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Department Details

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Details

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Major Focus Areas of the PhD Program in Public Health with a Concentration in Biostatistics

Students can choose to focus their dissertation research in a specific focus area. Students identify and develop their focused research under the supervision of their major professor and the Doctoral Program Committee. Methodology focus areas include Bayesian statistics, environmental and spatial statistics, semi-parametric statistics, longitudinal and clustered data analysis, mixed effects and multilevel modeling, missing data analysis, survival data analysis, survey methodology, and causal inference. The methodology foci may transcend application focus areas such as modeling of HIV/AIDS clinical trials and management, HIV dynamic modeling, health risk assessment, quality of life and well-being, miss-classification in quality control charts and clinical diagnosis, social behaviors and mental health, clinical trials, evaluation of clinical and health outcomes, and modeling of biological systems. Examples of possible plans of study for each focus area are available on the Department website and the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. 

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The Doctoral Program in Public Health with a Concentration in Biostatistics usually involves two years of course work or more depending upon student’s previous Biostatistical training, followed by a doctoral dissertation.  Time required for completing a dissertation is commonly between two to four years. The following is an overview of the requirements for the PhD program in Public Health with a Concentration in Biostatistics:

Topic Areas for Doctoral Coursework	Other Requirements
o   Theory and Method Courses	o   Department/College Seminars
o   Special topics in Biostatistics	o   Teaching Requirements
o   Data Management & Programming Skills	o   Annual Doctoral Student Progress Report
o   Proposal Development	o   Qualifying Examination
o   Knowledge in substantive application area o   Public Health course requirement	o   Dissertation Proposal Defense
o   Elective/Support Courses	o   Final Dissertation Document
o   Ethical Issues	o   Final Dissertation Oral Defense
o   Professional Development
o   Adv. Doctoral Interdisciplinary Seminars

Coursework

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For a listing of the courses offered by the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, see the COPH website.  The Department Doctoral Student Handbook provides more information about doctoral program coursework.  The following is a summary of program requirements for the Doctoral Program in Public Health with a Concentration in Biostatistics.

Students are required to complete and submit the Department Doctoral Plan of Study Form by the end of the second semester after enrollment into the program.  The student should meet with their Major Professor and Doctoral Program Committee to select courses and complete the Plan of Study form.  The Department Plan of Study outlines the Department and College requirements for successful completion of the doctoral program including required coursework and other requirements. A signed copy of the Department Plan of Study Form should be submitted to the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs and the Department Academic Coordinator by the last day of classes in the Spring semester.  The student should retain a copy for his/her records.  After initially completing the Department Doctoral Plan of Study Form, the student should meet with his/her Major Professor at least annually to review the Plan of Study and update it as needed.  Each time the Plan of Study is revised, a copy of the revised Form should be submitted the COPH Office of Academic & Student Affairs as well as the Department.  At the conclusion of the student’s doctoral program, a final version of the completed Department Plan of Study Form should be submitted to the COPH Office of Academic & Student Affairs and the Department.  More information about doctoral program coursework is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook.

Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminars in Public Health

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Teaching

In addition to coursework, each doctoral student is required to demonstrate proficiency in teaching by serving as TAs for graduate and/or undergraduate level courses and/or other relevant teaching experiences and coursework. The purpose of the teaching requirement is to equip students with experience and proficiency in effective communication in a classroom setting as well opportunities to develop skills necessary for effective classroom management and student mentoring.  TA’s should maintain responsible and professional conduct during all interactions with faculty and students.  The TA should not meet with students in their homes, isolated locations, or late nights for their own personal safety.  The TA should promptly report any suspicious or dangerous student behavior to the course instructor and campus police, if necessary.  More information about the teaching requirement for the doctoral program is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook.

Other Departmental Requirements

Public Health Seminars

Departmental, College and USF Health seminars, guest lectures (e.g., Dean’s Lecture Series) are held throughout the academic year and these seminars are an important part of a student's academic training and professional development.  Each doctoral student is expected to attend all seminars but is required to attend at least two seminars per semester.  Students should include documentation of attendance at the seminars with the Department Annual Student Progress Report.

Other Department Activities

Doctoral students are also expected to attend Dissertation Concept Presentations, Proposal Defenses, and Dissertation Defenses of other doctoral students in the Department to provide encouragement and support.  Students should also attend other Department and College events and activities as their work schedules permit.

Annual Student Progress Report

All doctoral students will submit an annual progress report to the Department Doctoral Program Director(s) that will be reviewed by the Department faculty. The report will be used to assess the student’s progress through the program.  The report should be submitted to the Department by June 30th of each year.  An overall assessment and recommendations for modifications to the student’s plan of study from the Department faculty may be given to the student’s Major Professor and the student. 

The Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics Annual Student Progress Report and more information about the Annual Student Progress Report can be obtained from the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and the Department website. 

Time Limits for Completion of Doctoral Program

On average, the doctoral program requires four to five years for completion following the Master’s or other advanced degree.  The USF Graduate School requires completion of all requirements for the doctoral degree within a specified period of time from the date of enrollment into the program.  Students should consult the USF Graduate School catalog for the specific time limits which apply to them.  In addition, the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics reserves the right to dismiss a student at any time because of failure to make satisfactory, continuous progress toward completion of the degree.

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title Advising
Advising and mentorship of doctoral students is a comprehensive process that evolves throughout the Doctoral Program. Upon admission, an initial advisor is appointed for each student. The student then selects a Major Professor and assembles a Doctoral Program Committee which will provide guidance  and oversight for the coursework phase of the Doctoral Program. After successfully passing the Qualifying Examination, the student will have a Doctoral Dissertation Committee which will provide expertise and guidance for the dissertation. More information about each aspect of the advising process is provided in the sections below. The Advisor Upon admission an advisor of full-time Biostatistics faculty from the Department is appointed by the Department for each doctoral student. The Advisor will provide general orientation to the doctoral program and guidance in the initial selection of classes. Each Program Advisor will serve in this capacity for a maximum of two semesters from the time of entry into the doctoral program. By that time (i.e., by the end of the second semester in the program), doctoral students are expected to select a Major Professor and form a Doctoral Program Committee. The Major Professor As the student's research interest develops, usually by the end of the second academic semester, the student will select a Major Professor. If the Program Advisor is in agreement, she/he may become the Major Professor if appropriate, or the student may ask another full-time, departmental Biostatistics faculty member to serve as the Major Professor. Students must have a Major Professor in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress in the doctoral program. If a student is unable to have a full-time Biostatistics faculty member from the Department to serve as his or her Major Professor by the end of one year from the date in which they entered the doctoral program or at any time point thereafter in the program, the student may not be permitted to continue in the doctoral program. The Major Professor must be fully credentialed by the College of Public Health. The Major Professor will assist in identifying any specific deficiencies and provide guidance for completing the Plan of Study. Students should consult the USF Graduate School Catalog for more information. In special circumstances a Co-Major Professor may be assigned upon approval by the Major Professor and Departmental Chair. The Doctoral Program Committee By the end of the second academic semester, in collaboration with the Program Advisor (or Major Professor if selected), the student will assemble a Doctoral Program Committee. Students should follow the steps for forming a committee as outlined in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and by the COPH. In addition to the requirements of the USF Graduate School the specific Department requirements for the composition of the Doctoral Program Committee are as follows: The committee must consist of at least four graduate faculty, The Chair of the committee must be fully credentialed by the College of Public Health and be a full-time member of the Biostatistics faculty in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. The Major Professor serves as the Chair, A minimum of three committee members (including the Chair) must be from the Biostatistics faculty from the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. All members must be credentialed by the College of Public Health, A minimum of one committee member should be a researcher with relevant scientific expertise who should be a full-time member of the Department faculty, COPH, USF faculty or another institute, The committee can include additional members as needed, who can be from outside the Department. The Doctoral Program Committee will approve the student's Plan of Study and provide guidance for the student regarding class selection and preparation for the qualifying examination. The signed Department Plan of Study Form should be submitted to the Department Academic Coordinator and the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs. The Doctoral Program Committee may meet at any time, but should ideally meet once per semester but at least once per academic year to review the student's progress, or to suggest changes in the plan of study. The student also may request a committee meeting at any time. The Doctoral Committee Chair may be asked to provide the department as requested by the Department Chair or the PhD program Director, or the student with an evaluation of the student's progress toward the degree. More detailed information about the advising process for doctoral students is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee After the successful completion of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination but before the student reaches the dissertation stage, the membership of the student's Doctoral Program Committee should be assessed for suitability for the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The membership of the Dissertation Committee may be the same as that of the Doctoral Program Committee if the student and/or Major Professor so desires. Students must have a Doctoral Dissertation Committee in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress in the doctoral program. If a student is unable to assemble a Doctoral Dissertation Committee within one year of successfully passing the Qualifying Exam, the student may not be permitted to continue in the doctoral program. Requirements for Composition of Doctoral Dissertation Committee In addition to the requirements of the USF Graduate School, the specific Department requirements for the composition of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee are as follows: The committee must consist of at least four graduate faculty, The Chair of the committee must be fully credentialed by the College of Public Health and be a full-time member of the Biostatistics faculty in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, A minimum of three committee members (including the Chair) must be from the full-time Biostatistics faculty from the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. All members must be credentialed by the College of Public Health, A minimum of one committee member should be a researcher with expertise in the area relevant to the student's doctoral research, who should be a full-time member of the Department or College faculty or another institute, The committee may include additional members from outside the Department. Changes in Doctoral Committee Membership There may be a variety of reasons, including better suiting the needs of the student's dissertation research, to change the membership of the Doctoral Program or Dissertation Committees. Members of the Doctoral Program Committee may decide not to serve, or choose to remain on the Dissertation Committee. In the event a Major Professor is unable or unwilling to continue serving on the student's committee, the student is responsible for finding another Major Professor. Students who are unable to find a replacement of Major Professor who meets the Department requirements should confer with the Department Chairperson for available options. If no other options exist, the student may be requested to voluntarily withdraw from the program or may be honorably withdrawn in good academic standing. The PhD candidate or Major Professor can also recommend changes. However the Major Professor and the Department Chair must approve all changes in committee membership. In order to change the membership of a Doctoral Committee, students are required to submit the PhD Change of Committee Form which is available at http://www.publichealth.usf.edu/forms.html to the Department Academic Coordinator and the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs. Students should consult the Department Doctoral Student Handbook, the College of Public Health Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and the USF Graduate School Catalog and website for specific information about the process to change Doctoral Committee membership.

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title Qualifying Examination and Candidacy
Purpose of the Examination The doctoral Qualifying Examination is designed to evaluate whether the student has the substantive knowledge and methodological skills to engage in doctoral level research and is ready to proceed to the dissertation phase of the doctoral program. The student must demonstrate knowledge in Biostatistical methods, skills in computation and data analysis, experience in consultation, and the ability to synthesize scientific literature for research proposal development and problem-solving. The examination is a formal assessment of the student's mastery of doctoral competencies considered necessary for doctoral research. Timing of the Examination The doctoral Qualifying Examination is offered annually in September/October. Most students take the exam after approximately two years of full-time study. Students may take the qualifying examination when the Doctoral Program Committee assesses that the student has completed the necessary coursework and is ready to take the exam. A student is eligible to sit for the qualifying examination when he or she has met the following minimum criteria: The student has successfully completed all required course work or equivalent, The doctoral committee must approve the student's request to take the qualifying examination, The student must be registered for a minimum of 2 credit hours for the semester in which the qualifying examination is taken, The student must submit the Application for the PhD Qualifying Exam Form to the Department Academic Coordinator and the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs prior to taking the Examination. Format of the Examination The Doctoral Qualifying Examination in Biostatistics is administered in two independently graded Parts: Part 1 is a 6-hour, in-class, closed-book examination and Part 2 is a 1-week, take-home, written examination. The following is a brief description of the Parts of the examination. Part 1 focuses on Biostatistical methods, and tests student's competency in Biostatistical theory, methods, and applications. It covers five concentration areas: Probability Models, Biostatistical lnference, Generalized Linear Models, Longitudinal Data Analysis, and Advanced Survival Data Analysis. Part 2 tests students' competency in applications with respect to skills in data analysis, consultation, and collaboration. The student is required to write a section on the design and analysis of a research project such as a grant proposal, or conduct a real data analysis. Students should block out one week in their schedules for the completion of Part 2 of the examination since it will require dedicated time to successfully complete the examination. Students' submission of both Parts of the exam is final; revisions/corrections to the examination after it has been submitted will not be permitted. Qualifying Examinations will not be accepted after the stated deadline. Taking the Examination Students should arrive on time to take the examination and those who arrive late will not be granted extra time to complete the examination unless the lateness is due to personal/family illness or medical emergency, etc. Student can bring a basic pocket scientific calculator and writing instruments for use during the examination. Student's whose primary language is not English may bring an English/ foreign language dictionary. However, it may not contain notes or any other markings that may assist the student during the exam. Students are not permitted to use any other unauthorized electronic device (including mobile phones, smartphones, pagers, tablets, etc.) during the examination. Evaluation and Grading of the Qualifying Examination To "pass" the doctoral Qualifying Examination, students must demonstrate mastery of and ability to apply the Biostatistical methods and skills covered in the core Biostatistics curriculum. To pass Part 1 (in-class), the student must (i) achieve a mean score of ≥70% overall for all five concentration areas combined AND (ii) receive a score of ≥50% in each concentration area. If the student fails Part 1 overall, but achieves ≥70% in two or more concentration areas, she/he passes these areas and will need to retake only those concentration areas which she/he did not achieve a score of ≥70%. To pass Part 2 (take-home), the student must achieve a score of ≥70%. Students must pass both Parts of the examination. If the student fails Part 1 and/or Part 2, she/he must retake the failed Part(s) in the following academic year. A student can take the qualifying exam up to two times. If the student fails to pass the qualifying examination after the second attempt, the student cannot continue in the doctoral program and will be terminated from the doctoral program in Biostatistics. The student may apply to transfer to other degree programs. Students who fail the qualifying examination after the first attempt may be required to take additional coursework, an Independent Study or workshops/seminars to help prepare for the next offering of the Qualifying Examination. More detailed information about the Department doctoral Qualifying Examination is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY Admission to candidacy in the doctoral program in Biostatistics certifies that the student has successfully: Formed a Doctoral Program Committee; Attained an overall and degree program GPA of 3.00 at USF at the time of candidacy; and Successfully completed the Doctoral Qualifying Exam. The Graduate School Admission to Candidacy form should be submitted for approval during the semester that the qualifying exams were successfully completed. Doctoral students admitted to candidacy are required to register for a minimum of 2 credit hours every semester following admission to candidacy, until the degree is granted. More detailed information about admission to candidacy is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and the USF Graduate School Catalog and website.

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title The Doctoral Dissertation
The Dissertation The Doctoral Dissertation culminates the student's research and demonstrates that the candidate has acquired a command of biostatistical theory and methods, their application in a chosen substantive field in health, skills in computation, data analysis, and consultation. The Doctoral Dissertation also should be a presentation that demonstrates the student's ability to contribute fresh knowledge to or advance translation of knowledge in the chosen topic. Human Subjects Approval All proposed dissertation research which involves human subjects, even if it involves secondary data,must be approved by the USF Institution Review Board. Information can be obtained at http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/officeresearch/humansubjects.html. This applies to all proposals whether the research is funded or unfunded. All doctoral students at USF are responsible for following all guidelines of the USF Graduate School, Human Subjects Regulations, Data Use Agreements and HIPAA regulations, when applicable. Students who fail to comply with these requirements may be subject to disciplinary action or dismissed from the program. Students should consult the USF Office of Research, Division of Integrity and Compliance website to obtain guidance about research involving human subjects as defined in the USF Human Research Protection Program Investigator Guide, available online at http://www3.research.usf.edu/dric/hrpp/resources.asp. Aspects of the dissertation research that involve contact with study subjects or data containing personal identifiers cannot proceed until IRB approval has been obtained. More detailed information about is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. Data Use Agreements Doctoral students who plan to use existing data that is not a public use dataset should complete a Dissertation Data Use Agreement Form which outlines the terms of use, authorship, student rights, acknowledgements, etc. This form should be signed by the student, owner of the dataset and the Major Professor. A copy of the form is available on the Department website and should be maintained in the student's file. Students should consult the Department Doctoral Student Handbook for more information. Dissertation Requirements The research topic for a dissertation should have a demonstrable potential for advancing methods, tools (including computation), and applications in Biostatistics or public health. The requirements for dissertation are as follows. Dissertations should have a high level of achievement in: (1) originality - innovation in theory, methods, substantive content, or creative application of existing theory or knowledge to a new problem, (2) depth - technical competence and intellectual sophistication which is assessed by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee against the standard of work in peer-reviewed publications; (3) scholarship; and (4) scientific writing- demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written form. Dissertation topics must be selected in subject areas in which there is sufficient faculty expertise within the full-time faculty of the department to provide appropriate guidance for the student's dissertation research. More detailed information about Department Dissertation requirements is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. • Dissertation Format The doctoral dissertation can be prepared in one of two formats. The first format is the traditional format. The second option is the manuscript format. See Departmental Hand Book for specific requirement of each format. Traditional Format: The Department expects that a minimum of two manuscripts intended for peer-reviewed publication must be proposed for all doctoral dissertations. The scope and content of each manuscript will be decided upon by the student in consultation with their Major Professor and approved by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. More detailed requirements about traditional format dissertation are provided in guideline of the USF Graduate School (http://www.grad.usf.edu/thesis.php) and the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. Manuscript Format: A minimum of two manuscripts, which are of closely-related research topics, intended for peer-reviewed publication must be proposed and at least one manuscript has a focus on biostatistical methodologies. The proposed manuscripts should be of the merits and quality to be potentially published in a recognized peer-reviewed journal judged by Major Professor and the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The scope and content of each manuscript will be decided upon by the student under supervision of the Major Professor and approved by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. In situations where the original publication plan or manuscript structure is not well suited to the dissertation findings, students may change to the traditional format upon approval by the Committee. Two manuscripts must be submitted for publication before defense. Although co-authors will need to be identified for manuscript submission, co-author's names should not be included in the dissertation itself. In general, it is understood that the doctoral student will be first author or lead author, the Major Professor, in general, will be the correspondence author. Committee members and other individuals who have made significant contributions to the manuscript as judged by requirements and standard of common journals will be co-authors. The doctoral committee shall decide, in collaboration with the student, in what order the co-authors should be listed for each manuscript. The student and committee should agree to general authorship of the publications before the defense of the doctoral proposal. The dissertation must conform to the specifications outlined in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and the USF Graduate School Catalog and website. Dissertation Research Proposal The student will write his/her proposal and will orally defend the proposal in a public defense in which the Doctoral Committee and other interested parties are present. The proposal is presented in a formal presentation to the student's Doctoral Dissertation Committee. This presentation is open to other faculty, other students, and the general public.  Steps in the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Defense Process The student may schedule a Dissertation Committee meeting prior to distributing the Dissertation Proposal for the oral defense. At this meeting, the student and Committee should finalize any additional changes needed to be made prior to the Dissertation Proposal Defense. The draft of the Dissertation proposal that will be defended must be received by all committee members at least four weeks prior to the anticipated defense date. All Dissertation Committee members must sign the Department Request for Dissertation Proposal Defense form indicating that they have read the proposal and approve it for presentation. This form is available from the Department's Academic Coordinator or on the Department web page. Submit the Department Request for Dissertation Proposal Defense form and a copy of the announcement (Dissertation Proposal Defense Announcement Form) to the Department at least one week prior to the presentation. The Dissertation Proposal Defense Announcement Form must be posted at least one week prior to the Dissertation Proposal Defense. A final copy of the Dissertation Proposal must be given to the Dissertation Committee one week prior to the defense. Format of Proposal Presentation The purpose of the Dissertation Proposal defense is to provide students with the opportunity to present their plan for dissertation research, and refine the methods based on recommendations and suggestions from the committee and audience at-large. The student will make a formal oral presentation not to exceed 45 minutes, followed by a period of question and answer. The presentation should include: the rationale for the proposed research, the research topics, proposed statistical methods, applications and significance, source of data, and preliminary results when applicable. The Dissertation Proposal Defense At the end of the Dissertation Proposal Defense, the Dissertation Committee will excuse the student and the public and convene in committee meeting to evaluate the appropriateness of the proposed dissertation topic and to recommend changes in the proposal. The committee may require that a proposal be presented for a second time before being approved, if substantive modifications in the original proposal are necessary. Committee members sign the Department Approval of Dissertation Proposal Defense Form only after the corrections, additions or changes have been made in writing and the corrected final copy has been distributed to the committee members. Approval of Dissertation Proposal Defense is not an endorsement of the proposal as a completed research plan. Acceptance of the dissertation proposal by the student's Dissertation Committee also does not preclude the committee from requiring additional modifications in the research plan. The proposal must be successfully defended for the student to continue in the Doctoral Program in Biostatistics. Upon successful completion of the oral defense, the student is given permission to begin the dissertation. More information about the dissertation proposal defense is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook. Doctoral Dissertation Defense Upon completion of the dissertation research project, the student will defend his/her work in a public defense attended by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, faculty, students and any interested individuals who wish to attend. The doctoral student must have met regularly with his/her committee such that the defense is a pro forma event and the committee is apprised well in advance on the progress of the student toward completion of the degree. The student must provide all Doctoral Dissertation Committee members a final draft of the dissertation document at least four weeks before the desired defense date. Committee members must be given at least two weeks to read the dissertation and provide feedback prior to signing the Ph.D. Request for Dissertation Defense Form. Steps for the Final Oral Presentation of the Dissertation The student may schedule a final Dissertation Committee meeting prior to distributing the dissertation that will be presented. During this meeting, the student and committee should finalize any changes needed to prepare the dissertation for presentation. After the meeting, the student will make the recommended changes. If a meeting is not scheduled, the draft proposal must be received by committee members at least four weeks prior to the anticipated defense date. All committee members must sign the Ph.D. Request for Dissertation Defense Form indicating that they have read the proposal and approve it for presentation. Committee members must be given at least two weeks to review the proposal and discuss changes prior to signing the Ph.D. Request for Dissertation Defense Form. These forms are available from the College of Public Health Office of Academic and Student Affairs and online. Approval for defense is not an endorsement of the dissertation as a completed research project. The Ph.D. Request for Dissertation Defense Form and a copy of the Dissertation Proposal Defense Announcement must be submitted to the Department two weeks prior to the defense. The Department will post and distribute the announcement throughout the College, on the COPH list server and USF-NEWS. A final copy of the dissertation is given to the committee members, Department Chairperson, and Chair of the defense at least one week prior to the presentation. No further changes may be made to the research proposal until after the defense. The student, in consultation with the Major Professor, will select a "Chair of the Dissertation Defense" (moderator) for the Dissertation Defense. The moderator must be a fully credentialed member of the USF graduate faculty. In accordance with USF Graduate School policy, the moderator cannot be a member of the doctoral committee or a faculty member within the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. Successful completion of the oral defense is the culminating step of the doctoral program. This defense is the student's opportunity to present the dissertation in a public forum where faculty, other students, and guests are invited. Format of the Dissertation Defense The student will make an oral presentation not to exceed 45 minutes. The presentation should cover the entire dissertation research. Following the presentation will be rounds of question-and-answer by the committee members. The moderator may allow for one-round of question and answer by non-committee members in the audience towards the end. The entire oral defense normally should not exceed 3 hours in duration. Details of the format of the Dissertation Defense are provided in the Department Doctoral Student handbook. Following the oral dissertation defense and committee examination, the Doctoral Committee convenes without the student present to assess the student's dissertation research as well as the performance in presenting the dissertation research. The doctoral committee may approve the dissertation at it stands without any modification, or require minor to moderate modifications of the dissertation before approval for submission to the Graduate School, or require extensive modification of the dissertation and ask the student to undergo another formal defense. The student's Doctoral Dissertation Committee has final approval of the oral defense and the written documentation. A student's dissertation is approved only if ALL members of the committee judge both the dissertation and the performance of the student in oral examination to be satisfactory. Approval of the dissertation is granted by signature on the Successful Defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation Form. The student has sole responsibility for assuring that all forms related to the proposal and dissertation are completed, and that all work related to the dissertation conforms to the accepted style and format of the USF Graduate School. Read the Graduate School website for specific details required by the USF Graduate School regarding dissertation presentation and preparation of the final manuscript (http://www.grad.usf.edu/thesis.php). After the successful defense of the doctoral dissertation students should submit the Successful Defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation Form signed by Committee members and moderator to the Department Academic Coordinator and the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs. In addition, students should also submit the Certificate of Approval Form for Theses and Dissertations Form to the Department Academic Coordinator and the COPH Office of Academic and Student Affairs after it has been signed by committee members after all corrections and modifications have been completed satisfactorily. Submission of Dissertation It is essential that the dissertation be submitted in an acceptable format. The details of the format of the doctoral dissertation defense are provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and the USF Graduate School Catalog and website. Students are required to attend an Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Workshop sponsored by the USF Graduate School (in person or online) the semester prior to graduation. Students are required to follow the format given in Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation web site at (http://www.grad.usf.edu/thesis.php).  Additional information about the dissertation submission process is provided in the Department Doctoral Student Handbook and the USF Graduate School Catalog and website.

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title Application for Degree
Each student planning to complete the degree requirements by the end of a term must submit a Graduate Degree Graduation Application (http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/academicaffairs/graduation.html) by the deadline noted in the Academic Calendar for the term in which the student expects to graduate. The student must file an application whether or not the student is participating in the commencement ceremony. Completed forms should be turned in to the College of Public Health Office of Academic and Student Affairs. Note that students must be enrolled for at least 2 credit hours in the semester they wish to graduate.  Students should consult the College of Public Health Office of Academic and Student Affairs, the USF Graduate School Catalog and website for more information.

 department guidelines see Epidemiology and Biostatistics Student Resources Page.

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