Master of Clinical Research

The purpose of this course is to provide graduates with medical, biomedical, nursing and allied health backgrounds the opportunity to advance their clinical research skills and capabilities.

The course will provide the fundamental principles and research methods required to undertake clinical research.

Graduates of the Master of Clinical Research will acquire the skills required to plan and implement a clinical research program and translate their research into clinical practice.

Course structure

To satisfy the requirements of the Masters award (by coursework) students will complete subjects and a research project or minor research thesis accumulating a total of 150 points.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

• an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification in medicine, an allied health profession, science or social science, and
• at least one year of documented, relevant professional work experience in a medical, scientific or allied health environment.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

• prior academic performance; and
• the research experience or evidence of appropriate preparation or potential to undertake research; and
• the capacity of a participating department to provide adequate supervision in a research project appropriate to the interests and preparation of the individual applicant.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providingsupport to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Intended learning outcomes

Graduates of the Masters in Clinical Research should possess:

• A comprehensive understanding of the broad area of clinical research and issues associated with good clinical practice, ethics and regulations, as well as analytical and project and team management techniques.
• A comprehensive foundation in the methods and rationales of clinical research in a relevant clinical speciality research area.
• The ability to acquire and create knowledge about clinical research
• High level analytic and problem solving skills using techniques acquired during the course and independent critical thinking in their field of relevant clinical speciality
• The ability to apply theoretical knowledge in the independent design and implementation of a significant research project through to completion in a practical setting
• The ability to write scholarly papers and present their research findings in a peer environment, such as a specialist conference or seminar