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Education at USC Chan
Information For International Students

It is a pleasure to greet you as you explore educational opportunities for international students at the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Our students and alumni hail from 63 countries on 6 continents.

Video created, filmed, and edited by USC Chan international students

Our Degree Programs

If you are currently a certified occupational therapist or if you have already completed a Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy, we encourage you to consider applying to one of our post-professional academic programs in occupational therapy:

• Post-Professional Master’s of Occupational Therapy
• Post-Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

If you are not currently a certified occupational therapist or if you completed a Bachelor’s degree in a different area of study, we encourage you to consider applying to one of our entry-level academic programs in occupational therapy:

• Bachelor’s to Doctorate in Occupational Therapy
• Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program

We encourage both occupational therapists and non-occupational therapists to consider our fully-funded degree program in occupational science, a discipline founded at USC:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational Science (PhD)

English Proficiency

If you are an international student from a non-English speaking country, you will need to demonstrate English Proficiency to study in one of the USC Chan degree programs.

USC has an International Academy to help international students prepare to study in the United States. This includes English preparation as well as courses to prepare you to take the GRE. The cost for taking the GRE is included in the Pre-Master’s Program (you can take it once each semester). 

Students who graduate from the USC International Academy’s Pre-Master’s Program are guaranteed admission to the USC Chan Post-Professional Master’s program.

Global Initiatives for International Students

USC Chan Global Initiatives has a multitude of resources for international students to help them adapt to life in the United States and the American pedagogical approach, including:

• Academic peer mentors for one-on-one tutoring
• USC Chan Global Corner lunchtime conversations
• International student focus groups
• International student mentorship program

USC Office of International Services

The University of Southern California has an Office of International Services (OIS) to assist with VISAs, Passport Verification (PPV), Living in Los Angeles, and more. The Living in LA page of their website includes information on housing, transportation, safety, and finances.

China Initiative

In 2014, the USC Chan Division received a historical naming gift that also established the USC Chan China Initiative.

Online and International Continuing Education Programs

USC Chan offers our Sensory Integration Continuing Education (CE) Certificate Program online. The Sensory Integration CE Certificate Program has also been offered internationally in more than 15 different countries across 4 continents.

Additional Resources

Certification of Studies for USC
ierf.org/uni-evaluation/usc
Certification of Studies for USC from the International Education Research Foundation.

H-1B Visa
uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations
H-1B Visa information from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Interstride
interstride.com
Interstride is a university resource that includes domestic and international job opportunities, visa insights for various industries and companies, and information about hiring processes. There are webinars available on a variety of topics.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
nbcot.org/Students/get-certified
Information regarding the exam for National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy for students intending to practice in the United States. Be sure to scroll down, click on International Students and read about the Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED®) process.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) I-20 Request
ois.usc.edu/employment/employment-f1/opt/post-completion-opt
Post-completion OPT is a type of work authorization for F-1 students completing a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the US.

USC Office of International Services
ois.usc.edu
The USC Office of International Services offers support for international students and scholars as they strive to achieve their educational, professional, and personal objectives.

Virtual Information Sessions

Learn more about USC Chan and our degree programs by attending a Virtual Information Session or scheduling a Skype or Zoom meeting with a member of our Admissions Team.

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 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) is accredited 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.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.