A World-Class Education
As a student in any of USC's occupational science or occupational therapy programs, you will receive hours of instruction by master practitioners in basic skills as well as in a specialty focus. You will polish those skills through fieldwork experiences and optional electives in community-based practices. You will discover how theory helps practitioners address real-world problems and how practice drives research.
As part of USC's student body, you will:
- Utilize superior physical facilities for classroom, clinical, and laboratory experiences
- Receive personal attention from faculty and staff
- Experience the clubs, lectures, and activities only a world-class university with a diverse student body offers
- Learn in the company of international classmates to stimulate global thinking and understanding
- Enjoy small classes for intimate learning
- Receive opportunities to work on nationally funded research and carve out new niches of practice that meet health care needs of the future
- Experience an intense combination of practice and theory at highly respected sites such as the Pediatric Therapy Network, a nearby non-profit pediatric clinic serving over 600 children
The Nation's Premier Program of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
The USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy has a long history of being "the first." It has been rated by U.S. News & World Report as number one in the nation for eight consecutive years. The Division:
- Initiated the first professional and Post Professional OT master's degree programs
- Conceived and developed the first Ph.D. program in occupational science
- Conducted the first ever large-scale randomized trial and cost effectiveness study on preventative occupational therapy
- Established the country's first Center for Occupation and Lifestyle Redesign
The Division's comprehensive state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate programs are designed so your degree from USC prepares you for worldwide excellence and leadership in both the practice and academic sectors of the profession.
Renowned Researchers and Practitioners
Because many of the most renowned practitioners and theorists in occupational therapy have been or are presently on faculty, USC has enjoyed a reputation as the hotbed of clinical innovation and theoretical development in the profession. Members of the Division have produced many of the landmark books, articles, and research reports in sensory integration, occupational behavior, occupational science, and clinical reasoning—four of the most respected theoretical traditions in occupational therapy guiding practice today.
Occupational therapy pioneers such as A. Jean Ayres, Mary Reilly, Wilma L. West and Elizabeth J. Yerxa contributed to the growth and international reputation of USC’s Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Among the current and emeritus faculty:
- Four have been recipients of the Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship, the highest academic honor of the American occupational therapy Association
- Eight faculty members are on the AOTA Roster of Fellows
- Four have been admitted to the prestigious AOTF Academy of Research
- Two have received distinguished honors from the American Anthropological Association
Collectively, they hold doctorates in occupational therapy, anthropology, social psychology, education, child development, higher education administration, and occupational science. They possess expertise in test development, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and in the many specialties of occupational therapy practice. All take seriously their obligation to educate the next generation of leaders for the profession and have built a community that respects research and practice, ideas and values, openness to nontraditional views, and a strong sense of responsibility to serve the public good.
A Devotion to Service
The Division's commitment to the Los Angeles community is visible in its extensive outreach activities, including its provision of clinical occupational therapy services through its Faculty Practice as well and the occupational therapy division of USC University Hospital. The clinical involvement and expertise of USC faculty ensure that students are exposed to the cutting-edge issues and debates confronting the practice arena. In turn, this knowledge enriches the Division's community outreach work including participation in local health fairs and the provision of free educational workshops on issues such as stress reduction, home safety, adaptive equipment, and health maintenance.
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