Admissions Process

Application to the Investigative Medicine Program is online, done through the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, which also explains all policies, procedures, and instructions, with frequently asked questions and answers.

The application deadline to be considered for admission to the class commencing July 1, 2026 is January 2, 2026. Applications cannot be submitted after this date.

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Investigative Medicine Program admissions committee. Those applicants judged competitive for selection to the program will be invited to interview. Applicants will be notified if further information is needed before a decision about admission can be made.

Selection to the program is based on a number of factors, including commitment to rigorous training in clinical investigation, academic record, test scores and letters of reference. Also considered is the appropriateness of the applicant’s goals to the degree program and commitment to a career in patient-oriented translational investigation. All applicants must hold the M.D. or equivalent medical degree, have completed at least one year of postgraduate clinical training., and currently reside at Yale with eventual eligibility for U.S. medical licensure.

Admission decisions will be made by the Investigative Medicine Program admissions committee and approved by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Official decision regarding admission is made by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Applicants are typically notified of decisions regarding admission by the end of March.

For applicants whose decision about selecting Yale School of Medicine for residency or fellowship is tied to the Investigative Medicine Program, application to the program may be made concurrently with application for residency of fellowship training in a clinical department at Yale School of Medicine. Special arrangements for a one-year deferral of admission will be made with the graduate school only after an offer of admission has been accepted.

All potential applicants are encouraged to schedule a meeting with Dr. Joseph Craft, Program Director and Director of Graduate Studies, and/or Dr. Eugene Shapiro, Deputy Program Director, to assess their suitability for the program.

To schedule a meeting with the program directors, please contact the Registrar of the Investigative Medicine Program at IMP@yale.edu.

The course requirements for the doctorate program in Investigative Medicine are completion of six required courses plus two electives, either in laboratory-based patient-oriented research or clinically-based patient-oriented research, passage of qualifying examination, and completion and oral defense of thesis.

Most required courses are to be completed by the end of the first year of study. Before registering for a second year of study, students must have completed IMED 5630, Ethical Issues in Biomedical Research. Electives are often taken in the second year with the expectation that the courses will be completed by the end of the second year of study. Electives must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Students are required to hold their first thesis committee meeting by end of spring term the first year, at which time the preliminary prospectus is presented, reading are assigned by the thesis committee, and an estimated timeline is set for the comprehensive qualifying (the prospectus) examination.

To be eligible to take the comprehensive qualifying examination, students must achieve a grade of Honors in two courses (one course if a full-year course), have a minimum grade average of High Pass, and have completed a minimum of six courses. To be admitted to candidacy, students must pass both a written and oral comprehensive qualifying examination (the prospectus examination) and submit a thesis prospectus that has been approved by their qualifying committee.

When requirements are met (typically by the end of the spring term, year one, and no later than December 31^st of year two), students submit their thesis prospectus and undertake the comprehensive qualifying examination. To be admitted to candidacy, students must pass both an oral and written examination and submit a thesis prospectus which is approved by their thesis committee, which also serves as the qualifying committee. Students admitted to candidacy will continue their dissertation research.

Oversight during this period will be provided by the student's thesis committee. Thesis committee meetings are required at six-month intervals throughout the duration of training. The remaining degree requirements include completion of any outstanding course work, the dissertation project, and writing of the dissertation and its oral defense.

It is expected that students will complete the program in three to five years.