USF Health’s footprint as a leader the world of online learning continues to grow.

The University of South Florida made its first appearance in the Guide to Online Schools, which uses data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics to rank colleges with the best quality and most affordable online programs. The NCES is the federal government’s primary entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

USF came in at number 25 – the only Florida public university on the guide’s 2013 rankings for  “best overall” online colleges.  The university’s 22 online degree offerings cited included six graduate programs from USF Health.

Three of the USF College of Public Health’s online master’s degree (MPH) programs — in Public Health Administration, Disaster Management, and Public Health Practice – were noted in the Guide to Online Schools annual index.   The USF College of Nursing’s master’s (MS) degree in Nursing Education and its Nurse Practitioner graduate program (which offers some components of the program in an online format) were cited, as was the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s online master’s (MS) degree in Medical Sciences (with a Health Sciences concentration).

U.S. News & World Report, meanwhile, has ranked USF’s online graduate education programs 47^th — among the top in the nation.

The Guide to Online Schools listing does not encompass all USF Health’s online offerings.  For instance, USF Health just launched an all-online Master of Science in Health Informatics program uniquely housed within the medical school, which is scheduled to begin this summer. 

The USF College of Public Health recently added an online format for the MPH degree in epidemiology, scheduled to begin in May.   The school was among those featured in a recent Nation’s Health article on the growing popularity of online public health education – particularly among working health professionals and those with geographical constraints.

“We were the first school of public health in the nation to offer a distance-based master’s degree in public health, before online-teaching technology was even available and definitely before it was a cool thing to do,” said Donna Petersen, ScD, dean of the USF College of Public Health.

“Today, we have several full degrees on line and many graduate certificates.  Nearly two-thirds of our courses are fully on-line or blended – involving on-line components in order to maximize face-to-face teaching time.”

For more information, go to http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=5093&z=210

Beginning in May, epidemiology graduate students at the University of South Florida College of Public Health will be able to earn a master of public health degree in an online, as well as an on-campus format.  The College’s newest professional degree for distance-learners emphasizes epidemiologic principles and methods while providing students with a broad understanding of public health, without needing to relocate.

“Successful graduates of the program are trained in epidemiological and biostatistical techniques to evaluate the health status of populations, identify risk factors for health-related outcomes, and critically evaluate the impact of health related interventions,” said Kathleen O’Rourke, PhD, professor of epidemiology and director of the program.  “This program was developed in support of the College of Public Health’s goal to advance a learning community that nurtures discovery, leadership, and practice.” 

Using multimedia, web-based technologies for instruction, the online epidemiology concentration incorporates the Internet, streaming media, web-based tutorials, and other digital learning resources. Students will engage with peers and faculty through e-mail, web conferencing, discussion forums, and virtual chat features.

Students can complete all degree requirements for a master of public health in epidemiology within 2 to 2-1/2 years.  The degree is offered through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. With 17 full-time faculty members, more than 190 degree and certificate students, a new online master’s degree, and two new graduate certificate programs, it is one of the College’s fastest-growing departments.

Kathleen O’Rourke, PhD

USF  is at the forefront of providing  quality education in a virtual format and the College of Public Health helping lead this effort. In August, the College’s advances in distance learning were featured in The Nation’s Health.

“At the University of South Florida College of Public Health, enrollment in online public health degree programs has more than doubled since the middle of the last decade. The university was one of the first to offer distance-based public health education. It began in 1993 with satellite-delivered courses to 33 health departments across Florida,” said Deanna Wathington, MD, MPH, associate dean for academic and student affairs at the College of Public Health. “Today, the college offers more than 70 courses that are fully online, including six online master’s degrees and 10 online graduate certificates with student enrollments of approximately 4,000 students per semester.”

Click here to learn more about online education in the USF College of Public Health, or contact Dr. Kathleen O’Rourke at korourke@health.usf.edu to discuss the master of public health in epidemiology.

When higher education and business leaders rallied this spring to announce Graduate Tampa Bay, a campaign to boost the number of local college graduates, a new USF College of Nursing program was among those cited for helping to elevate the region’s 21^st century workforce.

USF has launched a “first-of-its-kind”  RN-to-BS degree that provides an entirely online curriculum to assist nurses with obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

With a focus on clinical practice, education, and leadership, the College of Nursing’s online program allows students the flexibility to study and learn at a time and place that’s most convenient to them. The 30-credit program can be completed in three semesters if attending full-time, and costs less than $6,000. In spring 2012, the college enrolled 50 students in the program, and another 85 were enrolled this summer.

USF President Judy Genshaft,left, with USF nursing student Cheryl Combs at the Graduate Tampa Bay event in March 2012. – photo by Eric Younghans/USF Health Communications

“We’re really trying to prepare them for not only what they’re facing now, but what they’ll be facing in the next 20 years,” said Rita F. D’Aoust, PhD, associate dean for academic affairs and interprofessional initiatives at the USF College of Nursing.

Dr. D’Aoust was quoted in a recent article about the innovative curriculum posted by 83 Degrees Media. The story also included comments by Cheryl Combs, a home health nurse currently enrolled in the online program.

“I can tell I’m going to become a better nurse,”  Combs said in the article. “A lot of the projects they’re having us do are making me better at my profession.”

To read the full article, visit the 83 Degrees website at “USF Attracts Nurses To New Degree Program, Tampa.”