Occupational science is the interdisciplinary study of how everyday human activities — occupations — define and shape our lives. The Occupational Science Minor complements any major and, even if you don’t declare the minor, you can still take any minor course you choose. By studying your occupations, you can find your path to happiness, purpose, and health.
A minor in Occupational Science:
Offers practical strategies for designing a healthy and satisfying personal lifestyle.
Prepares you for careers in community service, health care, business, education, medicine, the arts, psychology and social work.
Students begin by completing the gateway course, Introduction to Occupational Science (OT 250), that is offered every semester, and continue with the selection of other courses from the list below for a total of 20 units.
Required
OT 250 (4 units): Introduction to Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
An additional 16 units from the following
OT 101 (2 units): Caring For Your Self: Engaging in Healthy Habits and Routines
OT 220 (2 units): Lifestyle Design: Introduction to Occupational Therapy
OT 251 (4 units): Across the Lifespan: Occupations, Health and Disability
OT 280 (2 units): Essential Occupations of Emerging Adulthood
OT 300 (4 units): Occupational Expressions of Diverse Identities and Lifestyles
OT 310 (2 units): Creativity Workshop
OT 312 (2 units): Creating a Sustainable Lifestyle
OT 320 (4 units): The Nature of Human Occupation: Form, Function, and Meaning
OT 325 (4 units): The Brain: Mind, Body, and Self
OT 330 (4 units): Perspectives on the Daily Life of Families
OT 333x (4 units): Sports Ethics
OT 340 (4 units): Occupational Foundations of Human-Animal Interaction
OT 350 (4 units): Disability, Occupation, and the Health Care System
OT 355 (2 units): Doing Social Justice
OT 360 (4 units): Creating the Self through Narrative: Acts of Life Story Production
OT 370 (4 units): Understanding Autism: Participation Across the Lifespan
OT 375 (4 units): The Narrative Structure of Social Interaction: Narrative, Healing, and Occupation
USC Chan recognizes that the composition of occupational scientists and occupational therapists nationwide is not sufficiently representative of the diversity of the healthcare consumers whom the discipline and profession serves. Consequently, we strive to recruit superior applicants for all of our academic programs from diverse populations and to provide financial packages that will make it possible for promising students from underserved populations to attend USC Chan. Read more about diversity, access, and equity at USC Chan, and our Diversity Mentorship Program.
Admissions Team
Explore how a minor in Occupational Science could support your personal and professional goals by contacting the USC Chan Admissions Team, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Course Content
If you have additional questions about course content, please contact Dr. Catherine Crowley, Director of the Minor in Occupational Science program.
How to Declare a Minor in Occupational Science
Students wishing to declare a minor in Occupational Science should send an email request — including their USC ID number — to the USC Chan Admissions Team, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
A Day in the Life of an Occupational Science Minor Student
Caroline, a student in the Undergraduate Minor in Occupational Science program, shares about her daily life at the University of Southern California.
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