USC
University of Southern California
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USC Independent Health Professions

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Stephanie Novick was one of a group of first-year occupational therapy students who traveled to Bucharest, Romania to conduct fieldwork training at the Giulesti Maternity Hospital.

The USC Departments of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy are administered independently by the Office of the Vice President for Health Affairs. Both of these departments offer outstanding health professional education at either the graduate or undergraduate levels.

The Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy was established in 1944. For those wishing to enter the profession, the department offers the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. For persons who are already practicing physical therapists, the department offers a Master of Science program. In addition, the department offers the nation’s oldest Ph.D. degree program in Physical Therapy, now a Ph.D. in Biokinesiology. Experienced clinicians with a master’s degree in physical therapy may be eligible to apply for the Doctor of Physical Therapy in an Advanced Standing program. Clinicians seeking specialization in a specific area of practice may enter the Certificate Clinical Residence Program. The department is headquartered on the Health Sciences campus; all degree programs are offered through the Graduate School.

The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy opened in 1942 and is headquartered on the Health Sciences campus; more than 50 percent of the recipients of the highest academic awards given by the American Occupational Therapy Association have been USC alumni. The department’s highly regarded Bachelor of Science degree program is offered through the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The department offers three degrees in conjunction with the Graduate School: the nation’s oldest degree programs leading to the Master of Arts for registered occupational therapists or for persons with degrees in related fields, the world’s first Ph.D. in Occupational Science and a new professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy. The Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-1220, (301) 652-2682.