PhD Programs in Occupational Therapy

University of Southern California

• The University of Southern California has one of the best occupational therapy program in America. According to the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings for occupational therapy programs (2008), USC ranked No. 3 among all occupational therapy schools nationwide. USC is the only school among the top three programs that offers the doctorate. Ph.D. graduates of the USC occupational therapy program have gone on to establish programs at other universities worldwide. Research within the USC department is interdisciplinary, and students regularly receive funding from the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. The degree requires 60 hours of course work, including 12 hours outside the department.

  University of Southern California
  Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy
  1540 Alcazar St, CHP 133
  Los Angeles, CA 90089
  323-442-2850
  www.usc.edu/schools/ihp/ot/

University of Illinois-Chicago

• The University of Illinois in Chicago is also one of the top-ranked schools for occupational therapy in the United States. According to the U.S. News rankings, UIC ranked No. 4 among all programs nationally. UIC offers two Ph.D. programs in the field. The first program is an interdisciplinary program in disability studies--a program focusing on the nature of disabilities and how to best address those disabilities to help people function normally. The other Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary program involving kinesiology, nutrition and rehabilitation.

  University of Illinois-Chicago
  College of Applied Health Sciences
  1919 W. Taylor St
  Chicago, IL 60612
  312-996-6901
  www.ahs.uic.edu/ot/

University of Kansas Medical Center

• Tied for the No. 5 spot on the U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2008 is the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. KU offers an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in therapeutic science. The program focuses "on understanding the consequences of health conditions for the person, rather than the health condition itself," according to the medical center's website. Areas of study within the program include sensory processing in daily life, accommodation models for community participation, health promotion in disability, successful aging, community interventions for mental health, cognition and quality of life, and creating models for family-centered care.

  University of Kansas Medical Center
  School of Allied Health
  Mail Stop 2003
  Kansas City, KS 66160
  785-864-8040
  www.alliedhealth.kumc.edu