The College of Public Health is a jewel in the crown of the University of South Florida. U.S. News & World Report ranks the college as #16 nationally among CEPH accredited public health schools and colleges. And, the college is the highest ranked public health program in Florida.

But, ranking isn’t the only reason why the #USFCOPHRocks! Here are 10 ways students are living their best life ever at the College of Public Health!

1.  We like being first! Established in 1984 as the first college of public health in the State of Florida, the USF College of Public Health is a recognized leader in online education, social marketing, community health, maternal and child health, and global infectious disease research. The college offers multiple concentrations that lead to BSHS, BSPH, MHA, MPH, MSPH, DrPH, and PhD degrees, as well as several dual degrees, graduate certificates and online programs.

2. COPH leads the way in online education. Since 1996, we’ve delivered high quality courses in a virtual format to students around the globe. All COPH faculty who teach online courses apply the Quality Matters rubric to their courses. If you’re looking for an online program, make sure you’re looking for the QM certification, too! Better yet, in times like these trust a proven leader (us) with your education.

3. Public students are a catalyst for health. “Our practice is our passion” is more than a tagline for us. Every day students work tirelessly to improve the health of the population in Tampa and around the world!

4.  COPH leads the nation with the most public health certified faculty and staff. COPH students are paired with a faculty member to conduct research on public health challenges and engage in active community-based research. We recognize that it is not only through discovery and learning, but through the direct translation and application of knowledge to policies and programs that one succeeds in improving the public’s health! By the way, did we mention how public health students continually present their award-winning research and practice at local, state, national, and international professional meetings, and are published in numerous peer-reviewed journals? Yeah, we got it going on!

5. Health students make life better. Online or on-campus, in the classroom or in the community, public health students collaborate with fellow health students in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy to form USF Health, whose mission is to envision and implement the future of health!

6. Location, location, location! A major metropolis on Florida’s west coast, the Tampa Bay region offers plenty of sunshine, arts and entertainment, professional sports, and an annual average temperature of 73 degrees! The COPH is geographically located in a region that is ripe for examining tropical, neglected and emerging diseases like West Nile, Zika and Chikungunya.

7. Public health students rock! Service-learning opportunities are woven throughout the curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate level. The USF Health Service Corps connects health students with short and long term volunteer opportunities in the community. COPH students annually dedicate more than 2,400+ volunteer hours to making life better at home and around the world!

8. COPH is home to 12 internationally recognized centers and institutes addressing areas of public health importance. Within the primary COPH building there are labs that support research and training in environmental health, industrial hygiene, physiology, water and air quality, immunology, toxicology, parasitology, risk management, ergonomics, heat stress, occupational safety, infectious diseases, and microbiology. Plus, USF’s Interdisciplinary Research Building is home to the Center for Global Health Infectious Disease. Neglected diseases are researched there using drug and vaccine discovery methods with functional genomics and computational biology analysis.

9.COPH students travel the world. Internships, practicums and study abroad experiences allow our students to experience public health first-hand and help find solutions to pressing health issues. More than 100 students annually travel abroad to about 20 different countries. So, grab your passport and prepare to explore Cuba, India, Japan, London and Panama, Uganda, Belize, Ecuador, Panama, and Quebec!  Returned Peace Corps volunteers can apply for the Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship.

10. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Bulls Country is the place to be!

Join the herd and unite with Bulls who are passionately solving problems and creating conditions that allow every person the universal right to health and well-being.

Apply to the USF College of Public Health today!