Canada.

Applicants are required to upload one transcript (front and back page) from each university, college, technical school, etc. ever attended or are currently attending. Applicants need to request a official transcript from all universities/colleges ever attended in any capacity and either have the transcript sent to you by mail, or request the university to provide you with a PDF. Applicants may open official mailed transcripts from their University and scan them into a PDF. Applicants will then upload this document to their application. All transcripts must be uploaded into a application by the January 31st deadline.

Transcripts should NOT be emailed, mailed or faxed to the department. We will not accept these transcripts or upload them to applications on behalf of a applicant. Transcripts uploaded to the application can not be password protected.  Password protected transcripts will be rejected and the application will be considered incomplete.

If you have started a application and do not have your final official transcripts you may upload unofficial transcripts so you can submit your application. These transcripts MUST be replaced with final transcripts that show all grades, all registration, and that meet the requirements listed on the Application Requirements for Academic Documents webpage.  These transcripts must be uploaded to the application by the January 31st application deadline.  Applications missing transcripts or that have transcripts that do not meet our requirements will be considered incomplete and not reviewed for admission.

Scanned transcripts with watermarks are acceptable and can be uploaded to the application system.

From the time an applicant starts an online application they have 21 days to enter all required information, pay the $135 application fee and submit. If the applicant does not meet this deadline their application will be deleted and they will have to start again.

Transcripts must be uploaded to the application system before applicants are able to submit and pay for their application. All other supporting documents DO NOT need to be uploaded to the application before the 21 days limit. Applicants have until the January 31 st deadline to upload all supporting documents. This includes. The Curriculum vitae/Resume, Letter of Intent, Updated Transcripts, Department Checklist, Reference letters, and if applicable ELP test scores.

For instructions regarding submitting an application while still completing a degree, or taking courses see the Transcripts heading on the Admissions webpage. Applicants should also consult the Department Checklist document that should be download from the Documents section of the online application.

For details about supporting documents refer to the Application Document Requirements.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all supporting documents (including reference letters) are uploaded to the online application by the January 31 st deadline. Applications missing any documents will not be considered for admission.

All supporting documents (CV, Letter of Intent, updated transcripts, department checklist, reference letters) can continue to be uploaded to a application until the January 31st deadline. Once an applicant has submitted and paid for their application they must now log under the Submitted Applications/GSMS Portal. If a applicant logs in under existing users they will not be able to upload documents or track the submission of their reference letters.

Note: The Letter of Intent, CV, and Department Checklist documents should be uploaded in any one of the four Department Check items. Applicants do not need to upload any documents pertaining to the CASPer exam as results are sent directly to the department. Due to this one of the four department check spots will remain blank.

Students are not able to defer their admission to the following year. In cases of severe medical or significant extenuating circumstances a deferral may be granted by the Admission Committee. For details applicants may email mscot@ualberta.ca