2025 USC Chan Commencement

The USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy will celebrate its 83rd Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16, 2025, at the USC University Park Campus. For more information and updates about USC Commencement Week, please visit commencement.usc.edu

Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Epstein Family Plaza (E-quad) on University Park Campus

Commencement Speaker
USC Chan is pleased to announce Swati Shah as its 2025 keynote speaker. Shah is the director and founder of Ascend Rehab Services, a pediatric-focused, Northern California-based rehabilitation company employing more than 200 occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and physical therapists who together treat more than 6,000 children and their families annually.

Main USC Ceremony
USC’s Main Commencement Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Click for more information.

USC Chan’s Commencement Ceremony
The USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy commencement ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m., and is anticipated to last one to one-and-a-half hours. A live video feed of the ceremony will be available on the day of the event. USC Chan degree candidates will line up according to degree. Please arrive no later than 3:30 p.m.

Chan Division Reception
A reception will take place at Bridge Lawn (a short walk from the E-quad) immediately following the division’s ceremony, and is expected to last about one hour.

Cap & Gown
Please refer to commencement.usc.edu/caps-and-gowns-regalia for details and pricing for renting and purchasing regalia. Regalia rental includes a tassel, which can be kept as a souvenir. Graduate students: Please note the color of your hood when ordering regalia.

MA: White
OTD: Rhodes Blue (a.k.a. Slate Blue)
PhD: PhD Blue (Dark Blue)

Honor Cords (undergraduate students only)
Honor cords, which may be worn by undergraduates who have earned a minimum 3.5 university GPA by the end of the fall semester, are available from the division. The division will notify you by mid-April if you are eligible to wear an honor cord. Note: Academic honors (cum laude, etc.) will be designated on your diploma/record since these honors will be awarded after final grades are determined after Commencement, and include all coursework (including transfer work).

Cap and Tassel Protocol
Caps should be worn at all times, except during the invocation, benediction and National Anthem, when gentlemen should remove their caps. The tassel is worn over the right temple. When the president salutes the graduates, it is appropriate for graduates to respond by tipping their caps. Graduates may then move their tassels over to the left side.

Other Considerations

Guests with Disabilities
Please visit the USC Commencement website for additional parking or seating information. If you have a guest attending the satellite ceremony who requires special accommodations (e.g., seated in a wheelchair), please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at least two weeks prior to Commencement.

Bag Policy
Adhering to the clear bag policy is mandatory for all attendees. Similar to security procedures at Trojan football and basketball games, all individuals and their belongings will undergo metal detector screening and bag inspection before entry. In addition to the clear bag, guests may carry a small clutch bag or purse (4.5’’ x 6.5’’), approximately hand-sized, with or without a handle or strap.

Pets
The university has a no-pets policy; service dogs are exempt.

Contact
For additional information, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Map / Directions

Weather
Commencement Day activities may involve prolonged exposure to the sun. Sunscreen, water and hats are recommended.

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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 fully 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) has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status 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. 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, Inc.® (NBCOT®).

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.