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Accreditation

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®)

The USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy’s entry-level master’s degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

USC Chan’s entry-level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by ACOTE®, located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE®’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

ACOTE® is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ACOTE®-accredited programs satisfy the states’ educational requirements in the U.S. and its territories. ACOTE® is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®)
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 652-AOTA
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
www.acoteonline.org

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

USC is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the US Department of Education.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT)
Certification Exam Data

The table below displays National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT) certification examination results of USC students during the last three years of record. “New Graduates” are defined as anyone taking the exam within one year of graduation, regardless of how many times the exam is taken within the one-year period. For official NBCOT data results, please visit www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Exam Period	No. of entry-MA graduates	No. of new entry-MA graduates who took the exam	No. of new entry-MA graduates who passed the exam	% of new entry-MA graduates who passed the exam
Jan. – Dec. 2021	137	124	120	97%
Jan. – Dec. 2022	139	134	132	99%
Jan. – Dec. 2023	127	123	121	98%
Total for 2021 – 2023	403	381	373	98%

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

USC Graduation and Retention Rates

The table below displays graduation and retention rates of USC students over the last five years of record.

Entering term	No. of entry-level OTD students entering / graduating	No. of bachelor’s-to-entry-OTD students entering / graduating	No. of entry-level master’s students entering / graduating	No. of bachelor’s-to-master’s students entering / graduating	Total no. of professional students entering / graduating	Total graduation rate
S/F 2019	N/A	N/A	126/121	13/12	139/133	96%
S/F 2020	N/A	N/A	123/119	10/9	133/128	96%
S/F 2021	N/A	N/A	124/114	14/13	138/127	92%
Fall 2022	144/ *	13/ *	N/A §	N/A §	157/ *	* %
Fall 2023	148/ †	10/ †	N/A §	N/A §	158/ †	† %

* Graduation year 2025
† Graduation year 2026
§ Entry-level master’s program and bachelor’s-to-master’s program no longer admitting students

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®).

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for certification by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.