Search

Home ⟩Education at USC Chan ⟩Accreditation

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 American Occupational Therapy Association’s Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). USC Chan’s entry-level OTD degree program has been granted Candidacy Status by ACOTE, which indicates that the division’s resource allocation and plan for developing its proposed program appear to demonstrate the ability to meet ACOTE Standards.

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 US and its territories. ACOTE is also an active member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors.

Students graduating from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy educational program are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT) certification exam and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico (please note: a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure).

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education®
c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
acoteonline.org
(301) 652-6611 x2914

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. View student learning outcomes (PDF) for our academic programs.

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. 2020	139	134	133	99%
Jan. – Dec. 2021	137	124	120	97%
Jan. – Dec. 2022	139	134	132	99%
Total for 2020 – 2022	415	392	385	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 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 2017	N/A	129/120	10/10	139/130	93.5%
S/F 2018	N/A	128/125	9/9	137/134	97.8%
S/F 2019	N/A	126/121	13/12	139/133	95.7%
S/F 2020	N/A	123/119	10/9	133/128	96.2%
S/F 2021	N/A	124/ *	14/ *	138/ *	* %
S/F 2022	144/ †	N/A ‡	13/ **	157/ † **	† ** %

* Graduation year 2023
** Graduation year 2024
† Graduation year 2025
‡ Entry-level master’s program no longer admitting new 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). The USC entry-level OTD degree program (cost of attendance) has been granted Candidacy Status by ACOTE. View our program’s ACOTE standards public data. ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org

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.