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Global Initiatives Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion (SOTI) Program
About SOTI

The Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion (SOTI) program is a four-week summer program designed for international occupational therapists and occupational therapy students who are interested in learning about occupational therapy (OT) practice, education and research in the United States. (Students who are applying to, or have already been admitted to, the USC Chan Division’s master’s or OTD degree programs may also choose to participate in this summer session prior to the start of their fall semester.) This program will serve as an introduction to occupational science and OT practice in the United States and around the world, and will provide opportunities for students to learn from USC’s renowned faculty and tour various clinical settings in Southern California.

Program Objectives

Students will:

• Be introduced to occupational science and USC’s current cutting-edge research programs
• Become familiar with the main settings of occupational therapy practice in the United States, including pediatric, adult physical rehabilitation and mental health practice, as well as with emerging practice areas such as OT interventions with people experiencing homelessness and applications of technology for rehabilitation
• Build community and network with other international occupational therapy professionals, USC faculty members and international alumni
• Learn about OT practice around the world, and develop a more global perspective of occupation, health and wellness

Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Practice Seminars

Experienced faculty from the USC Chan Division will lead lectures/seminars that address their current research or clinical expertise. OS and OT Practice Seminars will include the following topics:

• Introduction to the United States’ healthcare system
• Foundational principles of occupational science
• OT practice in pediatrics (including Sensory Integration)
• OT practice in physical rehabilitation
• OT practice in mental health practice
• OT practice in emerging practice areas (e.g., OT’s role in addressing human trafficking)
• Current research at USC (e.g., Lifestyle Redesign®, neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation)
• Leadership and advocacy for change

Occupational Therapy Site Visits

The SOTI program will introduce students to various occupational therapy practice settings in the United States. Successful OT professionals will provide engaging guest lectures and facilitate tours of their worksites. Please note that direct therapy session observations may not be available due to patient confidentiality. Previous tours have included:

• Keck Hospital of USC (acute care)
• USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (Lifestyle Redesign®)
• Pasadena Keck Medical Center (primary care)
• Momentum Pediatric Therapy Network (pediatrics)
• Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center (adult physical rehabilitation)
• The Children’s Ranch Foundation & The Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding (equine/hippotherapy)
• Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital (adult physical rehabilitation)
• Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (technological innovations for aging in place)
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (pediatrics)
• Ocean Therapy (mental health surfing interventions)
• Century Villages at Cabrillo (services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness)

Cultural and Recreational Outings

The SOTI program also aims to provide SOTI students with a feeling of the unique culture found in Los Angeles and Southern California. To maximize our time together as a SOTI community, we will provide opportunities to explore our local communities and cultural sites, such as the Getty Center, Dockweiler Beach, Los Angeles’ Koreatown, and more.

Sample Schedule from the 2024 SOTI Program

	Morning	Afternoon
Monday	Site Visit: ​Momentum Pediatric Therapy Network (sensory integration pediatric clinic)	Lecture: ​Return to Zero: HOPE (OT and maternal mental health)
Tuesday	Lecture: ​OT and Animal Assisted Therapy	Site Visit​: Braille Institute Evening ​social mixer ​with USC Chan students
Wednesday	Lecture​ ​and Panel: ​OT’s role in Mental Health Care in the United States	Student Presentations: “OT Where I Am From”
Thursday	Site Visit​: Keck Hospital of USC (acute care hospital)	Research Lecture: ​The Sensory Adapted Dental Environment​ (SADE) for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Friday	Site Visit: ​Los Angeles Unified School District	Cultural and Recreational Outing: ​Beach Outing

Tuition

Tuition for the 2025 in-person SOTI program is $4300 USD, which is inclusive of housing and student health insurance costs. For those who would like to attend SOTI online, the reduced tuition fee is $700 USD. As a reminder, please do note that some elements of SOTI (e.g., in-person clinical site visits) may not be accessible for those attending SOTI online.

Application

The online application for the 2025 SOTI program is now open. Please contact Program Director Daniel Park OTD, OTR/L at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) regarding any questions. We encourage early applications as we evaluate applications when they are received and offer SOTI admission on a continuous basis.

View the 2025 SOTI Program flyer.

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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.