The School of Physical and Occupational Therapy offers both Master's and PhD programs in Rehabilitation Science. These post-professional graduate programs are designed for experienced, licensed clinicians with an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy or related fields who are seeking to expand their knowledge and skills in clinical research related to health and rehabilitation. With our interdisciplinary focus in the Graduate Programs, we are at the forefront of providing the skills and experience to training a new generation of health professionals to work in a broad range of academic, research and clinical settings.
Note that these research-based graduate programs do NOT offer the professional training required to apply for a license to practice physical or occupational therapy, please see the Applied Master's Programs in Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy for this information.
Learn about the different programs, the research approach and hear from graduate students in this 3 minute video.
Master of Science (Thesis) in Rehabilitation Science
This program is approximately two years long and is designed for experienced clinicians who wish to expand their skills to learning about interdisciplinary research related to health and rehabilitation. The MSc includes 16 credits of course work and a 29-credit thesis component. This program also provides the foundation for a PhD program and offers the possibility of fast tracking directly to our PhD program for those who meet the criteria.
Master of Science (Non-Thesis) in Rehabilitation Science
This two-year program is designed to provide the skills for experienced health professionals to become consumers of research in order to promote evidence-based practice in rehabilitation science. The program is ideally suited for experienced therapists (>2 years clinical experience recommended), with an undergraduate degree in physical or occupational therapy or related fields. The degree is meant for those who wish to advance to a leadership role in their profession, implement change in their working environment, enhance their teaching skills and promote evidence-based practice in their day-to-day activities. The program includes a 15-credit research project and 30 credits of course work.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Rehabilitation Science
The PhD program trains health professionals who want to pursue a research career in a broad range of academic, research and clinical settings. The PhD program includes intensive experience in clinical research related to health and rehabilitation from learning to ask the right questions through research design, analysis, interpretation and presentation of results. Also included is course work in education and for those with a clinical background, the opportunity to teach professional courses in the Undergraduate Physical and Occupational Therapy Curriculum. The program requires 3 to 5 years of full-time study and includes course work, a comprehensive exam, research proposal, thesis and an oral defense. C
Prospective Students
Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies (GPS)
The application annual deadline for our Masters and Ph.D. programs are:
- January 15 for international students
- January 31 for Canadian students