OHSU

Master of Clinical Research

The focus of the Master of Clinical Research (MCR) track is on formal training for health care professionals who desire to make clinical and translational research either their predominant focus or a substantial part of their long-term career goals. The main objectives of the MCR program are to prepare a cohort of trained clinical investigators who will be able to successfully compete for federal, foundation, and industry funding and to conduct research and publish their findings.

The MCR program requires at least 45 credit hours. In addition to completing required courses offered through the HIP curriculum and a capstone project resulting in an academic product such as a research proposal or publishable manuscript, trainees will choose electives offered by the HIP program and from other graduate programs at OHSU.  These include Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Biomedical Informatics and all graduate courses in basic science in the School of Medicine, and any graduate course in the School of Nursing. Some students may be interested in transferring credits from graduate coursework at Portland State University as well.  The elective curriculum can be designed to best fit with the candidate's research focus and methodology.

 

Eligibility

To apply, the applicant must be enrolled in or have completed the HIP Certificate track. Please also see HIP Certificate track eligibility requirements.

 

Requirements for MCR Track Completion

For the Masters of Clinical Research, at least 45 credit hours are required.

  • Required courses in the HIP curriculum (17.5 credits total)
  • Mentored capstone project (6 credits)
  • Choice of electives (at least 21.5 credits)
Learn more about registration, course descriptions,  schedules and tuition

 

Typical Course Plan
Year One
 		Year Two
 		Year Three
Fall and Winter Terms:
 		Fall Term:
 		Fall Term:

HIP 510 Intro to Clinical Research
(All day seminar, 1 cr)

HIP 511F Clinical Research Design I (10 wks, 2 cr)

HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)

HIP 514 Molecular Biology (8 wks, 2 cr)

HIP 516 Protection of Human Subjects (4 wks, 1 cr)

Elective Choice (1-4cr)

 Choice of Electives (1-4cr)
Winter Term:
 		Winter Term:
 		 Winter Term:

HIP 512 Biostatistics (9 wks, 2 cr)

HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)

HIP 517 Scientific Writing (6 wks, 1.5 cr)

HIP 507A Evidence-based Medicine (8 wks, 2 cr)		 Recommended Elective
 HIP 528 Applied Biostatistics I (11 wks, 3 cr)
Spring Term:
 		Spring Term:
 		Spring Term:

HIP 511W Clinical Research Design II (11 wks, 2 cr)

HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)

HIP 518 Introduction to Outcomes Research (4 wks, 1 cr)

Elective Choice (1-4 cr)

 Recommended Elective

HIP 529 Applied Biostatistics II (11 wks, 3 cr)

Mentored capstone project (6 cr):

  • Provides an intensive, practical and supportive training leading to an academic product to be completed by the end of the 2nd year.
  • Choice of doing either a clinical research study designed, implemented, and analyzed by the student resulting in a publishable manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal; or writing a NIH-compatible grant application.
  • Planned with the candidate's mentor and the approval of the program directors.
  • Total of 6 academic credits typically divided between two or three terms in Year Two, but the expectation is that trainees are working on this throughout the two years in the HIP Program.

Electives

  • HIP 512A Biostatistics Lab (1 cr)
  • HIP 520 Medical Informatics (1.5 cr)
  • HIP 522 Fundamentals of RCTs (1.5 cr)
  • HIP 523 Computerized Data Management (1.5 cr)
  • HIP 524 Effective Teaching Methods (1.5 cr)
  • HIP 527 Systematic Reviews (2 cr)
  • HIP 528 Applied Biostatistics I (3 cr)
  • HIP 529 Applied Biostatistics II (3 cr)
  • HIP 530 Influence and Effective Communication for Leading Research Teams (2 cr)
  • HIP 531 Best Practices in Project Management (2 cr)
  • HIP 532 Understanding and Managing Academic Organizations (2 cr)
  • HIP 533 Health Disparities and Community Based Research (2 cr)
  • HIP 509 Systematic Review Practicum (1-6 cr)
  • Or courses from Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Biomedical Informatics, or Basic Science curricula or other approved graduate level courses.
Note about schedules: Required core courses are generally scheduled from 4:30 to 6:30 PM and follow each other sequentially, one evening each week during the academic year. For the convenience of 2-year certificate track students, classes are scheduled on the same day for both the first and second year. In general, if you are admitted in an even year, classes are scheduled on Tuesday evenings over the two years. If admitted in an odd year classes are scheduled on Wednesday evenings over the two years. See Course Information for details.

 

Time Commitment: MCR degree candidates will typically take 3 years to complete degree requirements as most are full-time working professionals and will generally take one class per term. Candidates are allowed 5 years to complete the program. While the HIP curriculum is scheduled one evening each week, courses offered through other graduate programs are not necessarily scheduled at convenient times and are not offered every term. This track will take advanced planning and will require some flexibility in clinic schedules. It is expected that the MCR capstone project will be more intensive than for a Certificate track candidate. Please schedule a meeting with the Education Program Coordinator to plan a course of study.