Clinical Research

Overview

The Clinical Research program of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston provides a focused, flexible, and affordable program that trains clinical investigators to conduct exemplary quality clinical research and become competitive in seeking research support. This is a live-setting degree program that relies heavily on in-person small group class settings; this is not an online or distance-learning program.  Successful applicants must have the necessary departmental support, including protected time and an established relationship with a research mentor who should have a track record of national funding.

Program Description

The MS in Clinical Research is a 36-credit degree program. The curriculum is designed to accommodate clinicians’ busy schedules, with courses offered on Wednesday afternoons.  For most students with concurrent clinical obligations, the degree requires a minimum of 3 years; the time required for degree completion depends on the amount of time and effort a student devotes to the program.

Coursework for MS Degree

The curriculum for the MS Degree Program consists of two tracks — a Patient-Based Clinical Research Track and a Translational Research Track. In either track, the specific Advanced Courses chosen by an individual student will depend on his/her previous training and course work and on career goals. All students are expected to take the Advanced Biostatistics course unless they can demonstrate comparable competency in this area. Most students in the Patient-Based Clinical Research Track will take Advanced Courses in study design, whereas most students in the Translational Research Track will take Advanced Courses in molecular biology and/or genetics.