Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

CTS Frequently Asked Questions

  • Eligible candidates are individuals who are already trained in the medical and health sciences.  The Program primarily seeks fully trained physicians, but welcomes other individuals with clinical degrees (e.g. DDS, PharmD, DVM, etc) or individuals with other advanced degrees in health services fields who seek further preparation to pursue a clinical and translational research career.

  • You must submit your application through the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) online application system.  Information can be found in the Admissions section of this website. GSBS will process your application and transfer the materials to the CTS Program.

  • The GSBS application deadline for the CTS Graduate Program is May 1.

  • Applicants to the CTS Program who have previously completed a PhD in a STEM field, or a MD, DO, DDS, DVM, or equivalent, are not required to complete the GRE general test. All other degree holders should take the GRE General Test.

  • The ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) certification is not required for proof of medical and clinical work experience. The most competitive candidates have completed clinical training and work experience in US based medical or health services institutions. The ECFMG Certification is required to waive the TOEFL/IELTS requirement for non-native English speakers.

  • Yes. Candidates seeking fellowship support must include this information in their Personal Statements and outline their qualifications for fellowship consideration.

  • If you are a medical student and interested in applying to the CTS Program before you complete your MD degree, please contact the CTS Program Director to discuss your options.

  • Please upload a copy of your transcript from each college and/or university you have attended, regardless of whether you earned a degree. Additional information can be found here.

  • All fellowship candidates must be available for in-person interviews.  Candidate interviews generally take place from January to March.

  • Yes. The CTS Certificate Program does not require a written thesis. However, a customized approved project, initiated at the beginning of the final semester is a requirement as well as a poster presentation at the annual CTS Graduate Program Symposium which is held each May.

  • Yes. In order to receive a MS in the CTS Program, all students must undertake independent clinical research and complete an approved final thesis.

  • The MS degree program is structured as a two-year full-time commitment.  The first year of the program begins in July and continues with a Fall and Spring semester.  In Year Two, there are no summer courses, only Fall and Spring semester courses.

  • Yes, all interested individuals may apply for admission to the CTS Program.  Students admitted into the Program without fellowship support do not receive stipends and are directly billed for tuition and fees by Tufts University.

  • Individuals who have not been admitted to a GSBS degree program may take core or elective courses, with approval from the course instructor as a Special Student.

  • Yes. Past students have included individuals with NIH-sponsored NRSAs and other career development awards. Fogarty Clinical Research Training Scholars Program awards, non-U.S. government fellowships and awards from private foundations and professional associations among others have been used to support this training.

  • No. However, the most successful candidates intend to pursue careers as independent investigators in clinical and translational research and are able to demonstrate commitment to this goal in their application.

  • No.  Student visa eligibility criteria include full-time enrollment in a degree program.

  • Yes. Prospective students may apply for a limited number of fellowships with the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies (ICRHPS). These highly competitive fellowships include full tuition for master-level study in the CTS Program, annual stipends, research and travel funds. Fellows are assigned ICRHPS office space.  ICRHPS postdoctoral fellowship opportunities vary by candidate eligibility, citizenship, required activities, and stipend amount, but all require full-time enrollment in the CTS Graduate Program.

  • Some of the courses for the CTS Program have Distance Learning options. The program is not offered as an online only degree program.

  • The CTS Program has a Certificate Program that is designed to provide a basic foundation in clinical research for physicians and other doctorally-trained clinicians who are unable to devote two or more years of full-time study to obtain a MS or PhD degree.