The MTAA Substantial Equivalency process is intended for therapists who have been trained outside of Canada or have trained in a less than 2,200-hour program prior to this being the requirement from all associations in Alberta. The Substantial Equivalency process is not intended to be a secondary option to completing a 2,200 hour program at present time.

Therapists wishing to gain Active Membership with the MTAA that have completed only a portion of the 2,200 hour training at a recognized college are encouraged to complete their program in order to do so. Applicants wishing to bypass the second year of training and challenge the Substantial Equivalency Exam should be alerted that their PLAR in the first section of the process would not be recognized to advance to the examination stage, and this bypassing of full training is not accepted by the MTAA.

Going through this process does not guarantee that you will receive substantial equivalency. It is to determine if you are substantially equivalent to our current entry level standards for membership. The results can range from informing you that you are eligible for membership, informing that you need to increase your skills set and provide direction in which areas, to being informed that you must attend a program at a licensed school of (2 years) 2200 hours.