Graduate Resources
Graduate FAQ
Application
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Both SOPHAS and USF applications and fees are required for USF's College of Public Health Graduate Programs.
- Complete a SOPHAS application at www.sophas.org and submit all required application materials to SOPHAS. All application materials must be submitted only to SOPHAS.
- Complete and submit the USF graduate application and fee at https://secure.vzcollegeapp.com/usf/. Do not upload or submit any application materials directly to USF.
- Allow two to four weeks for SOPHAS to verify the application. Make sure to follow up with SOPHAS regularly to meet all their requirements to verify your application.
- Monitor the email that you provided in SOPHAS for application decisions and other communications.
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For a full list of deadlines please refer to the Application Deadlines section in the Application Requirements & Process page.
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Find admission requirements by clicking on the degree of interest below:
Admission
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See the USF graduate catalog Admissions Page for admission requirements. There may be further requirements for a specific degree or concentration. See your degree and concentration for details.
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Find admission requirements by clicking on the degree of interest below:
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All of the admissions criteria is taken into account, and the applicants are looked at from a holistic standpoint.
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For details on USF Requirements see the USF Catalog Admissions Page and the USF Office of Admissions International Students Page
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For information on Residency see the Office of the Registrar Residency.
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Minimum English Proficiency Scores for Admission
See the USF Catalog admission requirements for details on minimum English proficiency scores at https://cloud.usf.edu/catalog/grad/admissions.
For a list of English speaking countries exempt from the English proficiency examination requirement, please see the International Admissions website: http://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/graduate/requirements-deadlines/english-proficiency.aspx
Additionally, SOPHAS requires all foreign transcripts to have a course by course evaluation from World Education Services (WES, http://www.wes.org/). An exception to the WES evaluation requirement may be made on a case by case basis by Graduate Admissions at the College of Public Health, if WES is unable to evaluate an applicant’s transcripts, and such proof is submitted.
Prerequisites
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Students with undergraduate majors in the health science field tend to be most successful. Additionally, sociology, psychology, and social work are also appropriate for particular concentrations. Business degrees are helpful if the student is interested in Health Administration.
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Some concentrations may require prerequisite coursework. It is suggested that if the student does not have the health science background that they may wish to take some Intro courses to familiarize themselves with Public Health.
Tuition, Costs, and Fees
Program
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International field experience is a practicum that is open to all College of Public Health students, and is mandatory for students in the Global Health Practice and Epidemiology & Global Health concentrations. It is considered an important part of the academic curriculum, serving as a structured and significant educational experience. The International Field Experience takes place in an agency, institution, or community in a developing country, and under the supervision of the Host Country Supervisor and the guidance of the student’s Academic Advisor.
For more information regarding this program, you may contact:
Patricia Roque
Academic Services Administrator for Experiential Learning
Coverdell Fellows Coordinator
College of Public Health, Academic and Student Affairs
University of South Florida
proque@usf.edu
(813) 974-9671 -
The College of Public Health offers a variety of Master’s concentrations and certificate programs in an online format to suit the needs of the off-campus student. The following concentrations are available in an online format:
Online MPH – Master of Public Health
- Public Health Practice
- Global Disaster Management, Humanitarian Relief and Homeland Security
- Epidemiology
- Infection Control
- Health, Safety & Environment
- Social Marketing
- Nutrition and Dietetics
DrPH — Doctor of Public Health
- Fall and spring courses are offered fully online, but students are required to come to campus for one week during each summer term.
Online Graduate Certificates
- Public Health Generalist
- Concepts & Tools of Epidemiology
- Disaster Management
- Homeland Security
- Humanitarian Assistance
- Infection Control
- Public Health Policy and Programs
- Social Marketing and Social Change
- Applied Biostatistics
- Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
- Toxicology
- Health Safety and Environment
- Assessing Chemical Toxicity and Public Health Risks
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The University of South Florida is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; Telephone number 404-679-4500, or at http://www.sacscoc.org/) to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral levels, including the Doctor of Medicine.
The College of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH), http://ceph.org. CEPH (800 Eye Street, NW, Suite 202, Washington, D.C. 20001-3710) is an independent agency that is recognized by the US Department of Education to accredit schools of public health. The College received notice dated June 27, 2019 that it has been reaccredited for seven years, through July 1, 2026; this is the maximum possible number of years attainable in a reaccreditation cycle.
The MHA (Master of Health Administration) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), https://www.cahme.org
The MSPH in Genetic Counseling is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling. http://www.gceducation.org
The USF Dietetic Internship is accredited by The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics(ACEND).
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Graduate Certificate Programs allow a student to take a concentration in a specific topical area without being admitted to a degree program. Certificates range from 9 to 16 credits to complete, depending on the one selected. By comparison, the MPH requires a minimum of 42 credits.
Open to students who have completed a Bachelor's degree, Graduate Certificate Programs are designed to meet your continuing professional education needs. Credits taken can apply, if appropriate, to a Master's or PhD degree in Public Health or related disciplines should the student later be admitted to seek a degree. Graduate Certificate program acceptance requires admittance by the Graduate School.
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Scholarships and assistantships are offered to PhD students and not available for newly admitted Master's students at USF’s College of Public Health. However, there are assistantship opportunities for enrolled students to apply after their first term of enrollment in the College of Public Health and across the University and are posted on the USF website. Students are eligible to be teaching assistants after completion of 18 graduate credits. Calls for applications are posted each semester.