Public Health at the University of South Florida

About this program

The Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship program, at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, is a Graduate Fellowship program awarding financial assistance to selected returned Peace Corps volunteers who are pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH). All Coverdell Fellows will complete internships in underserved communities in the Tampa Bay Area, while working under the supervision of faculty. Concurrently, Fellows have the opportunity to fulfill the Peace Corps’ Third Goal: To promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. University of South Florida is ranked No. 1 in the state of Florida and No. 16 in the nation. At USF's COPH, students at all levels engage with high-tech, active learning classrooms, competitive curriculums, and supportive faculty members and peers as they make their way toward improving public health throughout the U.S. and around the world. Come and be a part of innovative research that has a strong global footprint.

Year partnership began: 2018
Fellowships awarded per year (average): 4

Application requirements

MPH does not require test scores.
Transcripts SOPHAS requires ALL foreign transcripts to have a course-by-course evaluation from World Education Services (WES, http://www.wes.org/).
A minimum of two letters of recommendation of a professional or academic nature.
A resume or curriculum vitae.
A statement of purpose and objectives.
The SOPHAS application fee must be paid.

Admissions process

Step 1 – Applicants will apply to the College of Public Health via SOPHAS by the application deadline for the Fall Semester
Step 2 - Indicate in your SOPHAS application your desire to apply to the Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program and complete the additional essay
Step 3 - Applicants will be notified of their admission to the College of Public Health
Step 4 -The Peace Corps Coordinator will contact admitted Coverdell Applicants and request their DOS, CV, and any additional documentation
Step 5 - All Coverdell applicants will be notified of their Coverdell application status.
Step 6 -If selected, applicants will have 1 week to decide if they wish to accept or decline the Coverdell offer and communicate with the COPH Peace Corps Coordinator

Degrees awarded

Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Public Health

Benefits and opportunities

	In-state	Out-of-state
Tuition and fees	$20,030	$40,460
Value of fellowship	$4,000	$23,530
Net cost	$16,030	$16,930

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $None

Cost savings details

All Coverdell Fellows will receive a Scholarship from the College of Public Health for $2,000 when they enroll in the program, renewable in year 2 as long as the student is making satisfactory progress in their degree program. Fellows may receive this award twice, for a total of $4,000 of scholarship support.

Coverdell Fellows will receive an out-of-state tuition waiver, which covers approximately 58% of in-state tuition which will result in significant savings on tuition.

The College of Public Health will prioritize Coverdell Fellows for a Graduate Assistantship in their academic departments, and at the discretion and need of each department which is equivalent to 80% of in state tuition, payment of the GA health insurance premium if elected by the student, and a stipend for that term.

The College of Public Health will pay for all Coverdell Fellows to take the CPH exam to be certified in public health.

For more information about tuition and fees, please visit: https://www.usf.edu/business-finance/controller/student-services/tuition-rates.aspx

Internship

All Coverdell Fellows will complete internships in underserved communities in the Tampa Bay Area, while working under the supervision of faculty.

Other opportunities

Fellows are given priority for Graduate Assistantships based on availability and research needs.

Jobs for alumni

Our alumni work in a variety of fields across Public Health both domestic and abroad. They are in every sector from the CDC and Carter Center to heads of international NGOs.