Faculty Excellence

Research Excellence

Our faculty currently manage more than $28.7 million in active, funded research projects from federal agencies including the NIH/NIA, NIH/NICHD (NCMMR), NIH/NIDCR, NIH/NIDDK, the U.S. Army Research Office, the Department of Education and the CDC. Our current research programs focus on issues as diverse as health disparities and cultural boundaries that impact service delivery; the prevention of chronic disease and disability in the elderly; rehabilitation science; lifestyle interventions; and the impact of sensory processing and integration on the development and everyday social engagement of children with autism.

Educational Excellence

Together, our faculty possess more than 200 years of combined teaching experience, not only at USC but at research universities across the nation and world. This expertise is reflected in our core practice immersions courses, the foundation of our professional program’s curriculum. Because our elective courses are reflective of the broad spectrum of real-world occupational therapy specialty practice areas, our expert faculty expose students to focused, in-depth learning experiences. The broader health care community also benefits from our educational excellence through continuing education. 

Clinical Excellence

At the heart of occupational therapy lies the consistent pursuit and provision of high quality clinical care. Our faculty, therefore, comprise the Division’s patient care enterprise, where every day we fulfill our mission of delivering science-driven, evidence-based interventions. Our faculty provide occupational therapy services at our Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital located on the USC Health Sciences Campus and at clinical affiliate sites throughout the Los Angeles area.

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.