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Certificate in Cancer Prevention Application

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

All students should have a sufficient educational background in the biological or biomedical sciences prior to admission to the program. It is expected that most students will have a health professional degree (e.g., M.D., D.D.S./DMD, DVM, or BS in nursing and/or allied health) or a BS/BA, MS, or PhD degree with an emphasis in a health-related discipline. The following general requirements will be applied:

  • A medical, dental, master’s and/or baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or an U.S. equivalent degree and training at a foreign institution as determined by an evaluation from the Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) or the World Education Services, Inc. (WES) of the foreign transcripts.
  • Grade point average (GPA) no lower than B (3.00 in a 4.00 system) in the last 60 hours of coursework for a BS/BA degree or a GPA of at least 3.0 for applicants with an MS degree.
  • A satisfactory score for the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A minimum of 300 for the combined scores on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE is required. Scores on GRE tests taken more than five years prior to the date of application will not be accepted. Applicants who have completed a graduate degree in a health-related discipline or a U.S. equivalent degree (if awarded from a foreign institution, in a health-related discipline) (MD, DDS, RN, or PhD) are exempted from the requirement to complete the GRE.
  • A minimum score of 560 on the paper version or 68 on the internet version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 6.5 on the academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for applicants from countries where English is not the native language. Scores on the TOEFL and IELTS (academic version) tests taken more than two years prior to the date of matriculation will not be accepted.

Applicant Documentation Requirements

  • Completed and submitted GSBS online application. 
  • GSBS deadlines (for submission of application and required documentation) for matriculation in a specific academic semester are listed below.
    • Fall Semester April 1
    • Spring Semester October 1
  • Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended.
  • Course by Course Translation of foreign transcripts to include GPA and U.S. degree equivalency by the ECE or WES agencies.
  • Official GRE scores taken within the past five (5) years.
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS (academic version) scores taken within the past two (2) years for foreign national applicants.
  • Three (3) Letters of Recommendation attesting to the applicant's readiness for graduate-level studies in cancer prevention science. These letters should be uploaded to the Recommendation Form by the individual recommenders who will receive an email from the online application system (EMBARK) with a link to the Recommendation Form. Students from a GSBS graduate program who have a Supervising Professor are required to submit one (1) of the three (3) letters from their Supervising Professor with a statement indicating the availability and approval of release time for the completion of the CCP educational activities. Residents or fellows in an approved UT Health Science Center at San Antonio residency or fellowship program are required to submit one (1) of the three (3) letters from the departmental chair with a statement indicating the availability and approval of release time for the completion of the CCP educational activities. UT Health San Antonio faculty and staff are required to submit one of the three (3) letters from their authorized supervisor with a statement indicating the availability and approval of release time for the completion of the CCP educational activities.
  • A Statement of Purpose (a.k.a. Personal Statement) (1-2 pages) that includes a brief description of the applicant’s background, long term research and/or career goals, and an indication of the basis for application into the CCP Program including how this program.
  • Application Review. Operational processes used by the CCP Program are provided by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science (MSCI-TS) Committee on Graduate Studies (COGS). Thus, after receipt of the online application together with all of the required admission materials outlined above, the MSCI-TS Admissions Committee will review and provide a recommendation to the MSCI-TS COGS.
  • Each application will be individually reviewed to consider: the applicant’s undergraduate and graduate course work and degree(s), scores on the GRE and TOEFL or IELTS (academic version), research experience, and all other required documentation submitted with the online application. The admission decision is based on the personal statement as well as a record of academic achievement, research experience, coursework, and letters of recommendation.
  • After sequential review by the MSCI-TS COGS and the GSBS, applicants will be formally notified of the outcome by the Graduate Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). The MSCI-TS COGS recommends admission to the most highly qualified applicants regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, a nation of origin, or disability.