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The Clinical Translational Sciences (CTS) graduate program is designed to provide a strong foundation in clinical translational sciences for post-baccalaureate or postgraduate students with either a clinical or basic science background. Students may earn either a Master of Science (M.S.), or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in CTS from the University of Arizona. While the CTS program is housed in the College of Medicine - Tucson, students may earn the Ph.D. either at the University's main Tucson campus or at the Phoenix biomedical campus and may work with a faculty mentor from any of the University's Health Sciences colleges..
The program is intended to provide the foundation for a research career in the Clinical Translational Sciences. To achieve this aim, the student requires: (a) an adequate base knowledge of biostatistics and CTS coursework that is specific to the student’s health-related discipline or clinical interest, (b) experience and training in research, culminating in an independent research project, and c) professional development including experience and training in research ethics, presentation and publication of research findings and preparation of grant applications. For Ph.D. students, a Minor program of study is also required in a discipline that is relevant to the student’s long-term scholarly goals.
The mission of the Ph.D program is to train the student to be a skilled researcher who can successfully address both clinical and basic science aspects of translational research. The program provides an avenue for the student to gain experience in and exposure to the diverse areas of the clinical translational sciences and offers a mechanism for the student to obtain in-depth knowledge in a specific area of biomedical research. To this end, students will work with a faculty mentor, contributing to the research done in the mentor’s lab or research group and leading a specific laboratory or clinical research project that will form the basis of the student’s dissertation.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson provides state-of-the-art programs of medical education, groundbreaking research opportunities, and leading-edge patient care. As Arizona’s only MD degree-granting college, the UA College of Medicine is proud to be a resource for the state and its people.
Founded on the campus of the University of Arizona in 1967, today the UA College of Medicine ranks among the top medical schools in the nation for research and primary care. From an initial class of just 32 students, the UA College of Medicine today has graduated more than 3,400 physicians. College of Medicine students, faculty, staff, and alumni today continue more than 45 years of service in advancing medical care and knowledge in Arizona—and around the world.
College of Medicine, Tucson
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Phoenix Campus - Phoenix
International applicants from non-English speaking countries must report an adequate score on an English proficiency exam accepted by the Graduate College. GRE scores are not required.
To the extent funds are available, domestic Ph.D. students receive funding from the CTS program for their first year in the program in the form of employment as a Graduate Research Assistant. By the end of the first year in the program, each Ph.D. student identifies a faculty mentor who will advise them and guide their research. The mentor funds the student, generally via employment in the mentor's laboratory. No CTS funding is available to international Ph.D. students, but the faculty mentor may be able to provide funding. All students are encouraged to apply for grants to support their research and are provided with training in preparing grant applications.
All Applicants (U.S. citizens and permanent residents or international):
Note: All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received by the deadline for the application to be considered. (For questions, please contact CTSsupport@email.arizona.edu.)
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
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Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 (letter grade of B) or better to maintain good academic standing, as required to receive financial support and to be awarded the Ph.D. degree.
Students must complete a minimum of 36 units of coursework toward the CTS major and at least 9 units toward the declared minor (or more for some minors). All courses must be completed at the graduate level, and at least 22 units of coursework must receive regular letter grades (i.e., A, B, C). A limited number of courses may be transferred from another institution with the approval of the major or minor faculty advisor, and presuming the courses earned graduate credit at the home institution with a grade of B or better.
A minimum of 18 units of dissertation must be completed in addition to the required coursework.
All curricular and other requirements for the Ph.D. are detailed in the CTS Graduate Program Handbook available at https://cts.uahs.arizona.edu/programs/forms. Required coursework includes the following:
Principles:
Biostatistics:
Professional Development (min. 4 total units selected from list below):
Seminar/Journal Club (total 6 enrollments in any combination of the courses below):
Dissertation:
Note: Substitutions for any of the above except Dissertation are allowed with approval of the CTS program and the student's faculty mentor.
Commonly used elective courses include:
Note: Students are not restricted to this list of potential elective courses. Each CTS student works with their faculty mentor to select optimal elective courses relevant to the student's research.
A CTS Ph.D. student must complete the following in addition to coursework and the dissertation:
The Graduate College requires all Ph.D. students to complete a doctoral minor. The specific requirements for successful completion of a minor field of study are determined by the program in which the minor is obtained. A typical program of study includes at least 9 units of coursework, though some programs require more. The student identifies a faculty member from the minor program who can serve as their minor advisor. The minor advisor guides the student in developing a mutually agreeable minor program of study and typically also joins the student's comprehensive exam committee. Examples of some minor areas available to CTS students are: Physiological Sciences, Cancer Biology, Immunobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biostatistics, etc.
Alternatively, an additional specialized component of the CTS curriculum can be utilized to satisfy the minor program requirement. For example, CTS graduate students might take coursework in Applied Nanobioscience or another specialty area as a minor within the CTS major. A student who wishes to declare the CTS minor prepares the Proposal for CTS Doctoral Minor with their faculty mentor.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
| Program-level Information | |
|---|---|
| Application Acceptance Rate | 54.55% |
| Avg. Time-to-degree (years) | 3.98 |
| Department-level Information | |
| Enrollment Percent Male | 32.79% |
| Enrollment Percent Female | 67.21% |
| Enrollment Percent International | 16.39% |
| Enrollment Percent URM | 27.87% |