USC Independent Health Professions at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry

Divisions

The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy and the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy are administered by the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. Both of these divisions offer outstanding education at the graduate level and the Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy offers an undergraduate program.

The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy was established in 1944. For those entering the physical therapy profession, the division offers the Doctor of Physical Therapy, the top-ranked DPT program in the country. For practicing physical therapists, the division offers a Master of Science degree as well as clinical residency programs in neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics and sports. In addition, the division offers the nation’s longest-standing PhD degree program in Physical Therapy, now a PhD in Biokinesiology. Experienced clinicians with a master’s degree in physical therapy may be eligible for the Doctor of Physical Therapy in an Advanced Standing program. The division is headquartered on the Health Sciences Campus.

The USC Chan Division 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 American Occupational Therapy Association’s highest awards have been USC alumni. The division offers three graduate degrees: the Master of Arts; the world’s first PhD in Occupational Science; and the Occupational Therapy Clinical Doctorate (OTD). The USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy master’s-level professional degree program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education®, c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3449, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org. The division also offers a professional degree program allowing students to earn a BS degree and, in one additional year, an MA in occupational therapy. Graduates of the professional master’s program are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy® examination. A minor in occupational science is also offered for undergraduate students pursuing a major outside occupational therapy.