Sixteen Canadian universities offer accredited entry-level physiotherapy programs, and five of them are in Ontario: McMaster University, Queen’s University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, and Western University. Every one of the sixteen delivers the program at the Master’s level, which means a bachelor’s degree comes first. Below we walk through each school, what its degree is actually called, how long the program runs, what grades you need to get in, how competitive admission really is, and what the licensure pathway looks like after graduation.

What Universities Offer Physiotherapy?

Sixteen universities in Canada offer physiotherapy, and each one provides a professional, entry-level program at the Master’s level. The Canadian Council of Physiotherapy University Programs confirms that all 16 accredited programs use a course-based Master’s format, with 11 delivered in English and 5 in French.

Master’s-level delivery is the defining feature of the Canadian pathway. No accredited route into the profession runs through a bachelor’s degree alone, and no Canadian university offers an entry-level physiotherapy diploma. Physiotherapy is a regulated profession, which means an active licence or practice permit from the applicable provincial regulatory organisation is required before anyone can treat patients.

Provincial regulation is also what makes accreditation matter. Completing an accredited entry-level program is what allows a graduate to sit the national competency examination, and passing that examination is what allows registration everywhere outside Quebec. Graduating from an unaccredited program closes that door entirely, which is why the list of sixteen is the list that counts. Every clinician delivering physiotherapy in Canada has come through one of these programs or through a credentialling assessment judged equivalent to one.

What Universities in Ontario Offer Physiotherapy?

Five universities in Ontario offer physiotherapy: McMaster University, Queen’s University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, and Western University. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario lists these five as the complete set, and all five are Master’s-level programs.

Each of the five carries a slightly different degree name and a slightly different structure. McMaster runs its Master of Science (Physiotherapy) out of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences in Hamilton, using a problem-based, small-group curriculum with five academic units and four clinical placements. Queen’s delivers a 24-month Master of Science in Physical Therapy in Kingston through its School of Rehabilitation Therapy.

Toronto and Western sit at the other end of the province. The University of Toronto’s Master of Science in Physical Therapy is a 24-month professional program accredited by Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada, and Western’s Master of Physical Therapy in London runs 2 years. Distance matters when you are choosing, since a Markham student applying to Kingston or London is planning a relocation rather than a commute.

University	Degree Name	City	Length	Language
McMaster University	MSc (Physiotherapy)	Hamilton	2 years	English
Queen’s University	MSc in Physical Therapy	Kingston	24 months	English
University of Toronto	MSc in Physical Therapy	Toronto	24 months	English
Western University	Master of Physical Therapy	London	2 years	English
University of Ottawa	MHSc in Physiotherapy	Ottawa	6 consecutive terms	French

Sources: College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, Universities and Bridging Programs; Canadian Council of Physiotherapy University Programs, Canadian Programs; Ontario Physiotherapy Association, How to Become a PT in Ontario.

The University of Ottawa entry deserves a second look, because language of instruction is a hard filter rather than a preference. Ottawa’s physiotherapy program is delivered only in French, and it requires 60 course units plus 1,025 placement hours across two years of full-time study. Assignments and examinations may be written in either language, and students still need working knowledge of English because some clinical placements happen in English settings.

Which Canadian Universities Offer Physiotherapy Outside Ontario?

Eleven Canadian universities offer physiotherapy outside Ontario, spread across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Quebec accounts for six of the eleven on its own, which makes it the densest region for physiotherapy education in the country.

• British Columbia: the University of British Columbia, Master of Physical Therapy
• Alberta: the University of Alberta, Master of Science in Physical Therapy
• Saskatchewan: the University of Saskatchewan, Master of Physical Therapy
• Manitoba: the University of Manitoba, Master of Physical Therapy
• Quebec: McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
• Atlantic Canada: Dalhousie University, MSc Physiotherapy

Cohort size varies sharply across that list, and it shapes your odds. The University of Alberta admits roughly 110 students per year, making it one of the largest programs in Canada, while the University of Saskatchewan accepts 40 students annually. Applying to a 40-seat program and a 110-seat program are two different statistical propositions.

Campus model varies as well. UBC operates the only fully distributed entry-to-practice physical therapy program in British Columbia, teaching at both the Point Grey campus and the University of Northern British Columbia campus in Prince George. Alberta uses a distributed education model across two campuses, combining face-to-face instruction, online learning, and blended delivery so students can train closer to home.

Are There French Physiotherapy Programs in Canada?

There are French physiotherapy programs in Canada, and 5 of the sixteen accredited programs are delivered in French. Those five sit at the University of Ottawa in Ontario and at Laval, Montréal, Sherbrooke, UQTR, and UQAC in Quebec.

Quebec’s programs are also structured differently from the rest of the country. Rather than admitting students who already hold a bachelor’s degree, Laval, Montréal, Sherbrooke, UQTR, and UQAC run integrated bachelor-to-master continuums. Université Laval’s continuum spans 146 credits across two academic cycles, and Sherbrooke’s runs 144 credits over four years with 1,190 hours of clinical training. Quebec graduates register with the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec rather than sitting the national examination.

Is MPT the Same as MScPT?

MPT and MScPT are the same in terms of licensure, because both are accredited entry-level Master’s designations that qualify a graduate to practise physiotherapy in Canada. Western University grants a Master of Physical Therapy, the University of Toronto grants a Master of Science in Physical Therapy, McMaster grants a Master of Science (Physiotherapy), and the University of Ottawa grants a Master of Health Sciences in Physiotherapy. All four graduates are eligible for the same registration.

Registration eligibility is the only test that matters here, and it turns on accreditation rather than degree title. Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada accredits the program, and the provincial regulator registers the graduate. The letters after your name signal which university you attended, not which tier of practitioner you became.

Thesis-based Master’s degrees and doctorates are a separate category entirely. Most of the sixteen universities also offer clinical Master’s, thesis-based Master’s, and PhD programs, but those are designed for clinicians pursuing research or advanced academic study rather than for entry into practice.

How Many Years of School to Be a Physiotherapist in Canada?

It takes six to seven years of school to be a physiotherapist in Canada: a four-year bachelor’s degree followed by a two-year to twenty-eight-month accredited Master’s program. The Ontario Physiotherapy Association sets out the undergraduate degree as the first required step, with no specific major mandated.

Master’s program length is not uniform across the sixteen. Queen’s and Toronto run 24 months, UBC runs 26 months, the University of Saskatchewan runs 2 years and 6 weeks, and the University of Alberta runs year-round and can be completed within 28 months. Alberta’s four extra months over Queen’s amount to nearly a full additional term of study.

Is Physiotherapy 3 or 4 Years?

Physiotherapy is neither 3 nor 4 years on its own in Canada, because entry-level training is a two-stage pathway rather than a single degree. The undergraduate stage takes four years and the Master’s stage takes two years or slightly more, which puts the realistic total at six to seven years from high school graduation.

Quebec’s integrated continuums compress that timeline somewhat. Sherbrooke’s bachelor-master continuum runs four years total, since the undergraduate and graduate components are designed as a single sequence rather than as two separate applications.

How Long Are Clinical Placements in Physiotherapy School?

Clinical placements in physiotherapy school run roughly 1,000 to 1,200 hours across the program. McGill’s professional Master of Science (Applied) includes 1,020 hours of fieldwork over five semesters. The University of Ottawa requires 1,025 placement hours, and Sherbrooke includes 1,190 hours of clinical training.

Placement hours happen in real clinical settings across multiple practice areas. McMaster runs four clinical placements across varied health care settings and maintains a Northern Studies Stream partnership with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine that has 25 years of documented history placing students across northern Ontario.

What Degree Do You Need to Be a Physiotherapist in Canada?

You need an accredited entry-level Master’s degree in physiotherapy or physical therapy to become a physiotherapist in Canada, preceded by a completed bachelor’s degree. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario recognises three routes: graduating from one of the five Ontario Master’s programs, graduating from another Canadian physiotherapy program, or graduating from a program outside Canada assessed as substantially equivalent through the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators.

Do You Need a Specific Undergraduate Degree for Physiotherapy?

You do not need a specific undergraduate degree for physiotherapy, because no accredited Canadian program mandates a particular major. The Ontario Physiotherapy Association states plainly that while no specific undergraduate major is required, courses in biology, anatomy, physiology, and psychology will be required and can be taken as electives within any degree.

Elective flexibility is genuinely useful here. Applicants arrive from kinesiology, life sciences, psychology, and occasionally from arts and commerce backgrounds, provided the prerequisite science courses appear on the transcript.

What Prerequisite Courses Do Physiotherapy Programs Require?

Physiotherapy programs typically require prerequisite courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, statistics, and psychology, with the exact list set by each individual university. Queen’s notes that prior study in statistics, vertebrate physiology or biology, and psychology enhances student learning in the program.

Prerequisite recency is a detail applicants routinely miss. Some Ontario programs require that prerequisite coursework be completed within the last seven years, which means science credits from a decade-old degree may need refreshing before an application is considered complete. Reviewing each program’s requirements before your final undergraduate year is the practical move.

What GPA Do You Need for Physio School?

You need a minimum GPA of 3.3 on the 4.0 ORPAS scale for physio school in Ontario, equivalent to a B+ or 77 percent, calculated over your last two years or 60 units of university study. The Ontario Universities’ Application Centre applies that threshold across the rehabilitation sciences programs.

The threshold is a floor rather than a target. The University of Toronto states that its mid-B minimum is a minimum requirement, and that a higher sub-GPA based on the last 10 full-course equivalents is required to be competitive in the admission process.

What Grades Are Needed to Get Into Physiotherapy?

The grades needed to get into physiotherapy in practice sit well above the published minimum, with successful University of Toronto applicants averaging a sub-GPA between 3.70 and 3.80 on the 4.0 ORPAS scale. That is roughly an A minus average across your most recent ten full-course equivalents.

Sub-GPA calculation follows specific rules that change the arithmetic. ORPAS calculates the sub-GPA from undergraduate university coursework only, using yearly rather than term marks where grades must be extracted to reach the equivalent of twenty half courses. Academic research practicums and thesis courses are included in that calculation.

What Is ORPAS and How Does the Application Work?

ORPAS is the Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs Application Service, a division of the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre that processes applications to all five Ontario physiotherapy programs through a single submission. The portal opens in mid-October each year and closes in early January.

A single submission covers all five programs, but each university applies its own supplementary requirements on top. McMaster requires two references submitted through the ORPAS Confidential Assessment Forms, one professional and one academic. Fall term grades completed before the deadline are folded into the sub-GPA, and applications missing those grades on the transcript are ruled ineligible.

How Hard Is It to Get Into Physio School in Canada?

It is hard to get into physio school in Canada, because sixteen programs with limited cohort sizes receive far more qualified applicants than they can admit, and competitive sub-GPAs run 0.4 points above the published minimum. A 3.3 sub-GPA meets the requirement and a 3.75 sub-GPA wins the seat.

Seat scarcity is the structural cause. With the University of Saskatchewan admitting 40 students a year and the University of Alberta admitting around 110, total national intake sits in the low thousands against an applicant pool many times that size. Applying broadly across several programs rather than to one preferred school is standard practice for a reason.

Admissions committees also weigh factors beyond grades. The University of Toronto states that it selects candidates who are well-rounded and drawn from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences, favouring applicants with strong problem-solving ability, people skills, and an interest in leadership.

Is There a Shortage of Physiotherapists in Canada?

There is a shortage of physiotherapists in Canada, and the gap is projected to widen sharply over the next decade. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association reports more than 29,000 licensed physiotherapists nationally, with workforce demand expected to grow 70 percent between 2024 and 2033, creating more than 13,000 new positions.

Canada also trails its peer countries on supply. Reaching the OECD average would require 62 percent more practising physiotherapists than the country currently has. Strong demand at graduation is one of the more reliable features of this career path.

What Exam Do You Write After Physiotherapy School in Canada?

You write the Canadian Physiotherapy Competency Exam after physiotherapy school in Canada, administered by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators. The Ontario Physiotherapy Association confirms that as of 2026 a single national examination is used countrywide, and candidates have 3 opportunities to pass it.

Passing the examination is what unlocks registration, and registration is what unlocks the protected title. Once registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, a graduate may call themselves a Registered Physiotherapist or Registered Physical Therapist. Every clinician on our physiotherapy team, including Timothy Kwan, has completed that sequence.

The full pathway runs in four steps:

1. Complete a four-year bachelor’s degree, including the prerequisite science coursework each target program requires.
2. Complete an accredited entry-level Master’s program in physiotherapy or physical therapy at one of the sixteen Canadian universities.
3. Pass the Canadian Physiotherapy Competency Exam through the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators, within three attempts.
4. Register with your provincial regulatory college, then maintain that registration through ongoing professional development.

Ongoing development continues for the length of a career. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario sets no fixed quota for continuing education hours or course types, leaving registered physiotherapists to identify their own learning goals, build a plan, and reflect on the results.

Can Internationally Trained Physiotherapists Work in Canada?

Internationally trained physiotherapists can work in Canada after their credentials are assessed as substantially equivalent to a Canadian entry-level degree by the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators. Credential assessment is the mandatory first step, ahead of any examination or registration application.

Bridging programs exist at several Canadian universities to close the gaps that assessment identifies. These programs combine classroom work, clinical placements, and workshops aimed at examination preparation and transition into the Canadian workforce, and they are open to Canadian-educated candidates looking to sharpen clinical and examination skills as well.

What the Career Looks Like After Graduation

Physiotherapy graduates work in hospitals, private clinics, rehabilitation centres, home care, long-term care, sport organisations, and community health settings. The Government of Canada Job Bank places the median physiotherapist wage at $46.15 per hour nationally, with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association reporting that over half the profession works in the private sector.

Private multidisciplinary practice is where a large share of new graduates land, and the work looks different from a hospital ward. At our Markham clinic, physiotherapists assess movement, deliver manual therapy, prescribe exercise rehabilitation, and coordinate directly with chiropractors and registered massage therapists on shared cases rather than referring out and waiting.

Specialisation typically develops after graduation rather than during the degree. Rachel Marie Tan focuses on post-orthopedic surgery rehabilitation and complex musculoskeletal cases, while Timothy Kwan works in sports-specific rehabilitation with runners, basketball players, and recreational athletes, and both arrived at those focuses through post-graduate training and caseload experience.

Post-graduate focus is worth understanding before you apply, since it shapes what a career in physiotherapy care looks like a decade in rather than in year one.

Anyone weighing this profession can read more about physiotherapy benefits to see what the work delivers for patients.

Patient outcomes are also what determines how a clinic divides clinical focus, and how our team splits caseloads reflects exactly that.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Physio School Cost in Canada?

Physio school in Canada costs several thousand dollars per year in tuition for domestic students, with the exact amount set by each university and by whether you hold domestic or international status. Tuition is published on each program’s admissions page and changes annually, so figures should be verified directly with the university. Program length also affects the total, since a 28-month program carries more terms of tuition than a 24-month one.

How Much Do Physios Get Paid in Canada?

Physios get paid a median wage of $46.15 per hour in Canada, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank. Earnings vary by province, practice setting, and experience, with northern and remote postings frequently paying premiums to attract practitioners. Private clinic roles often combine a base rate with a percentage of billings.

What Is the Difference Between Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programs?

The difference between physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs is scope of focus: physiotherapy programs train practitioners in movement, strength, and physical function, while occupational therapy programs train practitioners in the daily activities and environments a person needs to participate in. Both are accredited entry-level Master’s degrees, both apply through ORPAS in Ontario, and several universities including McGill and Queen’s house them in the same rehabilitation school.

Can You Become a Physiotherapist Without a Master’s Degree?

You cannot become a physiotherapist in Canada without a Master’s degree, because all 16 accredited entry-level programs are delivered at the Master’s level and provincial regulators require graduation from an accredited program. The one alternative route is an international degree assessed as substantially equivalent through the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators. Physiotherapist assistant roles follow a separate college-level pathway with a different scope, and advanced streams such as pelvic floor therapy are built through post-graduate certification on top of the entry-level Master’s.

Do Physiotherapy Programs Require Volunteer or Work Experience?

Physiotherapy programs do not universally require volunteer or work experience, though several weigh it as part of a broader applicant profile alongside references and personal submissions. McMaster requires two references through the ORPAS system, one professional and one academic, which effectively rewards applicants who have built a working relationship in a clinical or employment setting. Time spent observing in a clinic also helps applicants confirm the profession fits before committing six years to it.

How Many Students Do Canadian Physiotherapy Programs Admit Each Year?

Canadian physiotherapy programs admit between roughly 40 and 110 students per year depending on the university. The University of Saskatchewan accepts 40 students annually into its Master of Physical Therapy, while the University of Alberta admits approximately 110, making it one of the largest programs in the country. Cohort size directly affects admission odds, which is why applying to several programs rather than one is the standard approach.

Putting It All Together

Sixteen Canadian universities offer accredited entry-level physiotherapy, five of them in Ontario, and every route runs through the same three stages: a four-year bachelor’s degree, a two-year to twenty-eight-month Master’s program, and the Canadian Physiotherapy Competency Exam followed by provincial registration. The published admission floor is a 3.3 sub-GPA, while successful applicants at the most competitive programs average closer to 3.75, so applying broadly matters more than fixating on one school. Degree titles differ between universities and none of that difference affects your licence.

The profession on the other side of that pathway is in demand, with workforce growth projected at 70 percent through 2033. If you are weighing physiotherapy as a career and want a straight answer about what the day-to-day work involves in a private multidisciplinary setting, contact us and we are glad to talk. At KC Rehab, we would rather a prospective student ask the awkward questions now than discover the answers in year six.