Faculty / Staff Resources Student Resources
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Education
Education

Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD)
of Occupational Therapy

The USC Chan Entry-Level OTD program is built upon one of the nation’s top-ranked occupational therapy graduate programs, according to U.S. News and World Report. This program is designed for students with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than occupational therapy. If you are already a certified or board-eligible occupational therapist, please see information about our Post-Professional OTD degree program.

Our curriculum has been designed to prepare you to become:

  • An expert in occupation who understands the power of occupation and its impact on health and well-being, its therapeutic uses, and the study of occupational science
  • A reflective, responsive, and engaged professional prepared to provide compassionate and culturally-responsive care
  • A practice scholar with clinical reasoning skills who employs evidence-based practice
  • A global citizen equipped to participate in addressing needs of increasingly global communities, locally and abroad
  • A visionary shaping change who is able to navigate complex systems and innovate through new concepts, protocols, frameworks, and technologies

Curriculum and Requirements

Fieldwork / Doctoral Capstone

Course Sequence

Diversity, Access, and Equity

Please note
The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). 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). Learn more about our accreditation status and see our frequently asked questions for additional information.