Relational and Psychotherapy Training Program

Log into or create an account for the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) to begin the initial online application for the University of Guelph.

Read and follow the instructions in the OUAC application very carefully. Enter all applicable information except for the Statement of Academic Intent and the Professional Background sections, which are not required for the RPTP program.

From the program list, select Relational and Psycho­therapy Training, and then select your chosen program.

If you are applying to multiple programs, add the additional program(s) from the program list.

You do not need to complete the Statement of Academic Intent on the Program Details page.

You have the option of ordering official (sealed) transcripts through OUAC for a fee. This is not required as we accept unofficial transcripts uploaded to WebAdvisor in Step 2.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

If your first language is not English and this will be your first time completing a degree in the English language, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test.

If your first language is not English but you have completed prior post-secondary studies in English, contact rptp@uoguelph.ca to see if you are eligible to have the test requirement waived.

Provide contact information for two academic referees. See the frequently asked questions for tips on requesting references from professors.

Please note that references are due on the Supplemental Documents Deadline listed above.

One professional reference is required. This should be a professional in the social or human service fields who knows your potential from volunteer and/or paid work.

You may instruct your referee to include comments about your professionalism, your ability to work effectively in stressful and/or crisis situations, to consider nuance in ethical judgement, and to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

Your professional referee may select "Unable to Judge" for required fields that are academic-based. They also have the option to write a letter using the free text space at the bottom of the form.

While two academic references and one professional reference are required, if you have been out of school for 5+ years, we will accept two professional references and one academic reference instead.

Please note that references are due on the Supplemental Documents Deadline listed above.

After entering and verifying all required information, complete the application fee payment. A non-refundable application fee of $120 CAD is required for each program you apply to.

Download and complete the RPTP Cover Page.

Upload the completed document to "Supplemental Document."

Upload an unofficial transcript for each university you have attended.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

Transcripts requested through OUAC will be automatically uploaded to your account. If you request an official transcript through OUAC, do not upload an unofficial copy of the same transcript to WebAdvisor.

Download and complete the RPTP Letter of Interest Form.

Upload the completed document to "Statement of Interest/Research."

After the RPTP admissions team reviews all applications, we shortlist selected applicants for admission. If you are shortlisted for admission, we will provide instructions for you to submit a brief video essay.

We will also invite shortlisted applicants for an online information session and live interview in late November or early December.

In December, we will notify successful candidates that we are recommending them for admission.

Students in RPTP have come from a wide range of backgrounds and lived experiences, which is why we consider all applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements.

We are looking for students who are open, flexible, and interested in learning. Successful candidates will demonstrate their ability to connect to and relate to other people through their experiences in work, volunteering, and academia.

RPTP students spend 50+ hours a week on clinical work, coursework, supervision, and other requirements for the program. Students are also expected to be on campus for the majority of that time.

RPTP students who have commuted with a daily total travel time of approximately 90 minutes or more have found it difficult to manage their workload. For this reason, we do not encourage students to commute for this program.

You must have completed a university-level course in social science research methods with a grade of 70% or higher to be admitted into RPTP.

If you have a degree in a social science discipline, you have most likely already completed a research methods course.

Note that independent research courses and thesis courses do not meet the requirement.

If you are not sure if your proposed course meets the requirement, email your course outline to Shauna Porter at rptp@uoguelph.ca for assistance.

Yes. If you are still completing your undergraduate degree, calculate your admission average using your grades from second and third year.

You may be admitted to RPTP on the condition that you complete all requirements for your undergraduate degree by April 30 of the entrance year.

Calculate your admission average using your grades from the final two years of full-time equivalent study (4-6 semesters) of your previous degree.

For the typical bachelor’s degree, this will be 20 0.5 credit weight courses, but you'll need a minimum of 16 courses in your calculation. If you took a double weight (1.0 credits) course, that grade is counted twice.

You must also include the grade from each course you completed in a given semester (i.e. do not split a semester).

If your transcript uses letter grades, look up your university's grading scale and convert the letters to percentage grades.

Not necessarily. We appreciate a variety of lived experiences, and writing an undergraduate thesis may have contributed positively to your experience, but it won't give you a competitive advantage when applying to this program.

If your ultimate goal is to earn a PhD, RPTP is not the program for you. PhD programs require a thesis-based master’s degree and RPTP is not a research program.

If you are interested in research, we encourage you to explore our master of science and PhD programs in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.

References are a critical component of any application to graduate school and to external awards bodies. The following guidelines will help you through the process:

• Choose faculty carefully
  • First approach faculty who have taught you in third and fourth year courses
  • Ask whether the faculty member can provide you with a strong reference
  • References from assistant, associate or full professors are generally preferred at most institutions
• Request references early
  • Allow at least 3 weeks for faculty to complete references
• Information to provide about yourself
  • Remind the professor of the program you are in and the course(s) you have taken with them (include course code and semester)
  • Brief summary of your key strengths that you think should be emphasized. Highlight any outstanding accomplishments in the course(s) taught by this faculty member
  • Unofficial transcript
  • Draft of your statement of research
• Information to provide about the program
  • Brief description of the program and link to the program website
  • Deadline for receipt of the reference form
• Confirmation
  • Ask the professor to confirm that your reference has been sent