The College of Public Health is committed to the success of all of its students. To that end, we want to provide you with the information and resources you may need as you complete your Graduate Certificate.
For USF policies and procedures, please see the USF Catalog. The catalog includes information on:
- Certificate policies
- Student eligibility and admissions criteria
- Certificate completion
In addition, the below content covers COPH processes and notes on certain policies.
Course Selection and Registration Assistance
The College of Public Health has designated assistance to students who are pursuing any of the Graduate Certificates offered by the college.
- For Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Certificate Students and USF Degree-Seeking Students Whose Programs are NOT in the College of Public Health: Please consult the advisor for your Graduate Certificate area.
- For College of Public Health Degree-Seeking Students: contact your designated Graduate Concentration Advisor for assistance.
Graduate Certificate Time Limits
From the semester of your acceptance to the Graduate Certificate, you have five (5) years to complete all required coursework and to submit the Graduate Certification Completion Form.
Update Term of Entry
If you are a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Certificate student unable to begin your Graduate Certificate program for the semester for which you applied, please complete the Update Term of Entry Request Form with the University Registrar’s Office to begin in a future term from your original term of entry: https://www.usf.edu/registrar/documents/forms/update_term_of_entry.pdf
Course Payment and Financial Aid Information
Payment Deadline
Tuition and Fees for the term are due before the end of the first week of the semester and may be paid through your OASIS account or at the Cashier’s Office.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Non-degree seeking students pursuing Graduate Certificates are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. Degree-seeking students pursuing Graduate Certificates may use federal financial aid funds to pay for Graduate Certificate coursework ONLY if that coursework also fulfills the requirements for the degree to which the student has been admitted at the same time.
Reduced Rate Tuition
Generally, the rate of tuition is determined by the student’s state residency (in-state or out-of-state). However, for select online Graduate Certificate programs, out-of-state students can pay a special tuition rate that is lower than the out-of-state rate. For eligible Graduate Certificate programs and instructions on how to access this special reduced rate, please visit this link: https://usfjira.atlassian.net/wiki/display/COPHHB/MPH+Registration#MPHRegistration-reducedrate
Graduate Certification Completion Form
At the conclusion of the last required course to complete the Graduate Certificate, please submit the Graduate Certificate Completion Form and submit it to Graduate Certificate Director and College Dean for review and signature. The form can be found at the following link: https://www.usf.edu/innovative-education/graduate-certificates/how-to-apply/certificate-completion.aspx. Certificate completion forms must be submitted prior to graduating if a student is degree-seeking.