UC Davis Health
Clinical and Translational Science Center

Certificate Program | Clinical Research Graduate Group | UC Davis CTSC

Certificate in Clinical Research

The Certificate in Clinical Research is an abbreviated version of the Master of Advanced Study (M.A.S.) degree program. UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education administers this program. The certificate program is intended for working health professionals who would like additional training in clinical research but who may not qualify or have the time to pursue the M.A.S degree.

The Certificate in Clinical Research is open to applicants with health-related master’s degrees (e.g., M.S.N., M.P.H., M.S.W., M.H.I.) or a health-related bachelor’s degree (e.g., B.S.N., B.S. in pharmacy) with relevant work experience or certification. In addition, some clinical research coordinators (with a B.S. and who are SOCRA certified) may be eligible to apply.   

Applicants may not currently be pursuing a degree at UC Davis. Applicants would apply and register for courses through the open campus process. Courses in the certificate may be eligible to transfer into a degree program after completion.

Course Requirements

A total of 12 units are required for the Certificate in Clinical Research.

  • Required Courses (9 units)

    • CLH 202: Introduction to Clinical Research (3 units)
    • CLH 203: Methods in Clinical Research (2 units)
    • CLH/SPH 244: Intro to Medical Statistics (4 units)

  • Approved Electives (a minimum of 3 units)

    Three units of approved elective courses are needed to reach a minimum of 12 units (more than three is allowable).

    Electives with a Research Emphasis:

    • CLH 204: Research Ethics (3 units)
    • CLH 210Y: Principles and Methods of Comparative Effectiveness Research (4 units)
    • EPI 291: Healthcare Policy and Research Seminar Series (1 unit)
    • CLH 211: Critical Assessment of the Biomedical Literature (1 unit)
    • SPH 205AY: Epidemiology for Health Professionals (4 units)
    • CLH 215: Clinical Trials in Medicine (2 units)
    • CLH 216: Clinical Research Implementation (3 units)

    Electives with a Statistics Emphasis:

    • CLH 245/SPH 245: Biostatistics for Health Sciences (4 units)

    Electives with a Policy Emphasis:

    • SPH 276: Critical Assessment in Health Policy and Economics (2 units)
    • SPH 273: Health Services Administration (3 units)

    Electives with an Informatics Emphasis:

    • MHI 210: Introduction to Health Informatics (3 units)
    • MHI 289F: Clinical Databases and Knowledge Management (3 units)