USC applying for 2022 move to accredited entry-level OTD
December 9, 2020
The USC Chan Division has formally initiated the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® process to transition its current accredited entry-level master’s program into an accredited entry-level clinical doctoral (entry-OTD) program.
For more than two years, USC Chan faculty and staff members have been engaged in deep dialogue with various stakeholders to develop a “cardinal and gold”-standard doctoral curriculum. While this transition process still requires review and approval by ACOTE®, it could occur as early as the 2022 application cycle (for the inaugural cohort of entry-OTD students who will be applying to USC in 2021).
Entry-OTD students come from a variety of educational backgrounds and experiences. What they share in common is that they have not previously graduated from an accredited occupational therapy program.
One of the most enriching aspects of an entry-OTD program is the Doctoral Capstone Experience, which follows the completion of core courses and Level II fieldwork experiences. The DCE is a pathway for students to develop individualized learning experiences in clinical practice, research, policy and advocacy, administration or pedagogy.