Queen’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy launches Black Student Admissions Pathway for Physical Therapy (MScPT) program

News & Announcements | 16 Oct 2026

Queen’s University’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy is introducing a new Black Student Admissions Pathway (BSAP) for its Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSc PT) program. The voluntary, confidential pathway is intended to encourage more Black students to apply to the program in their pursuit of a career in physiotherapy.

“We recognize that Black physical therapy students and practitioners have been historically and systemically underrepresented in the profession,” says Dr. Stephanie Nixon, Vice-Dean and Director, School of Rehabilitation Therapy. “The Black Student Admissions Pathway is one step towards ensuring our admissions process gives full weight to an applicant’s lived experience, community connections, and potential, so we can create a more inclusive and diverse school.”

The new BSAP offers supports to self-identified Black applicants during the application process and aims to ensure their applications are considered in full context by reviewers who bring relevant lived and community-informed perspectives.

Key features of the BSAP:

It’s voluntary and optional. Applicants choose whether to opt into the pathway when they submit their application.
BSAP applicants must self-identify as Black (e.g., Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, Black Latin American, or multiracial applicants who identify with their Black ancestry/community).
All applicants must meet the same admissions requirements; there are no changes to academic standards for the BSAP, and there are no designated seats or quotas.
BSAP applicants may submit a brief statement sharing how their identity, lived experience and/or community connections have shaped their educational and professional goals. This is a perspective that may not be captured in the standard application.
A sub-committee of the admissions committee will review all BSAP applications. Members of the sub-committee include Physical Therapy faculty, staff, clinicians, and community members. At least two members of the sub-committee are members of the Black community. The academic elements of each application will be reviewed in accordance with the Program's usual procedures.
For the 2026-27 application cycle, the BSAP pertains only to the MScPT program. It does not apply to Occupational Therapy or other graduate programs in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at this time.

Key supports for BSAP applicants

Queen’s is a partner of Temerty Medicine’s Community of Support collaborative based out of the University of Toronto, which offers applicants one-on-one advising, mentorship, and resources through each step of the application process.

The BSAP opens with the 2026-27 admissions cycle for the 2027 student intake through the ORPAS application portal starting in mid-October.

“Queen’s Health Sciences is dedicated to building an inclusive learning environment where the next generation of physiotherapists reflects the diversity of the communities they will serve,” says Dr. Colleen Davison, Associate Dean, Equity and Social Accountability. “This pathway offers practical tools so that Black candidates have a fair opportunity to be seen and succeed.”

For more information about the MScPT program, the Black Students Admission Pathway, and supports available, visit the School of Rehabilitation Therapy admissions web page or contact their office.

Queen’s strives to support Black students throughout their studies. Learn more about Black@Queen’s.

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Queen’s School of Rehabilitation Therapy launches Black Student Admissions Pathway for Physical Therapy (MScPT) program

Key supports for BSAP applicants

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