All students seeking an MPH degree in the College of Public Health (COPH) must take a comprehensive exam as a requirement for their degree. The College has determined that this requirement can be fulfilled by successful completion of the National Board of Public Health Examiner’s Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam. This allows students to earn the national board certification while also meeting the degree requirements.
- MPH students who enter fall 2022 (or change their catalog year to 2022/23) or later are required to pass the CPH exam by the end of their first summer semester.
- MPH students who entered fall 2017-fall 2021 (or change their catalog year to that time frame) are required to pass the CPH exam as part of their graduation requirements.
- MPH students using a catalog year prior to fall 2017 are required to take the exam, there is no requirement to pass.
Also see:
- Meeting the COPH Comprehensive Exam Requirement Decision tree
- The National Board of Public Health Examiners CPH FAQs webpage.
- The National Board of Public Health Examiners CPH Study Resources webpage
Certified in Public Health (CPH) Exam Requirements and Study Materials
The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) offers the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam, the only national certification for public health professionals. The CPH designation demonstrates that a graduate from a CEPH-accredited school or program has mastered foundational competencies in public health and shows future employers that the graduate can meet and maintain national standards of excellence in public health.
The COPH at USF covers the cost of the CPH exam for students who are currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program and taking the exam. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 2 credit hours when they take the exam, per University degree requirements. To take the CPH exam, you should have completed one of the following course options. Your eligibility to take this exam will be determined by the College.
| Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|
| PHC 6000 Epidemiology | PHC 6588 History and Systems of Public Health |
| PHC 6050 Biostatistics | PHC 6756 Population Assessment Part 1 |
| PHC 6102 Principles of Health Policy and Management | PHC 6757 Population Assessment Part 2 |
| PHC 6357 Environmental and Occupational Health | PHC 6145 Translation to Public Health Practice (MHA and MSPH students are not required to take this course to be eligible to take the CPH Exam) |
| PHC 6410 Social and Behavioral Sciences Applied to Health |
MPH students who successfully completed the core classes are automatically added to a CPH Exam Canvas Page. This page provides study materials and instructions for registering for the exam and obtaining your voucher code. The CPH Exam Canvas Page tracks student progress on the MPH Progression Plan.
Other students interested in taking the CPH Exam (MHA, MSPH, DrPH, PhD) must send an email to cphexam@usf.edu with their name, Unumber, program of study, and relevant course information to receive study materials and instructions for registering for the exam and obtaining your voucher code.
You cannot use the CPH designation after your name until after you have completed all requirements for graduation for the MPH degree. Notification will happen electronically between the USF COPH and the NBPHE. At that point you will receive a certificate recognizing your accomplishment, and your CPH status will be active.
Please send feedback on the MPH Guidebook.