Degree Requirements

Plan of Study

The graduate curriculum varies mostly according to the research a fellow chooses or is assigned. To ensure that research fellows receive appropriate mentoring from faculty and develop work habits geared toward research productivity, each fellow will select an Advisory Committee (AC). The AC will be made up of a primary mentor and at least two additional committee members. The primary mentor must be a faculty member in the Clinic Research program and will chair the AC. The inclusion of committee members outside the program faculty will be considered on a case by case basis, as determined by the program director.

Early in their graduate studies, fellows will develop an academic Plan of Study in collaboration with their AC. Among the courses constituting the plan of study, all fellows must register for courses to strengthen and broaden their knowledge of clinical research beyond the required courses. Fellows will select an area of research focus and at least three credit hours from the following: Clinically-oriented Experimental Clinical Focus, Clinically-Oriented Neuroscience Focus, or Clinically-Oriented Biomechanics Focus.

The sequence of required and elective courses developed will constitute a Plan of Study (minimum 36 Credit Hours). The chairman, in consultation with the AC, will assist each fellow in creating a Professional Development Plan addressing the Plan of Study, orientation and socialization to the academic community, and research emphasis.

Practicum

Purpose: to provide mentored research experiences for each clinical research fellow. Practicum experiences involve direct participation in clinical research, including working with study patients or participants and conducting data collection, analysis and interpretation. The successful completion of two practicum projects is required.

Practicum projects are intended to investigate an aspect of a larger research question being explored by the faculty mentor. Thus fellows will not only obtain firsthand research experience but will further the faculty’s research productivity, in the classic tradition of academic research. Overall supervision for the practicum is provided by the advisory committee. Because of the central importance of competence in data analysis, fellows will be eligible to receive individualized assistance on the data management and analysis component of practicum projects from a biostatistician.

The research interests of the fellow and faculty mentors should drive the types of practicum projects considered. However, research fellows will need to restrict their proposed practicum projects to those that a faculty mentor is willing to undertake. The two practicum projects can be entirely unrelated, or they can be two pieces of the same overall project.

Conferring the Degree

Candidacy: Following successful completion of Practicum I (2-3 credit hours) and at the recommendation of the AC, a student may be admitted to candidacy for the Master of Science Degree in Clinical Research.

Graduation: Following successful completion of Practicum II and at the recommendation of the AC, a student may be approved for award for the Master of Science Degree in Clinical Research.

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