Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field Baccalaureate degree required.
• Prior Degrees An applicant must also have (1) a postbaccalaureate graduate or professional degree at the doctoral level, OR (2) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian school with concurrent enrollment in a clinical degree program.
• Grade Point Average 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 hours of undergraduate study and for all cumulative graduate work previously taken.
• Tests Required MS applicants with a graduate or professional degree at the doctoral level (e.g., PhD, ScD, MD, DMD, DNP, DO, DPT, DVM, PharmD) from an accredited U.S. or Canadian school or who are licensed to practice in the United States are exempt from the GRE requirement, but must instead submit scores for the appropriate exams in their profession such as the USMLE for physicians, NBDE Part I for dentists, and NPTE for physical therapists. (For example, current medical residents would submit scores for Part I and Part II of the USMLE. Medical fellows must submit scores for Part I, Part II, and Part III of the USMLE.)
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required. One of the letters of recommendation must be from the applicant’s immediate supervisor or clinical program academic advisor specifically committing the applicant’s home department to supporting the applicant during their tenure in the MS CTS program.
• Personal Statement A career-goal statement outlining (1) reasons for pursuing the MS CTS at UIC, including the intended research focus, and (2) career goals.
• Other Requirements: Applicants must submit a statement of interest and CV/resume to Susan Lynch via email, slynch2@uic.edu. Selected applicants will be scheduled for personal interviews.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 48.
• Course Work  

• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options 16 hours of required mentored research (IPHS 598), producing a paper that is a scholarly contribution to the field in the form a journal article, pilot data for a grant application, and a thesis-defense of the paper/research and data.
• Other Requirements Students must maintain regular attendance at a seminar series; successfully complete required skill development workshops; and a grant proposal that is based upon the mentored research project.

Coordinated DC/Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Science

Admission Requirements

• Students must meet the admission criteria of both programs and are admitted separately to each through their respective applications. All students should contact the MS CTS Program Coordinator who will explain the application process for MS CTS admission.
• For students applying to both programs simultaneously, MS CTS admission will be contingent upon both admission to the DC program and the support of the National University of the Health Sciences (NUHS) Evidence Based Practice Program Manager. Prior to admitting students into the MS CTS degree, HPA will check with NUHS to determine whether the student has been accepted into the DC program.
• Admission to the MS CTS program will be determined based on the support of the National University of the Health Sciences (NUHS) Evidence Based Practice Program Manager, a baccalaureate degree (or successful completion of P1 and P2), previous academic achievement, GRE scores, research potential, and commitment to CTS as evidenced by prior participation in clinical research.
• In addition to other application materials, coordinated degree applicants are also expected to submit the following:
• Letters of Recommendation Two required, one of which must be from a suitable clinical researcher who can attest to the applicant’s research abilities. Both letters of recommendation should address
  • the applicant’s previous achievements in research and/or academics;
  • the applicant’s potential for successfully completing a clinical/translational research project;
  • analysis of the applicant’s career plans and commitment to research, and
  • how the coordinated degree program would advance these plans.

Personal Statement Applicants will also submit a personal statement detailing accomplishments to date, and career goals and plans. Specifically, applicants should address background information relevant to their interest in clinical and translational research, and how additional training through the DC/MS CTS program would help achieve these goals. The applicant should provide any prior or ongoing research experience and explain how this might interface with the joint degree program.

Degree Requirements

• Students in the program must satisfy the requirements of the MS in Clinical and Translational Science, a 48 semester hour program, in addition to all of the requirements of the NUHS DC degree.
• For the MS CTS, the student must adhere to all relevant Graduate College policies, including minimum GPA and limits on transfer credit.
• Minimum Semester Hours Required School of Public Health: MS CTS 48 semester hours. NUHS: See the National University of Health Sciences website for more information.
• Students’ work in the MS CTS may qualify for up to 12 hours of elective credit at NUHS, depending on the specific courses chosen and applicability to the elective credit required for the NUHS DC program. 
• Course Work

• Coordinated degree students take HPA 590, which focuses on developing an answerable question, conducting a literature review, drafting specific aims, and understanding the components of a grant application. A draft NIH Small Research Grant (R03) will be the product of the course.
• Mentored Research Component 16 semester hours of required mentored research (IPHS 598), producing a paper that is a scholarly contribution to the field in the form of a journal article, pilot data for a grant application, and a thesis-defense of the paper/research and data.