Translational Science PhD

Doctoral Program

This PhD program creates scientists who advance knowledge toward the goal of translating basic biomedical scientific discoveries into strategies that will improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and community health.

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Joint Program

The Translational Science program is a joint effort between UT Health San Antonio, UT San Antonio, UT Austin, and UT Health Houston School of Public Health. This collaboration of four universities to offer a single joint doctoral degree is unique in the UT System. The goal is to provide an in-depth, rigorous, and individualized multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research education and training program that will prepare research scientists to integrate information from multiple domains and conduct independent and team-oriented research to improve human and global health.

Why Pursue a PhD in Translational Science?

For many years, extensive national resources have been devoted to basic biomedical (bench) and clinical (human subject) research. However, significant barriers continue to exist in moving knowledge bi-directionally between basic research, clinical research, and applications to improve health outcomes in individuals and the community. These barriers make it difficult to efficiently and effectively translate new knowledge into improved patient care.

To remedy these problems, Translational Science is emerging as an academic and scientific discipline. Translational Science (TS) is a scientific discipline that investigates methods to move discovery more efficiently and effectively into application. TS investigators must respond, interact, facilitate change, and conduct research within and among varied organizational behaviors, structures, and cultures. TS conducts rigorous studies that close the knowledge gaps between different levels of the research process – the basic science laboratory, clinical research discoveries, and application of these research findings toward disease prevention and management, and strategies to improve human, community, and global health.

Translational research is often defined at two levels: (T1) Applying and advancing research-generated discoveries in the laboratory to research trials in human subjects; and (T2) Research that promotes the adoption of best practices in clinical practice settings and the community and policy development.

Admission & Application Requirements

Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.

Translational Science (PhD)
Admission is only available for the Spring semester
	Required Degree	Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution.
	Minimum GPA	3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours
	Coursework	18 credit hours in an area related to this graduate degree and at least 12 hours must be at the upper-division level.
	Transcripts*	Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English
	Credential Evaluation	Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform
	English Language Proficiency	550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100
	Purpose Statement	Required
	Resume	Required
	Letters of Recommendation	3 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time)
*Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University.

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Application Deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.

Translational Science (PhD)
Timing on Admission Decision: Students can expect to hear back on an admission decision within 4 to 6 weeks after after the deadlines below.
Application Deadlines for:	Priority	International	Domestic
Fall		Not Available	Not Available
Spring		November 1	November 1
Summer		Not Available	Not Available

Funding Opportunities

Full-time students accepted for the program are eligible to apply for financial support in the form of competitive teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or research fellowships.

While in a doctoral program, a student may earn a master’s degree provided the following conditions are satisfied:

A student must be admitted to candidacy.
A student is eligible to receive a master’s degree upon completion of University-wide requirements and any additional degree requirements specific to the program.
The Doctoral Studies Committee, Department Chair, and the Graduate Associate Dean of the College must recommend students for the degree.
The student must apply for graduation by the published deadline the semester prior to awarding the doctoral degree.
All required coursework in the doctoral program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years.
If the master’s degree requires a thesis, the degree cannot be awarded on the basis of the doctoral qualifying examination.
Students will not be approved for an additional master’s degree in the same field in which an individual has previously received a master’s degree.