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

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The DrPH Program

The DrPH prepares advanced practice professionals for leadership roles in practice‐based settings such as health departments, non‐profit organizations, health services, international agencies, and community‐based organizations. Accordingly, the emphasis of the DrPH is placed on fostering advanced expertise and leadership in developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence‐based public health practice.

Mission

The mission of the DrPH degree is to prepare practitioners for leadership, management, and advocacy in public health practice, through a scientific, interdisciplinary approach to understanding and solving public health problems in the public and private sectors, the United States, and worldwide. 

This mission relates directly to the University of South Florida mission, which includes creating a community of learners

together

with significant and sustainable university‐community partnerships and collaborations, as well as designing, building, and strengthening

and building sustainable

healthy communities and improving quality of life.

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title 2017 Curriculum Overview
The 2017 DrPH curriculum requires 43 semester hours beyond the masters degree. The core curriculum of the DrPH concentration in Advanced Practice Leadership is comprised of four curriculum clusters (22 credits) plus electives (15 credits): Cluster 1: Community Engagement Cluster 2: Leadership and Management Cluster 3: Communication and Education Cluster 4: Evidence-Informed Public Health DrPH advanced training is comprised of the following culminating activities (6 credits): Collaboration with senior public health practitioners through Applied Practice Experiences designed to develop both leadership and advanced practice skills. Verification of DrPH core knowledge through a qualifying examination administered by the student's dissertation committee. Completion of a practice-based dissertation that addresses, generates, interprets and/or evaluates knowledge applicable to public health practice.

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title 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 on-campus DrPH Institutes. This combination of program delivery formats allows working professionals to broaden their grasp 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.

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title Accreditation
The University of South Florida is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS). The College of Public Health degree programs are accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).

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title Admission to the Program
Required Application Documentation Applicants to the DrPH degree are required to complete both a SOPHAS application and a USF Office of Graduate Studies application.  Required Documentation: Completed SOPHAS application (requires the following): Transcripts GRE taken within five years preceding application. This requirement can be waived if the student has at least a 3.5 GPA, or has a terminal degree (PhD, ScD, or EdD) from an accredited institution, or an advanced professional degree (MD, DDS, DO, DVM, JD, PharmD, DPT) from an accredited institution with licensure in the United States. Any student seeking a waiver must submit a GRE waiver request. Minimum of three letters of recommendation Detailed personal statement of less than five pages that describes why you wish to obtain a DrPHdegree in Public Health and your area of interest Resume or curriculum vitae Applicants whose native language is not English or who have not earned a degree in the United States must also submit TOEFL scores earned within two (2) years of the desired term of entry. A minimum total of 79 on the internet-based test, 213 on the computer-based test, or 550 on the paper-based test are requried. Applications submitted with TOEFL scores that do not meet the minimum requirements will be denied with no exceptions.  (Section 6.2 Admissions Tests Information for more information) Completed USF Office of Graduate Studies application (student will be notified to complete this step after the SOPHAS application has been verified)   Program Admission Requirements In addition to meeting the University requirements for admissions (see section 4 of the Graduate Catalog), applications to the DrPH program must meet the following minimum criteria in order to be considered for admission. However, the meeting of these criteria shall not be the only basis for admission. Applicants must have an MPH, MSPH, or MHA degree from an accredited institution. Those who hold other graduate degrees will be considered, but as a pre-requisite to the DrPH program of study, they must complete the equivalent of the MPH core courses. Applicants must have a minimum of two years advanced work experience in public health or as a health professional, and must demonstrate public health leadership potential in their statement of purpose and letters of recommendation. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA in their masters degree. Applicants must take the GRE unless they are eligible for a waiver (see Required Application Documentation above). The GRE score will be compared to the applicant pool and the national GRE norms when admission is considered. Applicants must identify an interest area in their statement of purpose, and will be admitted only if a faculty advisor is identified who agrees to serve as the student's major professor, based on the applicant's qualifications and the fit between the applicant and the faculty advisor. The final decision on admission is made by the faculty of the College. In order to be considered for admission to the DrPH Program in Public Health, applicants must be fully prepared to attend three DrPH Institutes on-campus.   Contact Us: To learn more about the DrPH program or the admissions process, please contact an Academic Advisor at (813) 974-6505 or email us preadmissions@health.usf.edu.

 

The DrPH Guidebook

This DrPH Guidebook has four sections, linked below and on the upper left of this page. Follow these four steps to work through your program. 

• Get started in the DrPH program
• Plan your DrPH program of study
• Register for DrPH courses
• Complete the DrPH requirements

Each DrPH Guidebook page will have this link at the bottom to allow you to come back to this home page and access the menu:

Get Assistance

Navigating your DrPH experience can be challenging at times, and we are here to help. This guidebook walks you through the basic steps from your first semester to graduation. Please reach out to us with any questions you have.

All DrPH students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 43 post masters credit hours.

Admission information can be found on our Graduate Admissions page.

Degree and Concentration Information