School of Medicine

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses

Program Director

Professor Kurt Kroenke*

(An asterisk [*] denotes membership in the University Graduate School faculty with the endorsement to direct doctoral disser­tations.)

Degree Offered

Master of Science, Graduate Certificate
 
Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master of Science in Clinical Research

Indiana University’s Master of Science in Clinical Research degree program prepares health care professionals for a career in clinical research. This program offers a combination of course work and practical research experience and is a core component of Indiana University’s Clinical Investigator Training Enhancement (CITE) program. The program also constitutes the formal didactic requirements for certain types of federal train­ing grants (such as K-23s) and other career awards. Following completion of the program, graduates can embark on a career in clinical research with the skills necessary to successfully com­pete for grant funding, conduct and analyze research findings, and publish work in scientific journals.

Course Requirements

The Master of Science program is divided equally between two main components: (1) completion of the formal curriculum and (2) active involvement in clinical research under the mentorship of a faculty scientist. Both elements are critical in preparation of the candidate for successful research following graduation.

Besides didactic classes, there is substantial research training in scientific writing and grant preparation. The curriculum is de­signed to cover core competency areas through a combination of course work and mentored research. The two-year M.S. program consists of a 30 credit hour curriculum, which includes the following core courses—G504, G651, G655, G660, G661, G664, N802—and two approved electives.

Grades

An overall average of at least a B (3.0) is required.

Thesis

Research project (see GRAD G664 Mentored Clinical Research) is completed in lieu of thesis.

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research

This is a 14 credit degree with 3 required courses (G660: Clini­cal Research Methods, G504: Research Ethics, and G661: Clini­cal Trials or G651: Biostatistics). These 3 courses will constitute 8-9 credits; the remaining 5-6 credits will consist of graduate-level elective courses that are relevant to the student’s clinical interests.

Electives (4-6 cr.) Electives (approved by program director) include graduate-level courses in more advanced biostatis­tics, epidemiology, clinical pharmacology, genetics, molecular biology, computer sciences, or other courses relevant to the individual student’s field of clinical research.