Do I Need A Kinesiology Degree To Apply To Physiotherapy School?

University student in class

Written by Anthony Pinto Da Costa

Anthony graduated from Queen's University with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy in 2019. Clinically, Anthony works in both private and public practice where he treats a wide-range of individuals with orthopaedic, cardiorespiratory, and neurological conditions. Outside of practice, Anthony is passionate about helping prospective students receive successful admissions into physio school.

November 11, 2021

Physiotherapy is a career that is heavily rooted in the movement sciences. Because of that, many PT school hopefuls believe that you need a kinesiology undergraduate degree in order to apply to a physiotherapy program in Canada.


For those of you non-kin students that are considering physiotherapy as a career option, we got great news for you: this is a MYTH. Having a degree in kinesiology is not required to apply to PT school at any of the 11 physiotherapy programs with English-speaking components in Canada. In fact, no degree in any specific field of study is required to be able to apply. The only degree requirement is that you actually have a university-level degree at a recognized institution. On top of that, programs set out their own list of prerequisite courses (varies between institutions) that need to be completed during or after your degree in order to meet their specific admissions criteria.


A follow-up question we usually get after telling prospective PT students this whole kin degree myth is: do physio schools give more consideration to applicants with a kinesiology degree? Again, the answer to that is NO. As mentioned earlier, all they care about is that you actually have a degree and have completed the appropriate prerequisite courses – bottom line.


If you’re still having doubts, don’t sweat it. Here are quotes about degree requirements from the websites of each of the 11 PT programs with English-speaking components in Canada.


Queen’s University


“To be eligible for admission, students must first have a 4-year baccalaureate degree with a minimum second-class standing (B-) from a recognized university.”


University of Toronto


“Applicants with a degree in almost any discipline are encouraged to apply; all programs are treated equally in the evaluation.” When U of T says, “almost any discipline” they mean, “applicants must have a degree with at least 75% liberal arts and science content.”


Western University


“Applicants must have successfully completed a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized university or post-secondary degree-granting institution.”


McMaster University 


“A 4-year baccalaureate degree in any university discipline; none are favoured.”


University of Ottawa


“To be eligible to apply, candidates must have an honours bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum average of B (70%) calculated according to the graduate studies guidelines.”


University of Manitoba


“An accredited 3- or 4-year undergraduate degree in any area of study, recognized by the University of Manitoba.”


University of Saskatchewan


“Have a 4-year baccalaureate degree (in any discipline) from a college or university of acceptable standing.”


University of Alberta


“Completion of a 4-year baccalaureate degree or its academic equivalent in any field of study from an accredited post-secondary institution is required.”


University of British Columbia


“Applicants must have completed a recognized 4-year Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an approved institution in any field.”


McGill University


“An undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree, in any discipline.”


Dalhousie University 


“Applicants must hold a 4-year undergraduate degree or equivalent in any field of study from a recognized academic institution.”


Okay, after all that, we really hope we have cleared up any doubts you were having about applying to PT school with a non-kin degree.


If you’re considering a career as a physiotherapist and want some help with your applications and interviews, we’re more than happy to assist you with that. Check out our PT Application Booster and PT Interview Booster courses to learn more about how we can help you get the competitive edge with your physiotherapy school applications.

Thanks for reading.

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