Image Added
Welcome to the PhD Program at the College of Public Health! 

...

Image Removed

...

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is granted in recognition of high attainment in a

...

specified field of knowledge. It is a research degree and is not conferred solely upon the earning of credit

...

or the completion of courses

...

. It is granted after the student has shown proficiency and distinctive achievement in a

...

specific field, has demonstrated the ability to do original, independent investigation, and has presented these findings with a high degree of literary skill in a dissertation.

...

title	Mission

...

This degree requires a minimum of 55 credits post-masters. The mission of the programs of study for the Doctor of Philosophy degree is to prepare public health professionals to make substantive contributions to public health inquiry and practice.

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, strengthening and building sustainable healthy communities and improving quality of life.

...

title	Curriculum Overview

...

Prerequisites

The doctoral committee or the department may require prerequisites. These courses are not included in the minimum number of hours a student needs to complete the PhD and are expected to be completed early in the course of study.

Required Course Work

1. Public Health Core Courses (9 credits): PHC 6000 Epidemiology or equivalent, PHC 6050 Biostatistics I or equivalent, and one (1) of the following: PHC Social and Behavioral Sciences applied to health, PHC Environmental and Occupational Health, PHC Health Policy and Management.
2. A minimum of three semesters (one credit each semester) of a college-wide Advanced Interdisciplinary Seminar in Public Health.
3. A minimum of 13 credits at the 7000 level.

The courses and number of credit hours required are defined by the department and the doctoral committee and include course work from another department or college. Generally, the doctoral degree requires a minimum of 90 credits beyond the bachelor's degree. Departments determine the number of credits accepted from previous master(s) degree.

Tools of Research

Tools of research may be required by the department. Departmental Guidelines will address whether they are required for doctoral students within that department (consistency within the department required).  If required, the student must complete a minimum of two of the "Tools of Research" options designated by the department, and approved by the doctoral committee before the student is eligible to take the doctoral qualifying examination. The Tools of Research may include a wide range of skills or competencies relevant to research in the discipline not ordinarily part of the program of study, such as programming languages and application packages or other skills relevant to the area of study. The department will determine if credit hours taken to fulfill the Tools of Research will be credited toward the program of study.

Teaching

All doctoral students will demonstrate or document proficiency in teaching academic courses at the university level. The doctoral committee will determine the required teaching activities or if previous university teaching is sufficient to exempt the student from further teaching experience.

Qualifying Exam

When all required coursework is satisfactorily completed (including tools of research and prerequisites), the student must pass a written comprehensive qualifying examination covering the subject matter in the major and related fields. The department sets the specific criteria. 

The qualifying exam will comprise a written portion and may include an oral component. The exam will cover at least three major areas including: a) Broad area of public health; b)Focus area of study; c) Research methods. The student may have no longer than 10 weeks to complete the exam upon receipt of the exam from the Doctoral Supervisory Committee. The format and duration of the qualifying exam is the responsibility of the Doctoral Supervisory Committee following consultation with the student and consistent with departmental college and university guidelines. The Doctoral Supervisory Committee will have up to 3 weeks to review the exam and determine the outcome of either Pass or Fail. No more than 2 attempts will be allowed for the student to take the qualifying exam and earn a Pass. If the student receives a Fail on the qualifying exam on the first attempt and the Doctoral Supervisory Committee recommends that the student complete remedial work. the second attempt at the qualifying exam must be initiated within 3-months of completion of remedial work. If the student earns a Fail on the first attempt, and the committee determines that no remedial work is needed the student will have a second attempt to pass which must be initiated within 3-months. If the student does not earn a Pass on the qualifying exam on his/her second attempt. the student will not be admitted into doctoral candidacy. After successful completion of the qualifying exam and appropriate paperwork is submitted to Graduate School, the student is admitted to candidacy and may register for dissertation hours.

Dissertation

...

Students should acquire the skills to create and disseminate knowledge, and also to lead, collaborate with and teach others in various public health academic, research and field settings. Therefore, the foundation of a strong PhD program in public health includes:

• Capable, ethical and scholarly faculty to mentor students in their area of interest,
• The potential for financial assistance/funding of doctoral student research and teaching,
• Availability of courses in students area of interest, Students who have the academic and professional potential to achieve the doctoral competencies,
• Students who are ethical, scholarly representatives of the profession and the school,
• The availability of meaningful professional development activities, and
• Opportunities for students to participate in activities.
• Competencies are met by successfully completing a doctoral committee approved plan of academic study and research, and documented professional and other scholarly experiences.

Admission information can be found on our Graduate Admissions page.

Note
title Important Catalog Information
Due to the planned consolidation during the summer of 2020, of the University of South Florida, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, into a single university with a fully aligned and integrated curriculum and a single set of academic policies and procedures, any undergraduate or graduate student who matriculates at one of the three USF institutions on or after May 18, 2020, will adhere to the curricula, policies, and procedures described in the 2020-21 USF undergraduate or graduate catalog, respectively.

Note
icon false title PhD Guidelines
These PhD Guidelines present the USF Office of Graduate Studies policies. The College of Public Health may impose stricter guidelines, policies and procedures as determined by each concentration. It is the responsibility of the student to review and follow the specific guidelines with their concentration chairs, major professor and committee members. Additional USF policies, not found in these guidelines, may be found at www.grad.usf.edu/policies.php or at www.grad.usf.edu/

...

catalog.php.

...

• Option 1: Traditional format inclusive of part I Preliminary pages, part II Text, part III References/Appendices, part IV About the Author
• Option 2: Collection of articles/papers instead of chapters inclusive of Part I Preliminary Pages, Part II Collection of Articles/Papers, Part III References/Appendices.

For details, please refer to the latest version of the USF Tampa Graduate Catalog.
After the Doctoral Dissertation Committee has determined that the final draft of the dissertation is suitable for presentation the committee will request the scheduling and announcement of the Dissertation Defense. Consistent with USF Graduate Degree Requirements a copy of the announcement should be sent to the USF Office of Graduate Studies and posted in a public forum preferably two weeks in advance of the defense date.

Guidelines for students in progress

Each PhD student will undergo an annual review consistent with departmental guidelines. A summary of the annual review will be provided to the student and placed in the student's advising file.

Note: In order to be considered for admission to the PhD Program in Public Health, applicants must be fully prepared to register as full-time students for at least one full academic year (consecutive fall and spring semesters).

Expand
title Program Requirements

Expand
title Mode of Delivery

Expand
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 fully accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).

 

The PhD Guidebook

This PhD 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 PhD program
• Plan your PhD program of study
• Register for PhD courses
• Complete the PhD requirements

Get Assistance

Navigating your PhD 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.

 Steps to Success

• Getting Started
• Learning about /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16743073952 and where to find /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16766959661 information
• Knowing deadlines and where to find Program of Study, /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16774597188, and frequently asked questions
• Keeping your degree on track and in good standing:
  • Keep your degree status active (see continuous enrollment in Enrollment Requirements)
  • Know your degree time limitations
  • Maintain a 3.0 or better Grade Point Average (GPA) or you will be put on probation
• Advisors and Committees
• Qualifying Exam
• Proposal and Dissertation
• Learn about Student Organizations
• Meet with the Doctoral Training Office the term before you graduate and review your status
• Early during the semester you plan to graduate you should register for /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16760340862
• Participate in the COPH graduation celebration, the USF Health graduation ceremony, and join our USF and COPH alumni communities

Degree and Concentration Information

.

...