The University of British Columbia offers a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree through the Faculty of Medicine.

  • The UBC MOT program is a two-year professional master’s degree. Graduates are eligible to write the national licensing certification exam upon graduation. Admission is competitive.

Useful links when using this course planning worksheet:

UBC Calendar
UBC Department Website
BC Transfer Guide
Langara Diagnostic Tests 

What is an Occupational Therapist? Occupational therapists provide specialized rehabilitation services to maintain, restore, or improve the ability of children and adults to perform the occupations of daily life, which may be impaired as a result of illness, injury, congenital or acquired disabilities, or social disadvantage. Occupational therapists focus on adapting the environment or improving the person's skills, to enhance performance in the areas of self-care (eating, dressing, personal hygiene), productivity (household work, employment, school), and leisure activities, thereby improving overall health and quality of life.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the minimum entry requirements established by Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies, admission requirements for the program include:

  1. Completion of a recognized bachelor’s degree in any field from any accredited post-secondary institution. Your degree can be in progress at the time of the application deadline, but all courses required for your degree must end by April 30 of the application year.
  2. A minimum B+ (76%) academic average on all senior (300 and 400) level courses. The most recent 45 senior level credits / 15 senior level courses will be factored into your competitive GPA calculation for the purpose of admission, however only a minimum of 6 senior level courses must have been completed at the time of the application deadline. Note that in recent years, the competitive GPA for this program is 85%. International student applicants with international degrees need to verify these programs through the Minimum Academic Requirements: International Credentials
  3. Successful completion of the following prerequisites:
    1. Human Anatomy (3 credits). Transferable Langara courses are KINS 1190 AND 1191 or 1132 (Combination Required)
    2. Social Sciences (3 credits). Transferable Langara courses in Sociology, Anthropology or Human Geography
    3. Behavioural Sciences (3 credits). Transferable Langara courses in Psychology
  1. Three references: two academic references and one volunteer/work experience reference.
  2. A minimum of 70 hours of volunteer or paid work with individuals with disabilities at no more than two facilities.
  3. Other admission requirements include: completion of the online Casper test as part of the Altus Suite, a maximum 250-word written response to a prompt, and English language competency (if applicable). Other important considerations: preference of admission is given to BC residents and all admitted students will be required to undergo a criminal record check before the practicum component of the program.

For more information on the above requirements, contact: mot.admissions@ubc.ca and/or visit the MOT Department's website.

This course planning outline is created by the Langara College Counselling Department and is intended for use only as a guide. It is the students' responsibility to consult original sources to ensure accuracy.

Updated March 2022