School of Medicine

Curriculum

Departmental URL: indianactsi.org/researchers/education-training/clinical-research-graduate-programs

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

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, PhD Minor
 
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 the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). The program also constitutes the formal didactic requirements for certain types of federal train­ing grants (such as NIH K and T awards) as well as non-federal training programs. 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.  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—GRDM-G504, PBHL-B561, GRDM-G660, GRDM-G661, GRDM-G664, and approved electives (9-12 credits).

Grades

A grade of B (3.0) is required in all core courses, and an overall grade point average of B (3.0) is required.

Thesis

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

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research

This is a 14-credit degree with three required courses (GRDM-G660 Clini­cal Research Methods, GRDM-G504 Research Ethics and GRDM-G661 Clini­cal Trials or PBHL-B561: Introduction to Biostatistics I). These three 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.)  (to be approved by program director) include graduate-level courses in  advanced biostatis­tics, epidemiology, clinical pharmacology, genetics, molecular biology, computer sciences, or other courses relevant to the individual student’s field of clinical research.

Ph.D. Minor in Clinical Research

The 12-credit PhD Minor in Clinical Research is designed to be of service to a diverse clientele. It will provide PhD students with an overview of clinical research by introducing them to core clinical research concepts and skills, including clinical research methodology, clinical trials, research ethics, and biostatistics. Additionally, each student will complete one elective relevant to their specific area of research interest.

The Clinical Research Minor includes 9 credit hours of core coursework selected from the following list, and one 3-credit graduate level elective:

Clinical Research Methods – GRDM-G660

Clinical Trials – GRDM-G661

Introduction to Research Ethics – GRDM-G504

Introduction to Biostatistics I – PBHL-B561, PBHL-B561, or alternate biostatistics course.

Elective courses will be approved by the Minor program director in conjunction with the student’s PhD program advisor.