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

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.

DrPH core training is comprised of three curriculum clusters containing seven curricular domains (43 credits):

• Cluster 1: Advocacy, Leadership, Communication, and Community and Cultural Orientation 
• Cluster 2: Management, Professionalism and Ethics
• Cluster 3: Critical Analysis 

The DrPH also includes a Focus Area (29 credits), which is either a specialization that the student brings from a prior degree, or a new specialization that the student develops during the DrPH degree.

DrPH advanced training is comprised of the following culminating activities (18 credits):

• Collaboration with senior public health practitioners through a practice-based specialized field study 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.  

The DrPH requires 90 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. Candidates who have an MPH or equivalent degree prior to admission will be able to transfer coursework beyond the MPH core into the DrPH core courses or focus area. Please see the section on DrPH Competencies and Prior Learning for further information.

Per university guidelines, all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within 7 calendar years from the student’s date of admission for doctoral study. Within this time frame, the student must complete all required coursework, complete the field study, pass the qualifying examination, be admitted to doctoral candidacy, and complete the dissertation requirement.

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 the on-campus DrPH Institute. 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 any courses on-campus as well as online.

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).

• Director of DrPH program: You can contact Dr. Kate Wolfe-Quintero at kwolfequ@health.usf.edu or (813) 974-5241.
• Assistant Director of Professional Programs: You can contact Somer Burke at sburke@health.usf.edu or (813) 974-6606.
• Office of Academic and Student Affairs: 
  • You can call us at (813) 974-6505 or call toll-free (888) USF-COPH or (888) 873-2674 and press 1.
  • You can email us at advisor@health.usf.edu or view our staff directory to contact someone directly.
  • You can visit us at the WELL (MDA) across Holly street from the College of Public Health. 
  • You can also reach out to /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16768469664
• Admissions: Please go to our Prospective Students page to request an appointment with an advisor.  

All COPH and USF forms that you will need are located on this page: http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/forms.html

Please go to this link for information on a variety of student resources available to you as a student of USF: Student Resources