Independent Health Professions at the Ostrow School of Dentistry
Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Master of Arts
The Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy offers a Master of Arts degree with two routes of entry. Those with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy will begin graduate course work in the post-professional master’s degree program. Those with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than occupational therapy take additional 400-level courses before beginning graduate work in the entry-level master’s degree program. For students in the entry-level program, eligibility to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination occurs when all course work is completed, including the equivalent of 24 full-time weeks of clinical fieldwork, and the M.A. degree has been awarded.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0); a minimum score of 153 on the verbal section and 144 on the quantitative section of the Graduate Record Examinations taken within five years of enrollment or equivalent score if taken before August 1, 2011; three letters of recommendation and an autobiographical statement of purpose. A satisfactory score on the TOEFL or IELTS within two years of enrollment is a requirement for most international students.
Those with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy must have graduated from a World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) approved program.
Those with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than occupational therapy also must have completed all of the following prerequisites:
- Within five years of enrollment
- Prior to the start of the program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (pass/fail or grades below a C are not accepted)
- From an accredited junior college, college or university
- Either in a classroom setting or online; however anatomy must be completed in a classroom setting
- With each course totaling three or four units (with exception of medical terminology which may be 1 or 2 units) as follows (course numbers refer to USC courses, but prerequisites can be taken at any accredited college or university):
| PREReQuiSites | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| OT 200 | Medical Terminology for Health Professions | 1 |
| SOCI 200 | Introduction to Sociology, or | |
| ANTH 201 | Introduction to Social Anthropology | 4 |
| EXSC 301L* | Human Anatomy (with laboratory) | 4 |
| OT 261* | Human Physiology for Occupational Therapists, or | 3 |
| BISC 307L | General Physiology | 4 |
| OT 251 | Across the Lifespan: Occupations, Health, and Disability | 4 |
| OT 260 | Human Functional Anatomy for the Occupational Therapist (with laboratory) | 3 |
| PSYC 274L | Statistics I, or | 4 |
| HP 340L | Health Behavior Statistical Methods, and | 4 |
| HP 350L | Health Behavior Research Methods | 4 |
| PSYC 360 | Abnormal Psychology | 4 |
| Gerontology or adult development (recommended but not required) | ||
Four-week intensive courses are offered by the division in human anatomy (OT 260) and human physiology (OT 261) from mid-May to mid-June (just prior to the start of summer professional courses) for those students who have been unable to complete those courses earlier. These courses are also offered fall and spring semesters.
Application Procedures
For those with a baccalaureate degree in occupational therapy:applications are accepted at any time, preferably by February 15 for fall admission.
For those with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than occupational therapy:applications for early decisions are due by November 30; all other applications are due February 15.
Applications received after the February 15 deadline are considered on a space-available basis.
Application materials include: 1) USC Online Graduate Application; 2) division online Supplemental Application for Graduate Admission; 3) three letters of recommendation; 4) transcripts from all colleges/universities attended; 5) results of the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examinations; and 6) TOEFL or IELTS scores if required. A personal interview may be requested. Please see the division Website for the most up-to-date application procedures.
International Students
Students educated outside the United States must have their credentials evaluated by the Office of Admission before application to the division can be reviewed. See the Admission section of this catalogue. International students must demonstrate competency in English, as measured by the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Degree Requirements
The M.A. degree is under the jurisdiction of the USC Graduate School. Students should also refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue (page 79) for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degree must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.
Requirements include: GPA of 3.0 in all course work attempted and all course work applied to the degree; at least two-thirds of units applied to the degree must be at the 500 level or higher.
Courses prerequisite to master’s degree work for students entering the M.A. program with a degree other than occupational therapy include two of the following three: OT 401L, OT 402L, OT 403L, and all of the following: OT 405, OT 406L, OT 410, OT 411, OT 430, OT 440L, OT 441L, OT 451, OT 470 and OT 480.
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| OT 451 | Neuroscience of Behavior, | 4 |
| and | ||
| OT 470 | Qualitative Research for Evidence-Based Practice, or | 4 |
| OT 401 or OT 402 or OT 403 | (Practice Immersion Courses) | 8 |
| OT 504 | Health Promotion and Wellness | 2 |
| OT 508 | Current Issues in Practice: Adulthood and Aging | 2 |
| OT 570 | Occupation-Centered Programs for the Community, or | |
| OT 581 | Quantitative Research for the Practicing Clinician | 4 |
| OT 580 | Leadership Capstone | 2 |
| OT 585 | Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science | 2 |
Thesis Option
A minimum of 28 units is required: 20 units of required courses, 4 units of elective at 500 level or above, and 4 units of OT 594ab Master’s Thesis. Acceptance of the thesis by the master’s committee and the university completes the degree.
Comprehensive Examination Option
A minimum of 32 units is required: 20 units of required courses, 4 units of elective and 8 units of occupational therapy electives. All electives must be 500 level or above. Successful performance on a written comprehensive examination administered on campus each fall and spring semester completes the degree.