Our Legacy

The University of South Florida's College of Public Health, founded in 1984, was the state's first college of public health. Now, ranked No. 29 in the nation, and ranking highest in public health degree programs offered in Florida, we continue to be home to the best and the brightest. With several high-tech, active learning classrooms, highly sought-after faculty, and a new Master of Public Health curriculum, it's easy to see why.

Integrated Core

As a newly admitted graduate student at USF's COPH, your program will begin with our foundational core curriculum. We have led the way in public health as one of the first colleges to develop an integrated core and practice-based curriculum designed to better address the complex challenges of the 21st century. From day one, students at the COPH engage in active skill-building while fostering professional development throughout their individualized programs. As a graduation requirement, all students are supported in taking the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam, allowing all MPH students to graduate with both an MPH degree and their CPH certification.

Student Life

A large part of the student experience at USF's COPH happens outside of the classroom. We know that these experiences add to student success and depth of learning. Here, we have a wide range of opportunities that seek to enrich the student experience, and connect students with peers, colleagues, and organizations that will only bolster and further guide them along their path. From the Activist Lab, BullPEN and many other public health student organizations, opportunities to get involved are numerous.

Engaged Student Research

In higher education, we often hear: Publish or perish. But students and faculty alike, rest assured. USF's COPH Office of Research supports students in securing funding, engaging in independent and faculty-based research, publishing with peers and colleagues, and making discoveries that impact our local, national and global communities. With that support, USF's COPH continues to see its students produce award-winning student research across multiple disciplines. Several funding opportunities exist within USF as well as outside of the University via federal or private awards. The COPH's Research Support Team is here to assist in finding and securing funds for our students and faculty.

Distance Learning

USF's COPH was the first in the U.S. to offer a distance-based Master of Public Health program via satellite technology and continues to receive high rankings for its Online Master's program (No. 1 in 2023) from the Master's Programs Guide and other esteemed outlets. We are also home to the only online MPH Epidemiology concentration in the U.S., and support distance-learners with our very own Education Technology and Assessment (ETA) Team who are committed to providing a collaborative environment that supports faculty and students to effectively use technology in their online courses, positively influencing their teaching/learning experiences.

With such resources, all students, including non-traditional students, are welcomed to pursue their educational programs at a distance, making their higher education work for them. 

Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

In line with the University's QEP, the COPH continues to create high-impact opportunities for our students to engage in active learning outside of the classroom, inside the community, with local organizations and with other countries abroad. We realize that we are all interconnected, and that what we do here can affect people living in other parts of the world. With our own International Programs, which feature international field experience, study abroad programs, and Peace Corps at COPH, we aim to guide and support our students in becoming global citizens, further transforming the culture of our campus, and ultimately, our people.