Graduate Certificate in Translational Science Program Admissions

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

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

• A medical, dental, masters and/or baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or an U.S. equivalent degree and training at a foreign institution. All transcripts from foreign institutions (including GPA) must be evaluated and submitted by an approved NACES member foreign credentialing evaluation agency. The MSCI-TS preferred agencies are: The Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) or the World Education Services, Inc. (WES).
• A Grade Point Average (GPA) no lower than a 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 a MS degree.  
• A minimum score of 84 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 our international applicants.  Scores on the TOEFL and IELTS (academic version) tests taken more than two years prior to the date of application will not be accepted.

Applicant Documentation Requirements  

Applicants should utilize the checklist of required documentation for admission that is provided in the Appendix of the Student Handbook.

All the required information previously described must be submitted in order for an applicant to be considered by the MSCI-TS Student Admissions Committee.  Requests for an exemption to any of these general admission requirements should be addressed to the CTS Program Director and sent directly to the CTS Program Coordinator (Machuca@uthscsa.edu).

1. Completed and submitted GSBS online application.  The GSBS online application can be found on the GSBS What to Know Before You Apply webpage. 
2. Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended. (Upload documents to Application and Official Documents must be sent to UTHSA Registrar’s office.)
3. Course by Course Translation of International transcripts to include GPA and U.S. degree equivalency by NACES member foreign credentialing evaluation agency (Preferred agencies: ECE or WES). (Upload documents to Application and Official Documents must be sent to UTHSA Registrar’s office.)
4. Official TOEFL or IELTS (academic version) scores taken within the past two (2) years for foreign national applicants.
5. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation attesting to the applicant's readiness for graduate level studies in translational 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 CTS educational activities.
   • Residents or fellows in an approved UT Health 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 CTS 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 CTS educational activities.
6. A Statement of Purpose (a.k.a. Personal Statement) (1-2 pages) that includes a brief description of the applicant’s educational background. The applicant should express their long-term research and career goals, and clearly state how the CTS educational curriculum will fit in with and enhance their career objectives. The Statement of Purpose should be submitted with the online application to the GSBS. 
7. A current curriculum vitae.  This should be submitted with the online application to the GSBS.  
8. Copy of U.S. Medical License/Certificate for licensed health care professionals.