PhD Faculty Mentors and Committees

Work with Your Faculty Mentor

The PhD program is designed to be individually tailored, allowing students to develop a course of study that best meets their unique academic and professional goals. This process should be guided by your Faculty Mentor(s) and doctoral committee.

Students entering the program often have diverse backgrounds and career aspirations, including policy development, academia, applied research, and other areas. The program aims to ensure graduates possess strong methodological skills and a broad, deep understanding of public health and their chosen area of focus.

Throughout your PhD journey, you will rely on the advice and expertise of your mentors and committee members. It is mandatory to meet regularly with your Faculty Mentor after the first year to evaluate progress critically.

Faculty Mentor Responsibilities

While students are ultimately responsible for understanding all policies and completing requirements, Faculty Mentors play a critical role in:

Guiding students through all aspects of their academic program.
Monitoring and evaluating progress toward degree completion.
Assisting with resolving difficulties in coursework or research.
Establishing clear expectations and effective communication.

Major Professor

You will be assigned one or more Major Professors before starting the program. The Major Professor (also referred to as Faculty Advisor or Faculty Mentor) serves as your primary advisor throughout your PhD experience.

Profiles of faculty members, including research and practice interests, can be found on the COPH website. For detailed responsibilities of Major Professors, refer to the USF Graduate Catalog.

Dissertation Committee

By the second year of the program, as you near completion of coursework, you should establish your doctoral committee.

Committee Composition:

Major Professor: Leads the committee (or co-majors if applicable).
Two COPH Faculty Members: One must be from your concentration/discipline.
External Member: At least one member outside COPH with a doctoral degree (may require credentialing by the Office of Graduate Studies).
Optional Additional Members: Recommended by your Faculty Mentor.

Best Practices:

Aim for 4–5 members to avoid scheduling challenges.
Schedule an initial in-person meeting with all members; subsequent sessions may be held as group or individual meetings.
The committee must include at least 3 COPH faculty members and one external member.

Dissertation Committee Form

To approve your committee:

Submit the Committee Appointment Request through Archivum by the end of the second year in the program.
Include a CV and a detailed justification statement for all non-USF committee members.
Instructions can be found here.
Submit the form at least 8 weeks before submitting your Qualifying Exam form.
To make changes to a committee form not submitted initially in Archivum, email cophdoctoral@usf.edu.