Bachelor of Science

The undergraduate curriculum leads to the Bachelor of Science with a major in occupational therapy. An additional six-month internship is required for students to qualify for the national examination leading to certification by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Professional study begins in the summer preceding the senior year. Major academic course work is completed during the senior year.

Admission Requirements

The major in occupational therapy is a competitive program which requires all interested students to apply directly to the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Applicants must be enrolled at USC and must complete one semester, or more, of full-time study prior to applying to the major. Freshmen may apply following completion of their freshman year. Juniors must apply by January 15 for the program beginning the following June. Applications from underclassmen are reviewed as they are received during the academic year; juniors are reviewed after the January 15 deadline, and students are selected competitively according to the number of spaces available. Applicants will be notified as soon as admission decisions are made and every effort will be made to notify each applicant as rapidly as possible. The department's ability to process applications is dependent on receipt of complete and timely information.

Students may enter USC declaring pre-occupational therapy (POT) as their professional objective at the freshman, sophomore or junior level. It is recommended that students transferring from other institutions enter USC no later than the first semester of their junior year.

Two admissions applications are required for transfer students, one for the USC Undergraduate Admission Office and one for the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. See the Admission section of this catalogue.

Requirements for admission are: (1) a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 in undergraduate courses completed; (2) a grade of "A" or "B" in occupational therapy prerequisite courses; (3) completion of all College of Letters, Arts and Sciences general education requirements; (4) specific experience (volunteer or paid) in helping roles (camp, school, hospital, community center, service clubs); (5) exposure to and exploration of occupational therapy as a career choice; (6) understanding of occupational therapy as demonstrated in autobiographical statement; and (7) satisfactory health status for professional activities and demands. No applicant will be denied admission on the basis of race, religion, creed or disability, provided functional health is sufficient to meet professional needs, both in the student role and as an entry-level practitioner.

Application Procedures

Applications will be reviewed when the following materials have been received by the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy: (1) completed departmental application form; (2) official transcripts with grades from all colleges or universities attended; (3) autobiographical statement including reasons for wanting to enter the profession, concept of occupational therapy, experience, personal data, skills and accomplishments; (4) three letters of recommendation from professors, employers or other professional people not related to applicant, sent directly to department. Admitted students must complete all prerequisite course work by time of entry into the department (the department must be informed of grades as completed and applicants should keep the department informed in writing of their plans and progress). A personal interview by the faculty or a registered occupational therapist living in the applicant's area may be arranged by the department after all transcripts and the autobiographical statement have been submitted.

Deadline

The deadline for junior applications is January 15 for the program beginning in June. Applicants will be notified as soon as admission decisions are made and every effort will be made to notify each applicant as rapidly as possible. The department's ability to process applications is dependent on receipt of complete information as listed above.

Newly admitted students enter the program in June. It is not possible to begin the program in either the fall or spring semesters.

Program Requirements

A total of 128 units is required for the Bachelor of Science degree.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites to the Bachelor of Science program include at least one four-unit course in each of the following subjects: human anatomy with a laboratory and human physiology with a laboratory (or combined anatomy/physiology with laboratory for a two-semester sequence); introductory general psychology; introductory general sociology or cultural anthropology; abnormal psychology; and life span human growth and development.

General Education Requirements

As of fall 1997, the university has instituted a new general education program, designed to be a simpler, more coherent and more integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge outside the major discipline which is expected of every undergraduate who receives a degree from USC. This new program requires six courses in different categories, plus writing and diversity requirements, which are described in detail here.

All students who (1) enter the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy as freshmen in the fall of 1997 or later; or (2) begin college elsewhere in the fall of 1997 or later; or (3) began college earlier but transfer to USC in the fall of 2000 or later, must satisfy the requirements of the new general education program. Other students whose schedules permit are encouraged to follow the new program as well. However, continuing and transfer students in the fall of 1997 may elect to satisfy a "transitional" plan instead.

Major Requirements

Required courses		Units
OT 405	Occupational Therapy Skills Theory I	4
OT 415	Medical Lectures	4
OT 420	Human Development Concepts	4
OT 440	Foundations of Occupation/Kinesiology	2
OT 441	Foundations of Occupation/Neurology	2
OT 452	Occupational Therapy, Theory and Practice/Physical Disabilities	4
OT 453	Occupational Therapy, Theory and Practice/Psychosocial Dysfunction	4
OT 463	Occupational Therapy Skills Theory II	2
OT 464	Occupational Therapy Skills Theory III	2
OT 465	Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory - Psychosocial	3
OT 466	Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory - Physical Dysfunction	3
OT 467	Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory - Pediatrics	3
OT 468	Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory - Adolescence, Adulthood, and Aging	3
OT 485	Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy	2
OT 486ab	Clinical Internship with Seminar	2-2

Electives may be taken to make a total of 128 units. Enrollment in occupational therapy courses is limited to students selected by the Department of Occupational Therapy. Only those who possess the qualifications necessary for successful practice as registered occupational therapists are selected.

Students who wish prerequisite credit for courses transferable from another institution must gain departmental authorization for such courses prior to entry into the occupational therapy program.

Scholastic Standards

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.67 (A = 4.0) in required courses at least two out of the three semesters for continuation in the program.

Counseling

Prerequisite counseling and other advisement are available from the department.

Pi Theta Epsilon

Pi Theta Epsilon is a national honor society for occupational therapy students and alumni. This society recognizes and encourages superior scholarship among students enrolled in undergraduate and entry-level graduate programs of occupational therapy across the United States.

The Alpha Eta Chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon at the University of Southern California selects candidates early in the spring semester of each year based on their academic standing and their potential for leadership in the profession.

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