A first order shear deformation model for static and vibration analysis of composite thick beams and shafts is proposed and verified. The model is based on an earlier one proven to be accurate only for cross-ply laminates. The proposed model uses equivalent stiffness parameters that enable it to be accurate for every laminate. A three dimensional (3D) finite element model (FEM) is used to verify the proposed beam model. The results for different approaches for stiffness calculation were compared to the proposed model and those obtained by FEM in order to verify their accuracy. In addition, the model was applied to tubular cross section beams and the results were compared with experimental data and other models existing in the literature. The results of the proposed model were close to the 3D FEM as well as experimental results.