Graduate Certificate Policies & Procedures

The College of Public Health is committed to the success of all of its students. To that end, we want to provide you with the information and resources you may need as you complete your Graduate Certificate.

For USF policies and procedures, please see the USF Catalog. The catalog includes information on:

Certificate policies
Student eligibility and admissions criteria
Certificate completion

In addition, the below content covers COPH processes and notes on certain policies.

Course Selection and Registration Assistance

The College of Public Health has designated assistance to students who are pursuing any of the Graduate Certificates offered by the college.

For Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Certificate Students and USF Degree-Seeking Students Whose Programs are NOT in the College of Public Health: Please consult the advisor for your Graduate Certificate area.
For College of Public Health Degree-Seeking Students: contact your designated Graduate Concentration Advisor for assistance.

Graduate Certificate Time Limits
Please refer to the USF Graduate Catalog for information on time limits on completing your graduate certificate.

Update Term of Entry
If you are a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Certificate student unable to begin your Graduate Certificate program for the semester for which you applied, please contact your certificate advisor. Find assigned certificate advisor here.

Course Payment and Financial Aid Information
Payment Deadline
Tuition and Fees for the term are due before the end of the first week of the semester and may be paid through your Student Self-Service (formerly OASIS) account or at the Cashier’s Office.

Financial Aid Eligibility
Non-degree seeking students pursuing Graduate Certificates are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. Degree-seeking students pursuing Graduate Certificates may use federal financial aid funds to pay for Graduate Certificate coursework ONLY if that coursework also fulfills the requirements for the degree to which the student has been admitted at the same time.

Reduced Rate Tuition
Generally, the rate of tuition is determined by the student’s state residency (in-state or out-of-state). However, for select online Graduate Certificate programs, out-of-state students can pay a special tuition rate that is lower than the out-of-state rate. For eligible Graduate Certificate programs and instructions on how to access this special reduced rate, please visit the Registration page.

Application To apply to a graduate certificate program, please visit the Graduate Certificate Application page. Please note that as a current USF graduate or professional student, you will not need to submit your transcripts or pay the $30 application fee with your Graduate Certificate application. Should you have questions about the status of your application, please contact Graduate Studies at 813-974-2846 or via email at grad-liaisonmail@usf.edu. Applying Graduate Certificate Credits toward Graduate Degrees Please discuss with your program advisor whether the courses in the Graduate Certificate you are interested in are applicable toward your degree program. Course Registration Meet with the Program Advisor regarding course offerings and requirements for the Graduate Certificate. Through the Student Self-Service (formerly OASIS) student system, students may search and register for courses. For more information on the course registration process, visit the following link: https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/graduate-certificates/how-to-apply/course-registration.aspx Multiple Certificates If you are pursuing more than one graduate certificate, please be aware there are limits to the number of times a course may be applied to multiple certificates. See the USF Catalog Certificate page (completion section) for details. Financial Aid and Payment Considerations Degree-seeking students pursuing Graduate Certificates may use federal financial aid funds to pay for Graduate Certificate coursework ONLY if that coursework also fulfills the requirements for the degree to which the student has been admitted at the same time. For students in online Graduate Certificate programs which have eligibility for Reduced Rate tuition, you must contact the College of Public Health’s Academic and Student Affairs team (phone number: 813-974-6505) in order to be registered for the appropriate course sections and receive the discounted tuition. For more information on Reduced Rate-eligible Graduate Certificate programs and the Reduced Rate process, please visit the Registration page. International Applicants Applicants from outside the U.S. should refer to the Office of Graduate Studies' International Applicants page for important entry information. Please find the contact information for the International Admissions Team here for additional questions about requirements for international applications. Graduate Certificate Student Advising Support For assistance with registration, forms related to the graduate certificate, or course offerings, please contact the College of Public Health Academic Support and Advising Office at 813-974-4633 or cophinfo@usf.edu. Graduate Certification Completion Beginning Fall 2026, Graduate Certificate students will be able to apply to graduate with the Certificate via Student Self-Service. Students must apply for admission to the Certificate by the admissions deadline (https://secure.visualzen.com/vzcollegeapp/usf/) and must be admitted to the Certificate by the end of the current term’s drop/add deadline if they wish to graduate with the Certificate that same semester. Please review the University’s application page for more information. Please reach out to gradstudies@usf.edu if you have questions.

Application To apply to a graduate certificate program, please visit the Graduate Certificate Application page. If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact Graduate Studies at 813-974-2846 or via email at grad-liaisonmail@usf.edu. Applying Graduate Certificate Credits toward Graduate Degrees It may be possible to apply applicable credits from the Graduate Certificate toward completion of a graduate program in the College of Public Health. Please contact the College of Public Health Pre-Admissions Office at 813-974-4633 or via email at cophinfo@usf.edu. Course Registration Meet with the Program Advisor regarding course offerings and requirements for the Graduate Certificate. Through the Student Self-Service (formerly OASIS) student system, students may search and register for courses. For more information on the course registration process, visit the following link: https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/graduate-certificates/how-to-apply/course-registration.aspx A Note: For students in online Graduate Certificate programs which have eligibility for Reduced Rate tuition, you must contact the College of Public Health’s Academic and Student Affairs team (phone number: 813-974-6505) in order to be registered for the appropriate course sections and receive the discounted tuition. For more information on Reduced Rate-eligible Graduate Certificate programs and the Reduced Rate process, please visit the Registration page. International Applicants Applicants from outside the U.S. should refer to the Office of Graduate Studies' International Applicants page for important entry information. Please find the contact information for the International Admissions Team here for additional questions about requirements for international applications. Graduate Certificate Student Advising Support For assistance with registration, forms related to the graduate certificate, or course offerings, please contact the College of Public Health Academic Support and Advising Office at 813-974-4633 or cophinfo@usf.edu. Graduate Certification Completion Beginning Fall 2026, Graduate Certificate students will be able to apply to complete their Certificate via Student Self-Service. Students must apply for admission to the Certificate by the admissions deadline (https://secure.visualzen.com/vzcollegeapp/usf/) and must be admitted to the Certificate by the end of the current term’s drop/add deadline if they wish to complete the Certificate that same semester. Please reach out to gradstudies@usf.edu if you have questions.