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Program Details

Graduate Program: Clinical Translational Sciences (PHD)

General Information

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Program/Degree
Clinical Translational Sciences (PHD)  
Program Description

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.

 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

College of Medicine, Tucson

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

College of Medicine, Tucson

 
Campuses where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

Phoenix Campus - Phoenix

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Anabel Tapia Moreno
520-626-8627
Graduate Program Coordinator
Anabel Tapia Moreno
520-626-8627
Director of Graduate Studies
Ronald P Hammer
602-827-2112
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Megan Jia Mcnulty-Luoma
520-626-9962
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements
  1. Submit your application for admission to the CTS Ph.D. program using the Graduate College’s online application (GradApp) at http://apply.grad.arizona.edu/.  You will specify the campus on which you wish to study (Main/Tucson or Phoenix).
  2. Letters of Recommendation:  You must have two professional letters of recommendation attesting to your ability to complete the program.  You will identify the recommenders in GradApp, and they will receive an e-mail from the Graduate College prompting them to directly upload their letters of recommendation to accompany your application.  Be sure to notify the recommenders to expect the e-mail when you submit your application.  You may request more than two letters of recommendation.
  3. Curriculum Vitae:  You will upload your current C.V. to be included with your application in GradApp.
  4. Personal Statement:  Please prepare a statement explaining your interest in Clinical Translational Sciences, including any specific research interests (and expected faculty mentor, if already identified).  You may also discuss why you feel you are a good candidate for the CTS program and/or how training in CTS would contribute to your career objectives.
  5. Test Scores:  GRE scores are not required for admission.  International students from non-English speaking countries must take an accepted English proficiency exam and have their score reported to the Graduate College.
 
Standardized Tests

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.

 
Funding Opportunities

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.

 
Admissions Deadlines

All Applicants (U.S. citizens and permanent residents or international):

  • Applications for Spring admission accepted through September 15.
  • Applications for Fall admission accepted through February 1.


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 Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

63 

Core Coursework Requirements

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:

  • CTS 500 (Fundamentals of Clinical Translational Science), 4 units; OR
  • CTS 555 (Cellular, Molecular and Neural Biology), 6 units; OR
  • CTS 501/502 (Principles of Clinical Research I and II), 4 units each; OR
  • CTS 610 (Principles of Surgery) or CTS 620B/620C (Principles of Medicine), 6 total units [postgraduate students only].

Biostatistics:

  • BIOS 576A (Biostatistics in Public Health), 3 units

Professional Development (min. 4 total units selected from list below):

  • CTS 595C (Responsible Conduct of Research), 1 unit/enrollment, taken in one Fall and one Spring semester; AND
  • CTS 585 (Individualized Scientific Writing), 2 units; OR
  • CTS 595D (Professional and Career Training Series), 2 units [post-baccalaureate students only].

Seminar/Journal Club (total 6 enrollments in any combination of the courses below):

  • CTS 595 (Biomedical Sciences Journal Colloquium), 1 unit;
  • CTS 696B (Biomedical Sciences Seminar), 1 unit;
  • CTS 696A (Medical Sciences Seminar, 1 unit [postgraduate students only].

Dissertation:

  • CTS 920 (Dissertation), total 18 units across multiple semesters/terms.

Note:  Substitutions for any of the above except Dissertation are allowed with approval of the CTS program and the student's faculty mentor.

 
Elective Coursework

Commonly used elective courses include:

  • BIOS 503 (Introduction to Statistical Analysis using STATA), 1 unit;
  • BIOS 576B (Biostatistics for Research), 3 units;
  • CMM 533 (Molecular Medicine), 1 unit;
  • CMM 535 (Genetic Medicine), 1 unit;
  • CMM 537 (Immunology Basics), 1 unit;
  • CMM 550 (Inflammation and Immune Pathology), 1 unit;
  • CTS 503 (Informatics for Clinical Research), 4 units;
  • EPID 573A (Basic Principles of Epidemiology), 3 units;
  • EPID 573B (Epidemiologic Methods), 3 units;
  • NRSC 572 (Neurodevelopment in Action), 4 units;
  • PATH 515 (Mechanisms of Human Disease), 4 units.

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.

 
Additional Requirements

A CTS Ph.D. student must complete the following in addition to coursework and the dissertation:

  • A comprehensive examination on the major and minor;
  • A full grant application for research support (which may be submitted for consideration);
  • An annual progress report; and
  • An annual Individual Development Plan.
 
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program

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.

 

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

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%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2022.
  • Average Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2018-2022) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/CLTRSCIPHD
Last revised 07 Apr 2022
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