DrPH Qualifying Exam Completion Form: DrPH Qual Exam Completion Form - When the majority of the student’s coursework is satisfactorily completed, the student must pass a qualifying examination. The student is required to submit a concept paper describing the proposed doctoral project, followed by an oral examination that relates the content, approach, and deliverables of the project to the DrPH curriculum domains in the student’s concentration. The examination will be administered and evaluated by the student’s doctoral project committee. The student must enroll in at least two credits in the semester the exam is completed. In order to qualify for submission of this form, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Attainment of an overall and degree program Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 at USF at the time of the exam.
- All “I” and “M” grades, including “IF” and “MF”, must be cleared.
- Registration in a minimum of two credits in the semester the form is submitted.
- The field-based doctoral project should be designed to influence programs, policies, or systems addressing public health practice. The doctoral project must include a minimum of three high-quality, evidence-based deliverables, with at least one written product. The doctoral project must also demonstrate synthesis of competencies across all of the DrPH curriculum domains in the student's concentration, as follows:
- Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health:
- Community Engagement
- Leadership and Management
- Communication and Education
- Evidence-Informed Public Health
- The concept paper will be initially developed in the Evidence-Informed Public Health 2 course. The student should then work with the Major Professor and other committee members as needed on completing the concept paper prior to submission for evaluation.
- Once approved by the Major Professor, the student will notify the committee members of intention to be examined on the concept paper, and will schedule the oral examination with the committee members at a mutually agreeable time. The oral examination can take place via electronic means of communication if the student is unable to be physically present at the Tampa campus. The student must submit the final draft of the concept paper to the committee members a minimum of two weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination.
- The Chair of the Doctoral Committee introduces the student.
- Oral presentation of the proposed Doctoral Project by student not to exceed 35 minutes.
- First round of questions by committee members.
- Second round of questions by committee members.
- Final round of questions by committee if desired.
Following the qualifying exam, the committee members convene to make final determination of the appropriateness of the doctoral project being proposed and to deliberate recommendations for changes. The rubric for the oral exam can be found here. When the student passes the Qualifying Exam the committee may still require modifications to the Doctoral Project Plan at a later date. The committee must approve changes to the Doctoral Project if they are initiated by the student.
- The oral examination will consist of questions and clarification on the content, approach, and deliverables of the proposal, as well as questions on how the proposal demonstrates synthesis of competencies across the domains in the student's concentration. Typical questions for the concentration in Advanced Practice Leadership in Public Health could include:
- How does the proposed project engage the community? Explain how your content, approach, and deliverables are grounded in your knowledge of community engagement.
- How does the proposed project develop the leadership skills or management goals of yourself or others connected to your project? Explain how your content, approach, and deliverables are grounded in your knowledge of the development of leadership skills, and how organizations and systems are managed.
- How does the proposed project provide for the communication and education needed for transforming public health practice? Explain how your content, approach, and deliverables are grounded in your knowledge of communication and education in public health practice.
- How are the approach, procedures, and deliverables of your project evidence-based? Explain how your content, approach, and deliverables are grounded in research evidence and methodology, and/or in evidence-based program or policy evaluation or program delivery methods.
- The committee members will verify satisfactory completion of the qualifying examination by providing their signature on the DrPH Qualifying Exam Completion Form, within one week of completion of the qualifying examination. The signed form must be submitted to Academic and Student Affairs at cophpermits@health.usf.edu. The student must also upload the signed form to their students document folder in Box: https://usfhealth.account.box.com/login.
- If the student's research involves human subjects, the student is responsible for applying for review by the appropriate IRB review board before proceeding with the proposed work.
- Prior to approval of the doctoral project, the committee will agree on the final deliverables of the project.
|