Become a change agent in healthcare
Hybrid
54-60 Months*
More than ever before, today’s health care leaders are faced with complex challenges to translating evidence to practice that require navigating geographical, organizational, economic, cultural, and professional barriers. These challenges are formidable and multifaceted, so the solutions must be robust, comprehensive, and draw on cross-disciplinary knowledge representative of multiple and novel perspectives. Effective leaders who can close the gap between evidence generation and implementation are needed in every aspect of the healthcare arena, including research laboratories, clinics, community settings, classrooms, boardrooms, and both government and non-government organizations.
Conducting research in our challenging health care environment requires a basis in translational research, a cross cutting approach that connects clinical research to global population health impact. The PhD in Translational Health Sciences program trains students in implementation science, so they can investigate the processes and strategies for disseminating of evidence-based health care practices. The program also trains students to collaborate in research as part of multi-disciplinary teams, preparing them for real-world research challenges.
*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
Tuition Details
For tuition information for the PhD program in Translational Health Sciences, please visit our program-specific tuition page. Learn about our scholarship/award opportunities.
You can translate knowledge to improved health as:
A Translational Health Sciences Researcher
Graduates of the PhD in Translational Health Sciences synthesize and generate knowledge about the myriad processes shaping how knowledge is translated. Translational activities are developed and implemented in specific social, political, and organizational contexts that shape their outcomes. The PhD in Translational Health Sciences program draws on Implementation Science, which investigates the processes and strategies influencing the distribution of evidence-based health care from the clinical research stage into effective treatment options.
A Health Care Practice Leader
Conducting research in our challenging health care environment requires a basis in translational research, a crosscutting approach that connects clinical research to global population health impact. Key health problems are conceptualized broadly in terms of transitions between, clinical insights, implications for practice, implications for population health, and improved global health. Generating knowledge within a translational framework results in a synthesis of information drawn from many disciplines, resulting in broad, practical solutions to health problems.
Who Benefits from the PhD in Translational Health Sciences program?
Graduates of the PhD in Translational Health Sciences will be prepared to create, translate, disseminate and integrate new knowledge across disciplines to improve health care practice, inform future research, and shape policies. Graduates will be uniquely qualified to:
- Serve in leadership positions in national organizations, government agencies, and health-related industries
- Conduct health-related research and disseminate innovations in health care as university faculty in medicine, nursing and health-related professions
Why GW?
GW is a premier research institution that builds upon existing educational programs in clinical and translational research. As a leader in team-based and on-demand learning formats, graduates will gain the experience necessary to navigate and manage diverse stakeholder networks.
GW’s PhD in Translational Health Sciences program incorporates a low residency format, combining online coursework with on-campus facilitated learning. Two weekends each semester, students gather at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Virginia to engage in active learning with colleagues, faculty, advisors, mentors, and content experts.
You can discover more about our world class faculty and their research on our Health Sciences Research pages. You can also find out more about faculty research in the School of Medicine and Health Science using the Faculty Research Database.
The low residency approach results in a dynamic, self-directed, yet facilitated media for self-disciplined students to pursue professional advancement with flexibility and convenience. Between these weekends, students prepare for, reflect on, and apply learning using a web-based learning system.
What Will I Learn?
The GW PhD in Translational Health Sciences program prepares candidates with the knowledge and skills needed to study, facilitate, and lead innovation in health care. Throughout the program, graduate's will enhance their capacity to disseminate evidence-based innovation in health care, and empirically contribute to effective and novel health care processes, procedures, and systems.
Graduates of the GW PhD in Translational Health Sciences program will:
- Integrate, apply and disseminate findings from basic science, applied clinical studies, and policy analysis
- Serve as an intermediary to stakeholder involvement and information exchange - by understanding different interfacing frames of thought and cultures, complex problem solving, and resource management
- Foster mutual engagement and utilize the goals of translational research among diverse stakeholders
- Study implementation processes and outcomes on several interrelated levels, including individual, organizational, and systems
Low Residency Education
GW’s PhD in Translational Health Sciences program incorporates a low residency format, combining online coursework with on-campus facilitated learning. Two weekends each semester, students gather at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Virginia to engage in active learning with colleagues, faculty, advisors, mentors, and content experts. Between these weekends, students prepare for, reflect on, and apply learning using a web-based learning system. The low residency approach results in a dynamic, self-directed, yet facilitated media for self-disciplined students to pursue professional advancement with flexibility and convenience.
Cohort Based Program
The GW PhD in Translational Health Sciences team-based learning format utilizes a cohort structure to enhance students' knowledge of translational health sciences. Studies in higher education have shown the benefits of engaging in a cohort learning community. Cohort programs are more likely to be student centered, build strong group bonds, and enhance professional networks.
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
54 cohort-based hours, remainder variable until graduation
The PhD in Translational Health Sciences is a cohort-based hybrid program requiring 54 credits beyond a master's degree, successful completion of two comprehensive examinations, a proposal defense, and a defended dissertation. The curriculum is low-residency, integrating didactic content delivered online with facilitated learning activities two mandatory weekends per semester at the Virginia Science and Technology (VSTC) campus in Ashburn, VA.
The PhD in Translational Health Sciences draws on multiple, cross-disciplinary bodies of knowledge, which form the framework for the coursework and dissertation. These bodies of knowledge include:
- Innovation in Practice & Research
- Translational Research
- Implementation Science
- Collaboration Science
Course Offerings
- THS 8101: Foundations in Translational Science
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The study of translational research, implementation and dissemination science, and collaboration and team science within the context of current health legislation. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences program or with permission of the instructor.
- THS 8103: Principles of Collaboration and Team Science
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Foundational and practical principles of collaboration and team science. Restricted to students in the doctorate in occupational therapy and the PhD in the field of translational health sciences degree programs or with instructor's permission. Credit cannot be earned for this course and HSCI 6285.
- THS 8105: Translational Science in Complex Health Systems
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An analysis of health systems as complex adaptive systems, including barriers, facilitators, and opportunities for change and innovation. Restricted to PhD in the field of translational health sciences degree candidates; instructor's permission may be substituted.
- THS 8107: Program Theory and Health Innovations
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Program theory as the basis for designing health and educational innovations that can be tested using scientific methods, replicated in practice, and used to inform policy. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with instructor's permission. Credit cannot be earned for this course and OT 8274.
- THS 8109: Implementation Science and Innovation Leadership
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Introduction to implementation science, the study of processes affecting uptake of evidence into healthcare, with emphasis on innovation leadership for systemic change. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with instructor's permission.
- THS 8121: Advanced Study Design for Translational Research
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Advanced measurement and design topics needed for translational health science research. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with the permission of the instructor.
- THS 8123: Qualitative Methods in Translational Health Science
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Qualitative methods and designs applicable to translational health science research problems; qualitative epistemology, methods, data collection, and data analysis. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with instructor's permission.
- THS 8125: Advanced Statistical Methods for Clinical and Translational Research
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Advanced data management and analytic techniques required for testing hypotheses in translational health research. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with the permission of the instructor. Recommended background: Completion of graduate-level courses in epidemiology and biostatistics.
- THS 8202: Knowledge Translation in Complex Health Systems
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Theories, frameworks and models of knowledge translation used to facilitate knowledge use and change in complex health systems. Prerequisites: students in the PhD in translational health sciences program or with the approval of the instructor.
- THS 8203: Bioethical Implications of Health Research
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Role of ethics theories and bioethics principles in health research. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with instructor's permission. Credit cannot be earned for this course and MLS 6244.
- THS 8206: Translating Literature for Interdisciplinary Scholarship
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The processes and methods for translating scholarly research to an interdisciplinary stakeholder group. Restricted to students in the PhD in the translational health sciences program or with the instructor's approval.
- THS 8221: Mixed Methods Research in Translational Health Sciences
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Use of mixed methods as a legitimate design tradition to address translational research questions. Restricted to students in the PhD in translational health sciences degree program in good standing or with instructor's permission.
- THS 8961: Proposal Defense Preparation
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PhD students prepare for successful completion of the proposal defense and dissertation process. Restricted to Candidates who have successfully passed comprehensive examinations.
- THS 8996: Dissertation Seminar I
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First in a three-course series. Candidates for the PhD in translational health sciences degree begin work on their dissertation. Restricted to those who have successfully passed comprehensive examinations and defended their dissertation proposal. Prerequisites: THS 8961.
- THS 8997: Dissertation Seminar II
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Second in a three-course series. Candidates for the PhD in translational health sciences degree continue work on their dissertation. Restricted to those who have successfully passed comprehensive examinations and defended their dissertation proposal. Prerequisites: THS 8996.
- THS 8998: Dissertation Seminar III
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Third in a three-course series. Candidates for the PhD in translational health sciences degree continue work on their dissertation. Restricted to those who have successfully passed comprehensive examinations and defended their dissertation proposal.
The PhD in THS program is organized as three phases, pre-candidacy, candidacy, and graduation. Successful completion of all phases is required for graduation. Average time to graduation is approximately 4.5-5 years.
- Pre-candidacy – includes successfully completing coursework, comprehensive examinations, and defense of the dissertation proposal.
- Candidacy – includes successfully completing the proposed research, passing the oral dissertation defense, and receiving approval of the written dissertation.
- Graduation – includes submitting a written dissertation in the approved format to the program, depositing it at Himmelfarb Library, closing or revising study IRB status, applying for graduation, and other tasks.
Course Sequence
| Year | Semester | Course# | Credits | Title |
| Year 1 | Fall |
THS 8101 THS 8103 THS 8105 |
3 3 3 |
Foundations of Translational Health Science Principles of Collaborative and Team Science Translational Health Science in Complex Systems |
| Year 1 | Spring |
THS 8107 THS 8121 THS 8202 |
3 3 3 |
Program Theory and Health Innovations Advanced Study Design for Translational Research Knowledge Translation in Complex Health Systems |
| Year 1 | Summer |
THS 8123 THS 8125 |
3 3 |
Qualitative Methods in Translational Health Sci. Adv. Statistical Methods for Clinical & Translational Research |
| Year 2 | Fall |
THS 8109 THS 8221 Elective |
3 3 3 |
Implementation Sci. and Innovation Leadership Mixed Methods in Translational Health Science
|
| Year 2 | Spring |
THS 8203 THS 8206 Elective |
3 3 3 |
Bioethical Implications of Health Research Translating Literature for Interdisciplinary Scholarship |
| Year 2 | Comprehensive Exam | |||
| Year 2 | Summer | THS 8961 | 3 | Proposal Defense Preparation |
| Year 3 | Fall | THS 8996 | Dissertation Seminar I | |
| Year 3 | Spring | THS 8997 | Dissertation Seminar II | |
| Year 3 | Summer | THS 8998 | Dissertation Seminar III | |
| Year 4 | 1 | Continuous enrollment | ||
| Year 5 | THS 8992 | 1 | Directed Study | |
| Total Cohort-based hours | 54 | |||
| Total Directed Study hours (research) | Variable; until graduation | |||
Key Dates
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Fall 2025 |
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| Application Deadline |
Not open yet |
(Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted by the deadline.)
Application Fee
A non-refundable application fee of $80 is required. This fee is waived only for the following applicants:
- GW alumni (those holding a GW degree or graduate certificate)
- Current degree or graduate certificate candidates at GW
- Graduates of Minority Serving Institutions (MSI)
- Current McNair Program Scholars (a completed Certification of McNair Program Participation and Application Fee Waiver form must be submitted with your application)
- U.S. military personnel and veterans
General Admission Requirements
To apply for the PhD in Translational Health Sciences program (hybrid), you’ll need:
| Minimum Overall GPA of 3.0 |
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Education Requirements
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Resumé Attach your current resumé or CV that demonstrates experience in basic or clinical sciences, biomedical sciences, community health, or health services research and policy or significant clinical research. |
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Recommendations Two letters of recommendation are required and must be submitted through the GW Online Application. Letters of recommendation should be from:
Recommendations are not acceptable from family members and friends. |
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Official Transcripts 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. |
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Comprehensive Essay Please include a personal statement describing your reasons for undertaking study at The George Washington University and how you anticipate your completion of the PhD will further your career goals. Also include a potential dissertation topic, faculty you may have identified as potential mentors or whose research aligns with your interests, and any substantial accomplishments not already mentioned on the application form. This personal statement should be concise, precise, and should not exceed 1000 words. |
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Interview Interviews with the admissions committee are granted on an invitation-only basis following review of the application. Interviews will discuss the applicant's understanding of translational science, broad topical areas of interest as a potential dissertation focus, and the alignment of applicant’s interests with faculty research. |
International Students
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.
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. For a list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services, please visit NACES.
Applicants who are not U.S. citizens are also required to submit official test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Pearson’s Test of English (PTE) Academics or the academic International English Language Test System (IELTS). 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.
Supporting Documents and Official Transcript
Documents and Official Transcripts 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@hsprograms.gwu.edu