DrPH Qualifying Exam

2014-2016 Catalogs

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. Exam questions will be generated by the DrPH Admissions and Advisory Committee. The exam will be administered and evaluated by the student’s DrPH Dissertation Committee. Results of the written exam will be communicated in writing to the student within 15 working days of the examination. If all or part of the exam is failed, the student will have one more opportunity to retake the exam. After successful completion of the qualifying exam and appropriate paperwork is submitted to and approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, the student is admitted to candidacy and may register for dissertation hours in the semester following Office of Graduate Studies approval. 

2017 Catalog

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 written Doctoral Project Plan 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.

Please note that a DrPH student should not submit the "Admission to Candidacy" form to USF–it is not required in the 2017 program. Once the qualifying exam is approved, the student must submit the DrPH Qualifying Exam Completion Form to the College (see process below).

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 written Doctoral Project Plan 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 student should begin working with their Major Professor early in the program to develop ideas for their doctoral project.  The student should then work with the Major Professor and other committee members as needed on completing the Doctoral Project Plan prior to submission for evaluation.
• The Rubric for the written Doctoral Project Plan can be found here.

• Once approved by the Major Professor, the student will notify the committee members of intention to be examined on the Doctoral Project Plan, 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 written Doctoral Project Plan to the committee members a minimum of two weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination.

Format of Qualifying Exam Presentation

• 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.

Doctoral Plan Outline

Doctoral Project Plan Description