Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research Administration

Key Dates

Admissions Requirements

To apply for the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research Administration program (100% online), you’ll need:

• Completed application
• 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Resume/CV
• Personal statement: Applicants must include a 250–500 word essay describing your reasons for undertaking study at GW, your academic objectives, career goals, and related qualifications including collegiate, professional, and community activities relevant to your program of interest. Include any substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form.
• Two letters of recommendation
  • Letters of recommendation should be from: Academic instructors who can strongly attest to your academic ability, and/or 
  • Individuals who served in a supervisory capacity for you, and who can strongly attest to your work ethic. 
  • The recommender cannot be a family member or friend.
  • Recommender will submit a letter on letterhead with a signature and credentials/contact information via the application portal.
• Application fee: A non-refundable application fee of $80 is required. The application fee is waived for active-duty U.S. military, current GW students, degree-holding GW alumni, current McNair Program Scholars, and graduates of minority-serving institutions (MSI).
• Official transcripts from every college and university attended. All non-U.S. transcripts (including those in English) must be evaluated by an accredited foreign credential agency. Please find the list of member organizations here: https://www.naces.org/members.
• Previous work experience: Regulatory affairs, clinical research or health care related experience preferred.

NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

International Students

Effective Fall 2025

International students should check with individual programs regarding eligibility for visa sponsorship. Generally, online and hybrid programs are not eligible for student visa sponsorship from GW. This would include transfer students from any other institution with an existing visa. To be considered for admission, there are required scores that you will need to meet. Score requirements may differ by school and program so check the admissions requirements for your program.

Applicants who have not completed a post-secondary degree from an institution where English is the sole language of instruction are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, or the Duolingo English Test scores to be considered for admission. The following are the minimum scores for admission consideration:

• TOEFL: 600 on paper based, 250 on computer-based, or 100 Internet-based,
• PTE: overall score of 68,
• IELTS: an overall band score of 7.0, with no individual band score below 6.0
• DET overall score of 120.

Undergraduate applicants who meet one of the following conditions may be considered for admission without submitting TOEFL, PTE or IELTS or DET scores:

• You have earned an associate’s degree or higher from an institution where English is the sole language of instruction
• You are a citizen of an English-speaking country 

Scores may not be more than two years old. To ensure TOEFL scores are sent to GW, use institutional code 5246. An institutional code is not required to send IELTS or PTE scores to GW. DET scores must be submitted via the Duolingo English Test system directly to GW.

Based on the results of your English Proficiency exam results and your application, you may be required to take English for Academic Purposes (EAP) during your first year of study at GW. Please note that GW evaluates each application holistically so applicants may still be recommended for EAP even if they meet the requirements for exemption. Students placed in EAP courses should anticipate additional tuition expenses as well as possible extension of time needed to complete their degree programs.

Official transcripts from institutions outside the U.S. must be accompanied by an official transcript evaluation from an accredited independent evaluating agency. Please be sure you request a detailed evaluation that includes all course titles, credit hours, grades, U.S. degree equivalency, grade-point averages (GPA), and date of degree conferral (course by course evaluation). For a list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services, please visit NACES.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Mail: George Washington University
ATTN: Transcript Processing Center
1415 W 22nd St.
Suite 220
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Alternatively, official electronic transcripts can be sent to: transcripts [at] hsprograms [dot] gwu [dot] edu (transcripts[at]hsprograms[dot]gwu[dot]edu)