University of Southern California

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.A. - Occupational Therapy;, OTD - Occupational Therapy; Ph.D. - Occupational Science

Format: Campus

Program Description:

Occupational Therapy is a health care profession aimed at improving lives by helping people to organize their daily activities - occupations - to enjoy maximum independence, health, and satisfaction. You can find occupational therapists in hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, outpatient centers, private clinics, community centers, workplaces, schools, and homes. Or you can find them furthering their education. The Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at USC has consistently been a top-ranked occupational therapy graduate program by the U.S. News and World Report. The Master of Arts program is open to both students with a BS in OT and students with a BS or BA from another discipline. The MA program allows students to individualize their education through the flexibility of the elective program and numerous fieldwork choices. The OTD is a clinical doctorate for occupational therapists who want to bring new knowledge from occupational science into the planning, design, management, and evaluation of real-world health care programs. The Ph.D. in occupational science trains individuals to engage in the scientific study of human occupation, the purposeful activities that constitute our life experiences. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified occupational therapy as one of the ten fastest growing professions in the country and the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Department of Labor, projects a 30% growth rate in the field through 2014. Be at part of this expanding, exciting, interdisciplinary field, and start at the university with the #1 graduate program on the west coast: USC.

Accreditation:

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

Eligibility Requirements:

A total GRE score of 1000 is required for admission to the Master's or OTD programs and a score of 1100 is required for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Conditional admission may be possible if either the GRE or GPA criteria is slightly below the requirement, but not both.

At least 3 letters of recommendation are required for all programs. For the Master's and OTD programs, these letters may be from professors, therapists, and/or other professionals familiar with your capabilities and achievements. For the Ph.D. program, only letters from professors will be accepted.

There is also an essay requirement for all programs, describing your interests and skills, goals and professional accomplishments, including why you are choosing a graduate degree. For the Master's program, you must also explain your current understand of the profession of Occupational Therapy.

For more information, please see: www.usc.edu/ot/admission

International Student Requirements:

Must demonstrate competency in English, as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Private not-for-profit

Locale: Large City

Size & Settings: 20,000 and above