Welcome to the DrPH Program at the College of Public Health!

The mission of the DrPH degree is to deliver an exceptional Doctor of Public Health program that equips working professionals with the skills, knowledge, and resilience needed to excel in leadership roles and enhance community well-being through informed public health practices locally, regionally, and nationally. Our vision is to set a standard for public health excellence in education and practice. This mission aligns directly with the University of South Florida’s mission, which encompasses creating a community of learners through significant and sustainable university-community partnerships and collaborations, and designing, building, and strengthening healthy communities to improve quality of life. The DrPH program focuses on the core values of lifelong learning, integrity, evidence-based practice, and innovation. Students will be expected to graduate with not only excellent methodological skills, but also a broader and deeper understanding of public health and their area of focus.

All DrPH students are required to complete at least 43 post-master's credit hours (students admitted after 2022 are required to complete at least 46 post-master's credit hours).

Admission information can be found on our Graduate Admissions page.

DrPH Guidelines

These DrPH Guidelines present the policies of the USF Office of Graduate Studies. The College of Public Health may impose stricter guidelines, policies, and procedures for each concentration. It is the student's responsibility to review and follow the specific guidelines with their concentration chairs, major professor, and committee members.

Additional USF policies, not found in these guidelines, may be found at https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/policies-procedures/ or at https://usf.edu/gradcatalog.

Steps to Success

Know about USF Student Integrity and related content
Know the progression policy for the PHD and DRPH
Getting Started
Learn about registration and where to find course information
Know deadlines and where to find Program of Study, Forms, and FAQs
- Review the Doctoral Training Calendar for additional deadlines
Keep your degree on track and in good standing:
- Keep your degree status active (see continuous enrollment in Enrollment Requirements)
- Know your degree time limitations
- Maintain a 3.0 or better Grade Point Average (GPA) or you will be put on probation ( a 3.3 GPA is required to be in doctoral progression at COPH)
Advisors and Committees
Applied Practice Experiences
Attend the DrPH Institute
Qualifying Exam
Doctoral Project
Learn about Student Organizations
Meet with the Doctoral Training Office the term before you graduate and review your status
Early during the semester, if you plan to graduate, you should register for graduation
Participate in the COPH graduation celebration, the USF Health graduation ceremony, and join our USF and COPH alumni communities

Degree and Concentration Information

DrPH Concentrations

Graduate Topics

DrPH Topics

DRPH Competencies

Mode of Delivery

The USF College of Public Health DrPH degree is completed through distance learning (fall, spring, and summer semesters) in addition to on-campus learning via three mandatory on-campus DrPH Institutes. This combination of program delivery formats allows working professionals to connect with peers and broaden their understanding of public health management, practice, and research without interrupting their careers.

If a DrPH student lives near the USF campus, they are welcome to take courses on-campus as well as online.

Printing Guidebook Pages

Users may print any single page of the document using the "..." menu in the upper-right corner and export it to a PDF.

Disclaimer

This version of the DrPH Guidebook is the official USF College of Public Health Guidebook for the DrPH degree, effective for the current catalog. This is a subset of and supplement to the USF Graduate Catalog. If there are conflicts between the two documents, the USF Graduate Catalog prevails. The College of Public Health reserves the right to change its rules, courses, and requirements from time to time and to make all such changes applicable to all students, whether new or continuing, when in its sole judgment such changes are deemed necessary.

To view the complete USF Graduate Catalog, go to www.grad.usf.edu/catalog.php; to view overarching USF regulations and policies go to https://www.usf.edu/regulations-policies/

Getting Assistance

The COPH Doctoral Training Office is here to help. You can reach us at cophdoctoral@usf.edu. We are located in the College of Public Health building on the first floor. Our office is primarily remote during the week. Please email us with questions or to schedule an appointment.

For Admissions, please visit our Prospective Students page to request an appointment with an advisor or contact preadmissions@usf.edu.

Please send feedback on the DrPH Guidebook