Clinical Research MS

The Master of Science in Clinical Research program emphasizes courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical research methods, clinical trials, outcomes measurement, health care economics and policy, and ethics of clinical research.

Students in the 30-credit program also complete a student-chosen, mentored research thesis that is designed, conducted, analyzed, and summarized during the two-year degree program.

Courses are offered on weekday afternoons and evenings between 3 and 9 p.m. Courses are offered in a specific sequence, and students must start coursework in the fall semester.

A total of 24 course credits and six thesis research credits are required to fulfill the degree requirements for the Master of Science in Clinical Research.

In addition to the core course areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical research methods, clinical trials, outcomes measurement, health care economics and policy, and ethics of clinical research, additional courses are available in data management, translational research methods, and more specialized health services research methods.

Students who enter as master’s degree candidates may continue provided their first-year performance is satisfactory.

Thesis Requirement

A major component of the master’s degree curriculum is a student-chosen, mentored research thesis that is designed, conducted, analyzed, and summarized during the two-year program.

There are currently 90 established investigators who are available to participate as mentors and advisors for these projects. Through choice of research topic, students can opt for a concentration in clinical research, clinical trials, or health services research, for example.

Students should review the thesis guide from The Graduate School at Penn State for additional information.

Year 1

Fall Semester

• PHS 520: Principles of Biostatistics (3 credits; required)

• PHS 519: Patient-Oriented Research (3 credits; required)

• PHS 550: Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits; required)

• PHS 530: Principles of Health Services Research (2 credits)

Spring Semester

• PHS 500: Research Ethics for Clinical Investigators (1 credit; required)

• PHS 521: Applied Biostatistics (3 credits; required)

• PHS 529: Biostatistical Computing for Public Health (1 credit)

• PHS 540: Decision Analysis (3 credits)

Summer Semester (Optional)

• PHS 522: Multivariate Biostatistics (3 credits)

Year 2

Fall Semester

• PHS 518: Scientific Communication (2 credits)

• PHS 570: Health Economics (3 credits)

• PHS 580: Clinical Trials (3 credits; required)

• PHS 600: Thesis Research (3 credits; required)

Spring Semester

• PHS 535: Quality of Care Measurement (3 credits)

• PHS 551: Advanced Epidemiology (3 credits)

• PHS 600: Thesis Research (3 credits; required)

Thesis research can be taken as three credits each in the final two semesters, or as six credits in the final semester; a thesis mentor must be identified before scheduling the course. A thesis prospectus must be submitted before thesis research begins.

Students in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program pay the standard Penn State graduate student tuition.

See details on graduate school tuition.

Other Funding Sources

The Penn State Office of Student Aid provides information about your financial aid options.

If you do not qualify for financial aid, the same office has lists of grants, loans, and scholarships that may be available to you.

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Clinical Research MS Program or Clinical Research MS Certificate, please contact Shannon Tuininga at stuininga@psu.edu.