• Applicants must meet the following requirements before filling out an online application:
  • Candidates must have completed one of the following degrees: MD, DDS, DMD, DO, ND, DPT, OTD, PharmD, PhD, DNS in nursing, PhD with clinical responsibilities, or other professional degree as deemed appropriate by the selection committee.
  • Candidates must have a high level of interest and potential for the pursuit of innovative research and scholarly activities as a major focus on their career plan.
  • TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (when applicable)
  • We do not accept GRE or MCAT scores.
  • Official transcripts from all academic institutions attended (undergraduate, graduate, and medical school)

Online Application

Begin your application by clicking here: Online Application

Personal Information

Our application will ask for basic demographic information.

Education

Applicants will be asked to list all undergraduate, graduate, and medical school degrees earned, non-degree coursework completed, and dates of enrollment. We will also ask for a list of honors and awards.

Citizenship and Residency

Our application will require information about citizenship, visa status, and Pennsylvania residency.

Personal Statement and CV/Biosketch

The one-page personal statement should describe your research interests and how the program will benefit your career in health professions education.

Demonstrate English Proficiency (when required)

If you are a citizen of a country in which English is not the official language, or if you are a citizen of the providence of Quebec in Canada, you are required to show evidence of English language proficiency by submitting the official results from one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or USMLE & ECFMG (see below)

Guaranteed Protection of Time

Applicants should bear in mind that courses for this program are held during the day, so they will need to plan their schedules accordingly. All applicants must list their division chief, chair, or department head in their application so that we can verify that applicants have the necessary support to incorporate time for program courses within their schedules.

References

The online application will require two references to be listed. Applicants provide their references’ contact information, and their references are then contacted via email and asked to complete a short evaluation and upload a letter of recommendation.

Mentor

Applicants will be asked to identify a research mentor and provide their contact information. Mentors will receive an email prompting them to complete a short evaluation and upload a letter of recommendation.

At this time, our PhDe in Health Professions Education Program does not meet the F-1 or J-1 visa requirement. Therefore, we are unable to admit applicants who are not U.S. citizens or who do not already hold a valid visa that permits study in the U.S. at the time of acceptance.

• Per immigration/government regulations, no more than the equivalent of one (1) class (or three [3] credits per term) may be counted toward the full course of study requirement, if the class is taken online. It is expected that the remaining credits counting toward full enrollment are in-person classes. As most of our courses are offered online, our degree programs do not meet the US federal government’s "in-person" criteria for I-20 issuance.
• Students seeking an F-1 or J-1 visa must obtain the appropriate immigration documents (I-20 or DS-2019) through the University of Pittsburgh Office of International Services (OIS)

Support

• Visit the OIS’s New International Students resource page for more information on how to obtain your immigration document or about the F-1/ J-1 visa process.
• Visit the OIS Dependents information page to learn more about specific dependent immigration regulations.

The program cannot be completed virtually as an alternative. While many of our courses are held online, students are expected to attend select required courses partially or fully in person. Class format, whether online or in-person, is based on the instructor's discretion.

Required Application Materials

In addition to completing the online application, applicants must also submit:

Official transcripts from all academic institutions attended (undergraduate, graduate and medical school)

Official transcripts can be sent to the following address:

Institute for Clinical Research Education
Degree Granting Programs
University of Pittsburgh
200 Meyran Avenue, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Digital transcripts should be sent to icre@pitt.edu.

English Language Proficiency Test Scores (when required)

If you are a citizen of a country in which English is not the official language or if you are a citizen of the province of Quebec in Canada, you are required to show evidence of English language proficiency by submitting the official results from one of the following:

Minimum Scores for Admission

United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): Students must submit scores from both the USMLE and the ECFMG.

If you have earned a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution in the United States, you are exempt from submitting English language proficiency test results.

After reviewing and screening the applications, the PhD in HPE admissions committee will determine which applicants have the appropriate qualifications and the potential to conduct high-quality clinical and translational research. If additional information is required from an applicant, the committee will arrange to interview the applicant.

Admission decisions will be based on the total record of academic accomplishments of each applicant. Preferences will be given to the following:

• Candidates who have outstanding qualifications, including strong research experience, publications, and letters of recommendation
• Candidates with departments that provide staff, research support, and facilities to create a high-quality environment for the conduct of educational research after the candidate completes his or her training.