MPH FAQs

Students should discuss any change to their program with their faculty mentor before requesting a change. Change of Faculty Mentor requests may be made through the Archivum system and is an online process. 

A student may drop a course(s) during the following times:

1. During regular registration and the drop/add periods (first five days of classes). No entry of the course(s) will appear on any permanent academic records and full refund of fees is due for course(s) dropped within those periods.
2. Between the second and tenth week of the semester (except for summer sessions - see the Summer Schedule of Classes for dates). Registration fees and tuition must be paid for the course(s) and the academic record will reflect a “W” grade for the dropped course(s)
3. Following the tenth week deadline if the request meets one of the following exceptions: 

• • Illness of the student of such severity or duration to preclude completion of the course(s) as confirmed in writing by a physician (MD).
  • Death of the student or death in the immediate family (parent, spouse, child or sibling) as confirmed by documentation (death certificate, obituary) indicating the student’s relationship to the deceased.
  • Involuntary call to active military duty as confirmed by military orders.
  • A situation in which the University is in error as confirmed by an appropriate University official.
  • Other documented exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student which precluded completion of the course(s) accompanied by explanatory letter and supporting documentation.

Courses may not be dropped after the last day of classes except in cases of University Administrative error.

You can drop a course in the OASIS system up to the final add/drop date.  After the final drop date the form required for this action is a USF Graduate Petition. Form should be completed and sent to Academic and Student Affairs cophpermits@health.usf.edu for final signature and processing.  Petitions submitted will take 2-3 weeks to process before a change in the OASIS system is noted.

Also see the Registration page, Drop Course, Withdrawal, and Fee Adjustment section.

After a student has completed his/her registration on the date assigned, he/she may add a course(s) during the drop/add week (i.e. through the fifth day of classes) through the OASIS system. Courses may be added with instructor approval and verification up to the last day to withdraw without academic penalty. See Academic Deadlines for deadlines. Courses may not be added after the deadline to withdraw without academic penalty or retroactively except in cases of University Administrative error.

Please see our staff to assist you during the first week of classes to add a course in the OASIS system. To petition to add a course after add/drop week the form required for this action is a USF Graduate Petition available in the COPH Academic and Student Affairs Office. Petitions submitted will take 2-3 weeks to process before a change in the OASIS system is noted.

1. Complete Application to Degree and USF Graduation Survey on Oasis
   1. Application to Degree (Completed on Oasis - accessed via MyUSF)
2. Follow the /wiki/spaces/COPHHB/pages/16576348163in the COPH guidebooks
3. Check USF Health email for any updates. We will not correspond through other email addresses.
4. Submit your application on time! Any application received after the deadline will not be accepted. See Important Deadlines.

To change a grade in a course, the student will need to contact the course instructor for review. If the instructor wishes to change the student’s grade he can do so using the e-grades submission function in Canvas. E-Grades are only available at specific points during the semester, specifically, when grades are due. The window for midterm and final grade submission, and consequently e-Grades tool availability, is determined by the registrar's office.

In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10) (g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: Policy 10-045.

The College of Public Health does not permit students who are pursuing masters or doctoral degrees to use the degree acronym after their names and a small "c" for candidate. In other words students are not permitted to use MPHc, MSPHc, MHAc, PhDc, or DrPHc. If students, after successfully completing all comprehensive exams (core and concentration) for the master degrees or the qualifying exam for the doctoral degree wish to put after their name the words "master degree candidate" or "doctoral degree candidate*" – we allow this. The use of the degree acronym and small "c" creates confusion for faculty, employers, and other individuals who are reviewing students' CVs and other materials. It creates a situation wherein a student appears to have earned a degree when such is not the case. As a degreegranting College, we do not allow this.

Please see USF policy regarding Transfer of Credit.

Yes you may. You need to see your advisor and explain what course(s) you would like be substituted.You may begin and complete the process in Archivum. Please click here to see the steps of starting and completing the process.

A student may drop a course(s) during the following times:

• During regular registration and the drop/add periods (first five days of classes). No entry of the course(s) will appear on any permanent academic records and full refund of fees is due for course(s) dropped within those periods.
• Between the second and tenth week of the semester (except for summer sessions - see the Summer Schedule of Classes for dates). Registration fees and tuition must be paid for the course(s) and the academic record will reflect a “W” grade for the dropped course(s).
• Following the tenth week deadline if the request meets one of the following exceptions: 
  • Illness of the student of such severity or duration to preclude completion of the course(s) as confirmed in writing by a physician (M.D.).
  • Death of the student or death in the immediate family (parent, spouse, child or sibling) as confirmed by documentation (death certificate, obituary) indicating the student’s relationship to the deceased.
  • Involuntary call to active military duty as confirmed by military orders.
  • A situation in which the University is in error as confirmed by an appropriate University official.
  • Other documented exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student which precluded completion of the course(s) accompanied by explanatory letter and supporting documentation.

Courses may not be dropped after the last day of classes except in cases of University Administrative error.

You can drop a course in the OASIS system up to the final drop date without academic penalty. See the COPH Schedule for dates.  After the final drop date the form required for this action is a USF Graduate Petition available in the COPH Academic and Student Affairs Office.  Please see our staff to assist you.  Petitions submitted will take 2-3 weeks to process before a change in the OASIS system is noted.

The following is from the USF Graduate catalog (Probation)

Any student who is not in good standing at the end of a semester shall be considered on probation as of the following semester. The college or major may also place students on probation for other reasons as designated by the college or major. Notification of probation shall be made to the student in writing by the department, with a copy to the College Dean. At the end of each probationary semester, the department shall recommend, in writing, to the College Dean one of the following:

1. Removal of probation;
2. Continued probation; OR
3. Dismissal from the degree program.

Students on probation may only enroll in graduate courses (5000‐7000 level) that are part of the approved degree program requirements as specified in the Graduate Catalog. Students with a GPA below 3.00 for two consecutive semesters will be prevented from registering for courses without the permission of the College Dean. The College Dean will notify the Dean of the Office of Graduate Studies in cases of academic dismissal. To be readmitted, the student will need to reapply for admission, meeting the admission criteria in place at the time. For information on the Automated Probation Process go to USF's Academic Probation Procedure. 

Yes. But be careful of time to degree.

Master's and Ed.S. degrees must be completed within five (5) years from the student's date of admission for graduate study. Courses taken prior to admission to the USF graduate major, for example as non-degree seeking or from other institutions, must be transferred in prior to graduation (preferably before the end of the student's second semester). Master and Ed.S. degrees (including concurrent degrees) that require course work in excess of 50 credit hours may be granted a longer time limit by the University Graduate Council.

Time Limit Extensions
In the event that a student nears the end of the time limitation as specified above, but the student needs more time to complete the degree, the student may submit a request for an extension using the Time Limit Extension Request Form, available on the Office of Graduate Studies Forms webpage.

Requests must include:

• the reasons for the delay in completion,
• the anticipated time needed for completion,
• endorsements from the graduate faculty advisor, graduate major, and College Dean or designee,
• a detailed plan of study denoting the pathway to completion and timeline for the the remaining requirements for the degree

Note — for the time limit extension procedures, if the time limit extension will cause courses taken within the major to be older than 10 years, then a request for course concurrency may be required or the courses may be invalidated toward the degree requirements, per the time-limit policy.

If approved, the time-limit extension applies to courses applied toward the degree, with the exception of those transferred in or from completed majors. However, majors may require additional or repeat coursework as part of the condition of the time-limit extension. Students who exceed the time limitations may have their registration placed on hold until a request for extension has been approved. Only one time-limit extension request is permitted. Students who are temporarily unable to continue the major should submit a Leave of Absence Request, which extends the time limit for the duration of the approved Leave for up to two years (see the section on Leave of Absence in the Enrollment Requirements section.)

Note - Time Limit Extensions are valid for a maximum period of two (2) years from the date of request.  For more information and guidance, contact the Office of Graduate Studies and 813 974-6505.

Students who do not meet the enrollment requirements will become inactive. Once inactive a student will have to be readmitted or reinstated. Students should contact their advisor to determine the course of action.  See the USF Readmission Policy.

Yes. Non-degree coursework is considered transfer coursework. With the approval of their graduate degree program, students may, but are not guaranteed, transfer of graduate-level structured coursework from regionally accredited institutions; this includes USF System Institutions. These courses must have grades of B or better to be eligible for transfer of credit. To ensure compliance with Institutional Enrollment Requirements (Residency), up to a maximum of 49% of a given graduate degree program’s minimum hours may be transferred; these hours are reflected in the individual degree program listings in the USF Graduate Catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment for that degree program. For doctoral programs, this percentage is based on the post-baccalaureate minimums. No coursework may be transferred that was completed five or more years prior to enrollment in the graduate degree program

Please contact the COPH registration and scheduling team.

All courses, with the exception of those approved for transfer of credit, should meet the time limit specified for the degree and be academically relevant as determined by the faculty in the graduate major. Courses used for the graduate degree requirements can be no more than ten years old at the time the degree is conferred.

For a listing of the most current, approved course descriptions refer to the USF Course Inventory available online or in the course description listing in the Graduate Catalog.

You can view the syllabi for previous courses taught.

Any course that is 5000 level or higher. Some courses have similar course titles but are different levels. It is expected that the 4000 and 6000 courses will have distinct syllabi demonstrating different depth and breadth of the subject matter as reflected in the course requirements. The courses presuppose different audiences, and the intention is to offer them at distinct levels. 

A student who wishes to sit in on a class to review the course material may do so; however, the student is not allowed to take exams, earn grades, or receive credit. The student’s status for that class is an audit and his/her presence in the classroom is as a listener. Audit status must be obtained only during the first five days of the term by filing an Audit Form and a date-stamped permit from the college/department on the campus where the course is being offered, with the Registrar’s Office. IN-STATE fees are assessed for all audit courses. Procedure and forms for requesting to audit are available on the Registrar’s website.

Graduate students may not take courses in the major on an S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) basis unless courses are specifically designated S/U in the Catalog. Students may take courses outside of the major on a S/U basis with prior approval of the course professor, major professor or advisor, and the Dean of the College in which the student is seeking a degree. The student may apply a maximum of six hours of such credit (excluding those courses for which S/U is designated in the Catalog) toward a master’s degree. Directed Research, Thesis, and Dissertation courses are designated as variable credit and are graded on an S/U basis only. Before a student begins work under Directed Research, a written agreement must be completed between the student and the professor concerned, setting forth in detail the requirements of the course.

No. Transfer work transfers credit hours only. No grades are transferred, therefor not affecting your GPA at USF. This does include non-degree courses that were taken at USF, if it was taken at USF it will go towards your GPA.

You should contact the graduate advising team via email at coph-grad@health.usf.edu. You can also contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs in the College of Public Health at 813-974-6505