Independent Health Professions at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
Master of Arts
The Master of Arts program is open to students with or without an undergraduate degree in occupational therapy. Students without a prior degree in occupational therapy take both the foundation courses and the advanced courses listed below. Students with a degree in occupational therapy may apply for Advanced Standing, reducing the units required for the degree from 80 units to 32 units (or 76 units to 28 units for the thesis option) and may choose between on campus or online format. All students must complete either the Thesis or Comprehensive Exam Option.
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, 144 on the quantitative section and a 3.5 on the analytical writing section of the Graduate Record Examinations taken within five years of enrollment; 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 who also have graduated from a World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) approved program in occupational therapy may apply for Advanced Standing.
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 semester 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 |
| HBIO 301L* | Human Anatomy (with laboratory) | 4 |
| OT 261* | Human Physiology for Occupational Therapists, or | |
| BISC 307L | General Physiology | 3-4 |
| OT 251 | Across the Lifespan: Occupations, Health, and Disability | 4 |
| OT 260 | Human Functional Anatomy for the Occupational Therapist (with laboratory) | 3 |
| MATH 114 | Foundations of Statistics, and | 4 |
| PSYC 274L | Statistics I, or | |
| HP 340L | Health Behavior Statistical Methods, and | 4 |
| HP 350L | Health Behavior Research Methods, or | |
| BUAD 310 | Applied Business Statistics | 4 |
| PSYC 360 | Abnormal Psychology | 4 |
| A course in 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 decision 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 with Division Supplemental Application; 2) OTCAS online application; 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 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.
Students without a prior degree in occupational therapy take both the foundation courses and the advanced courses listed below. OT 405, OT 406, OT 440 and OT 441 are foundational courses that students are required to pass before they may advance to practice immersion and thread courses in the professional program. Students must complete all subsequent courses in the professional program on a full-time basis and in sequence, except for students requiring disability accommodations.
Students with a degree in occupational therapy may apply for Advanced Standing, reducing the units required for the degree from 80 units to 32 units (or from 76 units to 28 units for the thesis option) and may choose between on campus or online format. All students must complete either the Thesis or Comprehensive Exam Option.
Thesis Option
In addition to the required courses, 4 units of electives at 500 level or above, and 4 units of OT 594ab Master’s Thesis are required. Acceptance of the thesis by the master’s committee and the university completes the degree.
Comprehensive Examination Option
In addition to the required courses, 4 units of electives and 8 units of occupational therapy electives are required. 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.
| REQUIRED COURSES | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Core Courses | ||
| OT 405 | Foundations: Occupation | 2 |
| OT 406L | Foundations: Creativity, Craft and Activity Analysis | 2 |
| OT 440L | Foundations: Kinesiology | 2 |
| OT 441L | Foundations: Neuroscience | 2 |
| OT 501L | Practice Immersion: Adult Physical Rehabilitation | 8 |
| OT 502L | Practice Immersion: Mental Health | 8 |
| OT 503L | Practice Immersion: Pediatrics | 8 |
| OT 511 | Therapeutic Use of Self | 2 |
| OT 521 | Clinical Reasoning | 3 |
| OT 523 | Communication Skills for Effective Practice | 3 |
| OT 537 | Occupation-Centered Programs for the Community | 4 |
| OT 586 | Clinical Internship with Seminar | 4 |
| Advanced Core Courses (Required for Advanced Standing Students) | ||
| OT 515 | Neuroscience of Behavior | 4 |
| OT 518 | Quantitative Research for Evidence-Based Practice, or | |
| OT 581 | Quantitative Research for the Practicing Clinician | 4 |
| OT 525 | Qualitative Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 4 |
| OT 534 | Health Promotion and Wellness | 2 |
| OT 538 | Current Issues in Practice: Adulthood and Aging | 2 |
| OT 540 | Leadership Capstone | 2 |
| OT 545 | Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science | 2 |
Degree Requirements for Online MA
The degree requirements for the Online MA are the same as the resident program with the exception of the electives. For the Thesis Option, students must take one of the following electives: OT 500ab; OT 564; or OT 583 as well as 4 units of OT 594ab. For the Comprehensive Exam Option, students must take all three elective courses.
| OT 500ab | Clinical Problems in Occupational Therapy | 4 |
| OT 515 | Neuroscience of Behavior | 4 |
| OT 518 | Quantitative Research for Evidence-Based Practice, or | |
| OT 581 | Quantitative Research for the Practicing Clinician | 4 |
| OT 525 | Qualitative Research for Evidence-Based Practice | 4 |
| OT 534 | Health Promotion and Wellness | 2 |
| OT 538 | Current Issues in Practice: Adulthood and Aging | 2 |
| OT 540 | Leadership Capstone | 2 |
| OT 545 | Advanced Seminar in Occupational Science | 2 |
| OT 564 | Sensory Integration | 4 |
| OT 583 | Lifestyle Redesign | 4 |