Program Description

The Master of Science program in Clinical Translational Sciences at the University of Arizona Health Sciences College of Health Sciences welcomes applications from post-baccalaureate students who have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in a biological or health science discipline and from postgraduate students holding a terminal health sciences degree (e.g., MD, PharmD, DrPH, DNP, etc.). The program is intended to provide the foundation for a research career in the clinical translational sciences. 

In the MS program, students gain:

1. an adequate base knowledge of biostatistics and CTS coursework that is specific to the student’s health-related discipline or clinical interest (e.g. surgery, cardiology, neurology, etc.)
2. experience and training in research, culminating in the thesis research project; and
3. professional development including experience and training in presentation and publication of research findings, preparation of grant applications and ethics in clinical research.

The mission of the MS program is to provide an avenue for students to gain more experience in and exposure to the diverse areas of the clinical translational sciences and to offer a mechanism for students to obtain in-depth knowledge in a specific area of health sciences research. CTS students may specialize in an area such as immunology, neuroscience, cellular and molecular medicine, pharmacology, or other areas of biomedical science, or they may elect the CTS program's new concentration in clinical research. Students will participate in a specific laboratory or clinical research project under the guidance of a U of A faculty member, in addition to taking courses selected from the offerings of U of A Health Sciences colleges:  College of Medicine – Tucson, College of Medicine – Phoenix, College of Health Sciences, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and College of Nursing.

Clinical Research Track

Recognizing the need for highly qualified clinical investigators, the CTS MS program now offers a concentration in Clinical Research. Students in the MS Clinical Research track will learn to design, conduct and analyze the results of research projects with human subjects with the goal of translating findings into better treatments and patient outcomes. A Clinical Research student will take Principles of Clinical Research I and II (CTS 501/502) as the principle courses for their program.  CTS also offers a course in Informatics for Clinical Research (CTS 503) to train students in the management and use of clinical research data.

Tuition and Fees

Please refer to the U of A Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information regarding tuition and fees. Note that anyone employed by U of A in a benefits-eligible position may also take advantage of the University’s Qualified Tuition Reduction program.

Degree Requirements

All MS students must complete a minimum of 30 units of graduate-level coursework, including six units of thesis credit, to earn the degree. At least 15 units must be letter-graded (i.e., A, B, C) rather than receiving S/P (superior/pass) grades. Upon approval by the student’s faculty advisor and the CTS Director of Graduate Affairs, up to six graduate credits can be transferred from another graduate program or an MD or other advanced degree, provided the grade earned is "B" or better, and the course was completed within six years of the planned MS completion.

Required Courses

The courses required for the MS degree are different for post-baccalaureate and postgraduate students.  The current curricular requirements are available here:

• MS Curriculum for Tucson Students
• MS Curriculum for Phoenix Students

Note: Substitutions for normally required courses may be approved by the CTS Director of Graduate Affairs and the faculty advisor. The remainder of the required units will be accounted for by courses selected by the student’s faculty advisor as relevant to the student’s research interests.

Minor Requirements

Master’s students at the U of A do not declare a minor, but the student may include courses from another field in the program of study with their advisor’s approval.

More Information

For more information, please contact the CTS program at CTSsupport@arizona.edu.