Bachelor’s to Doctorate (BS to OTD)
in Occupational Therapy
The Bachelor’s to Doctorate degree program enables you to earn a doctorate in occupational therapy with just two additional years instead of the traditional three years post-baccalaureate. Majoring in occupational therapy as an undergraduate student not only results in a substantial reduction to the overall cost of your education, but also prepares you sooner for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® examination.
As an occupational therapy major, you will be on your way to becoming a professional who is involved in helping people live meaningful, healthy, and productive lives. You will gain practical knowledge about the key elements of healthy living to apply to your own life and your future patients’ lives. Knowing more about the way daily activities influence emotional, physical, and spiritual health enables you to help others lead healthier, richer, and more fulfilling lives.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy requires the completion of 128 units of coursework, including:
- Professional coursework required by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE)
- USC’s general education requirements
- Fieldwork experiences to observe and then gain hands-on experience with clients under the supervision of a registered/licensed occupational therapist or other healthcare professional
Becoming an Occupational Therapist
After you receive your Bachelor of Science degree, you must also acquire a graduate degree in occupational therapy to be eligible for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® (NBCOT) examination. The accelerated BS-OTD program at USC allows you to earn your doctorate from USC in two additional years.
Once you pass the NBCOT examination you earn the Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR) designation and are then eligible for licensure and practice. More information about the NBCOT examination may be found at nbcot.org. Please note: a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork provides invaluable hands-on experiences in key practice areas of occupational therapy. Level I fieldwork is embedded in each of the four practice immersion courses with one fieldwork day a week for a 9-week period. You will participate in Level I fieldwork starting in spring of your senior year, which is the first year of the entry-level doctoral degree program. Level II fieldwork consists of one 12-week, full-time experience during the summer of your fifth year, and one 24-week, part-time experience across the fall and spring semesters of your sixth year. Your two Level II experiences will be in distinctly different practice areas.
As a distinct, signature element of USC’s entry-level OTD program, your second Level II experience will be in the same setting as your Doctoral Capstone Experience, allowing you to develop in-depth knowledge and skills through a combined, year-long immersion in one setting. Our team of academic fieldwork coordinators will work with you to find placements corresponding with your interests and desired geographic location.
See more information about Fieldwork at USC Chan, including the Fieldwork Team, and forms/documents for current USC Chan students.
Doctoral Capstone Experience
The DCE looks different for every student because it provides opportunities to create your own 14-week learning plan in order to specialize in clinical practice, research, policy and advocacy, administration or pedagogy. The DCE can be completed remotely, which allows opportunities to travel abroad or domestically throughout your entire third year. As described above, it is intended that your second Level II fieldwork site is where you will complete your DCE; if you wish to travel abroad, you will need to plan in advance and closely coordinate your plans with our fieldwork team. During your final summer of enrollment, you will submit a doctoral portfolio demonstrating competence in your chosen DCE concentration. The final portfolio will include documentation of both written and oral presentation skills, expertise as designated in your DCE plan and your envisioned future as a leader in the profession.
The following is an overview of the six years of study required for USC’s Bachelor’s to Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Courses are subject to change.
Freshman through junior years, classes generally meet on USC’s University Park Campus (UPC) and follow the overall undergraduate course calendar. Starting senior year, classes generally meet from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday (with either Tuesdays or Wednesdays free), on USC’s Health Sciences Campus (HSC).
BS Professional Course Sequence
Junior and Senior years
View all course descriptions.
Fall Semester — Junior Year
Fall semester generally begins in late August and continues for 16 weeks.
- OT 509 (2 units): Seniors Rising: Occupational Foundations for Graduate Success
- Other university coursework as needed (10–16 units)
Spring Semester — Junior Year
Spring semester begins in January and continues for 16 weeks.
- OT 510 (3 units): Foundations of Occupation: Kinesiology in Daily Life
- Other university coursework as needed (10–16 units)
Fall Semester — Senior Year
Fall semester generally begins in early September and continues for 14 weeks.
- OT 511 (3 units): Reflective, Responsive and Engaged Professionals 1
- OT 515 (3 units): Foundations of Sensory Processing: Neuroscience and Behavior
- OT 516 (2 units): Foundations of Occupation: Creativity, Craft and Activity Analysis
- OT 519 (3 units): Foundations: Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Spring Semester — Senior Year
Spring semester begins in January and continues for 15 weeks.
- Practice Immersion Course (one of the following, along with 9 weeks of corresponding Level I fieldwork, one day per week):
- OT 501 (8 units): Adult Physical Rehabilitation
- OT 502 (8 units): Mental Health
- OT 503 (8 units): Pediatrics
- OT 504 (8 units): Productive Aging and Geriatrics
and
- OT 521 (3 units): Reflective, Responsive and Engaged Professionals 2
- OT 526 (3 units): Practice Scholar: Applying Quantitative Evidence
- OT 527 (3 units): Health Systems and Global Context
Summer Session (following graduation from bachelor’s degree program)
Summer semester begins in mid-May and continues for 13 weeks.
- Practice Immersion Course (one of the following, along with 9 weeks of corresponding Level I fieldwork, one day per week):
- OT 501 (8 units): Adult Physical Rehabilitation
- OT 502 (8 units): Mental Health
- OT 503 (8 units): Pediatrics
- OT 504 (8 units): Productive Aging and Geriatrics
and
- OT 531 (3 units): Reflective, Responsive and Engaged Professionals 3
- OT 536 (3 units): Practice Scholar: Applying Qualitative Evidence
- OT 619 (3 units): Applying Occupational Science: Lifestyle Redesign®
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Doctorate in Occupational Therapy Course Sequence
Two Years Post-Baccalaureate Degree
Fall Semester — 5th Year
Fall semester generally begins in early September and continues for 14 weeks.
- Practice Immersion Course (one of the following, along with 9 weeks of corresponding Level I fieldwork, one day per week):
- OT 501 (8 units): Adult Physical Rehabilitation
- OT 502 (8 units): Mental Health
- OT 503 (8 units): Pediatrics
- OT 504 (8 units): Productive Aging and Geriatrics
and
- OT 617 (3 units): Visionaries: Innovation and Technology to Promote Occupation
- OT 618 (2 units): Visionaries: Agents of Transformation
- OT 539 (3 units): Applying Occupational Science: Health Promotion and Primary Care
Spring Semester — 5th Year
Spring semester begins in January and continues for 15 weeks.
- Practice Immersion Course (one of the following, along with 9 weeks of corresponding Level I fieldwork, one day per week):
- OT 501 (8 units): Adult Physical Rehabilitation
- OT 502 (8 units): Mental Health
- OT 503 (8 units): Pediatrics
- OT 504 (8 units): Productive Aging and Geriatrics
and
- OT 622 (3 units): Advanced Clinical Perspectives: Neurocognition and Occupation
- OT 623 (3 units): Advanced Clinical Perspectives: Medical Complexity and Occupation
- Electives (2 units): Optional Elective(s)
Summer Semester — 5th Year
Summer semester begins in mid-May and continues for 13 weeks.
- OT 636 (2 units): Level II Fieldwork with Seminar
Fall Semester — 6th Year
Fall semester generally begins in early September and continues for 14 weeks.
- OT 636 (1 unit): Level II Fieldwork with Seminar
- OT 710 (1 unit): Teaching and Learning Seminar: Becoming a Fieldwork Educator
- OT 713 (1 unit): Doctoral Capstone Preparation: Seminar 1
- OT 715 (3 units): Practice Scholar: Synthesizing Evidence and Practice Needs
- Electives (2–4 units): Optional Elective(s)
Spring Semester — 6th Year
Spring semester begins in January and continues for 15 weeks.
- OT 636 (1 unit): Level II Fieldwork with Seminar
- OT 720 (1 unit): Pedagogy in Higher Education: Seminar and Practicum
- OT 723 (1 unit): Doctoral Capstone Preparation: Seminar 2
- OT 725 (3 units): Practice Scholar: Mobilizing Knowledge to Advance Practice
- Electives (2–4 units): Optional Elective(s)
Summer Semester — 6th Year
The final summer semester begins in mid-May and lasts for 13 weeks.
- OT 730 (3 units): Doctoral Capstone Experience with Seminar (DCE)
USC Chan recognizes that the occupational therapy workforce does not fully reflect the range of backgrounds and experiences represented among those receiving healthcare services. Consequently, our academic programs are committed to recruiting highly qualified applicants of all backgrounds, and to expanding access through financial support for promising students, particularly those who have faced barriers to higher education. Read more about Community, Culture, and Belonging at USC Chan and our Access to OT Mentoring Program.
USC students in their freshman or sophomore year wanting to change majors to occupational therapy may apply to transfer into our Bachelor’s to Doctorate (OTD) program. In the fall of junior year, students begin taking graduate-level coursework (OT 509), so we cannot accept transfer students after the sophomore year. To be eligible for transfer, students must have a USC GPA of 3.0 or above (or a high school GPA of 3.0 if they have completed less than one semester at USC). The application process includes submitting a personal statement, creating a course plan with the OT Major Advisor, and emailing these materials to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). We encourage interested students to contact the OT Major Advisor to discuss their eligibility and application requirements and to sign up to attend an Admissions Information Session.
A Day in the Life of a Bachelor’s to Doctorate Degree Student
Megan, a student in the Bachelor’s to Master’s degree program, shares about daily life in the occupational therapy major at the University of Southern California. (Please note that the undergraduate in this video was filmed prior to the transition from Bachelor’s to Master’s degree program to Bachelor’s to Doctorate degree program.)
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