Make an Impact on Patient and Community Health
100% Online
20 Months*
The George Washington University’s (GW) online graduate certificate in Clinical and Translational Research quickly prepares you for a role as the primary clinical trial investigator on multi-site projects. By completing the Clinical and Translational Research Graduate Certificate, you explore clinical trials management and learn to improve patient and community health as you understand how science and clinical research methods move from the bench to the bedside.
*The total number of credits and duration of the program depend on the number of transferred credits
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Accreditation and Rankings
- GW is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- #62 Best National University*
- #13 Best Online Bachelor's Programs*
- #7 Best Online Programs for Veterans*
* The U.S. News & World Report – 2024 Rankings
Program Highlights
- 100% online, no visits to campus required
- The program requires 21 total credits and can be finished in one year
Program Outcomes
In as little as one year, you will complete 21 credit hours and learn to:
- Compose competitive grant proposals to fund clinical trials
- Apply basic, community health, health services, and clinical research methods to improve patient outcomes
- Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams in diverse research settings
- Apply expert clinical trials design skills for multi-site projects
Who Is the Ideal Student for This Program?
This graduate certificate in Clinical and Translational Research is ideal if you are looking to broaden your skills and serve as a principal clinical trial investigator. This clinical trial certification program also serves as a stepping-stone for those who want to pursue the full graduate degree in Clinical and Translational Research at a later time.
To apply for this clinical trial certification program, you must have previously completed graduate-level courses in Biostatistics and Epidemiology with a B or higher to qualify for admission.
Clinical and Translational Research Career Outlook
Graduates of the clinical research certification program can enjoy rewarding careers with employers across a wide range of health care and research organizations, including:
- Academic medical centers and research institutions
- Biomedical organizations
- Biotech companies
- Consumer products companies
- Contract research organizations
- Defense companies
- Diagnostics companies
- Generics companies
- Government agencies like FDA and NIH
- Hospitals, medical centers, and other health care settings
- Medical device companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Private research laboratories
- Clinical trials management companies
- Clinical trials design companies
Admission Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
- Completed application
- 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
- A bachelor’s degree
- Resume/CV
- Personal statement: Please include a 250–500 word essay describing your reasons for undertaking study at the George Washington University, 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
Tuition Details
The Graduate Certificate in Clinical and The Graduate Certificate in Clinical and Translational Research program at GW consists of 21 credit hours. Please find the cost per credit hour and total estimated program costs here.
Note: Tuition rates are subject to change and additional fees may vary by program.
Meet the Program Director
GW’s experienced faculty provide you with the rich, practical knowledge and support needed for you to succeed in the program and in your career.
Samar Nasser, PhD, MPH, PA-C
- Read Full Bio
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Dr. Nasser is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership at the George Washington University. For about 10 years, Dr. Nasser practiced as a physician assistant (PA) in the Hypertension and Vascular Disease Clinic, and assistant medical director of the Recruitment and Clinical Measures Core on a National Institutes of Health Center Grant in Detroit, MI.
During her tenure as a PA, she cared for patients in the out-patient and in-patient settings, as well as those participants in several clinical research trials. While functioning as a PA, she attended the University of Michigan, School of Public Health and obtained her Master’s of Public Health Degree with a specialization in Epidemiology. She then pursued a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in 2011 with a concentration in Physiology, as she also has a passion to teach others and a deep appreciation for how the human body maintains homeostasis and understanding human physiologic functions as they relate to preventative health measures, public health, and the translational research field.
Dr. Nasser has co-authored numerous journal articles and several book chapters focusing on cardiovascular disease/hypertension and ethnic disparities. Her expertise is focused upon evaluating the factors impacting racial disparities, specifically cardiovascular, and translating evidence-based methods to curb these effects.
Curriculum Details
21 TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED
The graduate certificate in Clinical and Translational Research program (100% online) requires successful completion of 21 credit hours, including three credit hours of Elective Courses, selected in consultation with the program director, from existing online graduate courses in Medical Laboratory Sciences or Health Sciences.
Core
- CTS 6201 Critical Analysis of Clinical Research (3)
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Students develop the academic skill sets necessary to succeed in this program in the context of exploring scientific, clinical and regulatory concepts required in medicines development. Students demonstrate their critical analysis skills through literature research, analysis of information from various perspectives, and formulating their own opinions in choosing their ‘defendable positions’, rather than stating the “correct answers”.
- CTS 6205 Clinical Investigation (3)
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Analysis and evaluation of study design strategies and current practices for major therapeutic areas of clinical research (e.g., vaccine development, cardiovascular disease, anti-infectives, CNS, etc.)
- CTS 6246 Clinical and Translational Research Capstone Project (3)
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This class is designed for early independent investigators in Clinical and Translational Research as a capstone This course will allow students to apply the knowledge gained throughout the program through the completion of an independent, mentored research project (i.e., original research manuscript, review article, etc.)
- CTS 6261 Foundations in Clinical and Translational Research (3)
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Overview and analysis of the translational research principles and practice through the application of basic, clinical, community health and health services research concepts. Emphasis is on persuasive communication, conceptually based hypotheses and research methods and the grant application process, including communicating.
- CTS 6265 Grantsmanship in Translational Health Science (3)
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Writing grant proposals to fund clinical research, with an emphasis on translational research proposals. The development and submission of a transdisciplinary research proposal that responds to a Call for Proposals from an external sponsor, such as the National Institutes of Health.
- CTS 6275 Transdisciplinary Research Proposal (3)
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The integration of competencies acquired throughout the program Foundational and practical principles and their impact on collaborative and team science engagements. Restricted to PhD candidates in translational health sciences; permission of the instructor may be substituted.
- CTS 6286 Leadership, Professionalism, and Team Science in Clinical and Translational Research (3)
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The principles and practice of leadership, professionalism, and teamwork as it relates to clinical and translational research focusing on collaboration, communication, and health equity.
Prerequisites: Students should have foundational knowledge related to research conducted by a clinical translational research (CTR) team and proficiency in the skills needed to conduct research.
Key Dates
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Summer 2025 |
Fall 2025 |
Spring 2026 |
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| Application Deadline |
March 20, 2025 (Closed) |
July 20, 2025 (Open) |
November 19, 2025 (Open) |
Admissions Requirements
To be accepted to the graduate certificate in Clinical and Translational Research program (100% online), you must have:
| Completed application |
| 3.0 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale |
| A bachelor’s degree |
| Resume/CV |
| Personal statement: Please include a 250–500 word essay describing your reasons for undertaking study at the George Washington University, 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. |
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Two letters of recommendation Letters of recommendation should be from:
Recommender will submit a letter on letterhead with a signature and credentials/contact information via the application portal. |
| Previous work experience: Health care experience preferred |
| Applicants for this program must have successfully completed a graduate-level course in Epidemiology and Biostatistics before entering into the program. |
| 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. |
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)