In response to a growing demand for formal degrees in Clinical Translational Sciences, the University of Arizona Health Sciences established the Clinical Translational Sciences (CTS) graduate program in 2014. The CTS Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Science (MS) degree programs are available to students at the University of Arizona's main Tucson campus and the downtown Phoenix biomedical campus. Eligible applicants include those who have completed a bachelor's degree in health sciences or a related biological or basic science field and those with a terminal clinical degree such as an MD, PharmD, DNP, MBBS or DPH seeking formal research training.

The MS program requires a minimum of 30 units of coursework that includes a thesis reporting a substantial research project. The PhD requires 63 units, including coursework in the major and the selected minor and 18 units of dissertation research with a completed original research project for the dissertation. PhD and MS students customize their coursework with their advisor to include relevant courses offered in any of the U of A Health Sciences colleges, including the College of Medicine – Tucson, College of Medicine – Phoenix, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and College of Nursing.  Students holding a terminal clinical degree have a few additional course options available to them suitable to trained clinicians.

A student can expect to complete the CTS MS in roughly one to two years of dedicated study or to complete the PhD in four to five years. The program financially supports most incoming PhD students for the first year of the program to the extent possible within the limits of its student support budget. A PhD student will select a faculty mentor by the end of their first year who can provide the needed research training and oversight of the development and completion of the dissertation project and who can also offer the student continued financial support as they work toward completing the degree.  In rare cases a faculty mentor may offer funding to a CTS MS student. CTS students gain practical experience in mentored translational research while completing their courses and then develop and complete their own research, which is reported in the dissertation or thesis.