clinical research courses uk online

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Clinical trials by distance learning, (certificate, diploma and msc).

From managing heart failure to supporting people with HIV, clinical trials make a difference to communities across the globe. Discover our research in this area and learn to carry out trials effectively.

Study Clinical Trials and develop the skills to save lives and shape the future of health. We were one of first universities in the UK to create a distance learning programme focused on clinical trials. With extensive expertise in this area and academics in every corner of the globe, we’ll share best practices for carrying out research that tests drugs, comparing alternative treatments, and using cutting-edge methods.

Your award will depend on the number of modules you complete. We offer this distance learning programme as a Certificate, Diploma and MSc.

What you will learn

• Explore the issues involved in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of randomised controlled trials of health interventions
• Understand what happens before a trial – review the literature to see what’s been done before and whether it’s reliable
• Practise reporting your findings in a way that is transparent, accurate and helps others apply your results to the real world
• Become confident handling statistics for clinical trials
• Pick optional modules to expand your interests in this area or choose topics from other areas of specialism in the School
• Develop the skills you need to excel in your clinical trials career and make a difference to people’s lives globally

The aims and learning outcomes are detailed in the  programme specification .

It’s not just students that are based globally. Our teaching team are too, working on projects that are supporting the health of people around the world. For example, some have studied the management of heart failure and influenced the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines, while others have helped develop maternal and child health programmes in India.

We’ve designed this course to help you look at all the aspects that influence clinical trials in practice. You’ll get support in everything from reviewing the literature effectively to analysing statistics so you can feel confident making conclusions and reporting key findings.

Once you complete the core modules, you have the option to apply for the blended learning option to study up to two modules on-campus in London. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet other students and tutors in person; and engage in face-to-face discussion-based learning.

Who is it for?

Because this programme is distance learning, students join us from across the globe. Wherever you’re living in the world, the content will be relevant to you – whether you are working in a low-, middle- or high-income country.

Many of our students are working in this area already and are eager to take their skills to the next level. If that describes you, we’ll help you expand your role in the design, management, analysis and reporting of clinical trials.

You’ll learn at your own pace and study when it suits you. The course can be completed in two years, but you can spend up to five years studying with us. We run live sessions regularly which we encourage you to join if you can. These are run at two different times in the day so you can pick the one that works with your time zone.

• Programme specification

Related courses

We also offer an  Essentials of Clinical Trials  short course.

Watch Programme Director Claire Snowdon talks how clinical Trials are essential in finding solutions to many health care problems around the world. 

"LSHTM manages to cultivate a really rewarding sense of achievement through distance learning. You feel engaged with the course, and the modules are really challenging and interesting."

The below structure outlines the proposed modules for this programme. Programme and module specifications provide full details about the aims and objectives of each module, what you will study, what materials are provided and how the module is assessed.

• Programme regulations
• Module specifications
• Clinical Trials - suggested schedules
• Postgraduate Certificate: 4 compulsory core modules 
• Postgraduate Diploma: 8 modules (4 compulsory core + 4 elective modules * ) 
• Master’s: 11 modules (4 compulsory core + 5 elective* + 2 compulsory modules † ) 

*For the PG Diploma and MSc elective modules, at least three modules must be taken from selection group CTM2 or two elective CTM2 modules selected from a list of options and EPM101 Fundamentals of Epidemiology. The remaining module(s) can be chosen from CTM2 or the other selection groups. 

†MSc students must take CTM201 Protocol Development and complete the CTM210 Integrating Module, comprising a written report, usually in their final year of study. 

It is possible to register for the PG Certificate in the first instance then, on successful completion of the compulsory core modules, transfer your registration to the PG Diploma or MSc.

The majority of modules listed below are also available to study as individual modules .

• CTM101 Fundamentals of Clinical Trials
• CTM102 Basic Statistics for Clinical Trials
• CTM103 Clinical Trials in Practice
• CTM104 Reporting and Reviewing Clinical Trials

Clinical Trials elective modules (CTM2):

• CTM201 Protocol Development (compulsory for the MSc, elective for the PG Diploma)
• CTM202 Trial Designs
• CTM203 Project Management and Research Co-ordination
• CTM204 Regulatory affairs, Good Clinical Practice and Ethics
• CTM205 Data Management
• CTM206 Data Monitoring and Interim Analyses
• CTM208 Further Statistical Methods in Clinical Trials
• CTM209 Cluster Randomised Trials
• CTM210 Integrating Module (compulsory for the MSc)

Recommended modules selection group:

• EPM101 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
• EPM301 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
• EPM302 Modelling and the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases
• EPM304 Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
• EPM307 Global Epidemiology of Non-Communicable Diseases
• GHM201 Health Systems
• IDM201 Bacterial Infections
• IDM202 Nutrition and Infection
• IDM203 Parasitology
• IDM204 Viral Infections
• IDM205 Healthcare-Associated Infection
• IDM213 Immunology of Infection and Vaccines
• IDM215 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
• IDM301 Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases
• IDM502 Tuberculosis
• IDM503 Malaria
• PHM201 Health Decision Science
• PHM203 Economic Analysis for Health Policy
• PHM204 Economic Evaluation
• PHM205 Environmental Epidemiology
• PHM206 Environmental Health Policy
• PHM207 Health Care Evaluation
• PHM209 Globalisation and Health
• PHM210 Managing Health Services
• PHM211 Medical Anthropology in Public Health
• PHM212 Organisational Management
• PHM213 Principles & Practice of Health Promotion
• PHM214 Conflict and Health
• PHM215 History and Health
• PHM216 Sexual Health
• PHM218 Applied Communicable Disease Control
• PHM219 Evaluation of Public Health Interventions

Students wishing to study a module not on the above recommended list should contact the programme team  for advice. Approval may be given at the discretion of the Programme Directors.

(Note that restrictions and pre-requisites may apply to some of the modules above. Not all elective modules will be available every year).

Assessment varies from module to module but includes written assignments, groupwork and written examinations. Some modules involve only one type of assessment. Other modules use a combination of assessments. Details are given in the module specifications.

Where modules involve written examinations, these will take place in June.

Credits will be awarded for all modules (15 credits each) and the integrating module (MSc only, 30 credits) if successfully completed. To successfully pass an award, the following credits must be gained:

• Postgraduate Certificate – 60 credits
• Postgraduate Diploma – 120 credits
• Master’s – 180 credits

After successful completion of a minimum number of core modules, PG Diploma and MSc students may also be eligible for the  blended learning option , which allows for the study of up to two modules only (from a restricted list) at LSHTM in London during the Spring or Summer terms  in place of  distance learning modules. Please note that these options, and the dates when the modules are held at LSHTM, are subject to change - full details will be sent to all distance learning students in July each year.

Changes to the programme

LSHTM will seek to deliver this programme in accordance with the description set out on this programme page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for LSHTM to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. For further information, please see our page on changes to courses .

Study materials

Learning is via directed self-study against a detailed set of learning objectives for each module. All CTM modules are delivered solely online, with access to a range of study resources, discussion forums and online webinar discussion sessions via LSHTM’s virtual learning environment, Moodle.

Details of the study materials for each module can be found in the module specifications . Materials and resources may include:

• Computer Assisted Learning materials provided electronically through Moodle for self-directed study
• E-books and other recommended readings
• Real-time and recorded online sessions with module tutors on specific topics
• Self-assessed assignments (Formative Assignments and past examination questions) plus specimen answers
• Examiners’ reports for two years which include Assessed Assignment and examination questions and specimen answers

Students are strongly encouraged to participate in module-specific discussions on Moodle, and to make use of LSHTM’s online library resources.

Module tutors provide feedback for all students via the online discussion forums and offer individual feedback on submitted assignments. Tutorial support is available from the beginning of October through to the end of May.

Flexible study

We know that if you have a full-time job, family or other commitments, and wish to study at a distance, you will have many calls on your time. The course allows you to study independently, at a time and pace that suits you (subject to some course-specific deadlines) using the comprehensive study materials provided, with support available from academic staff. You have between 1-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Certificate, and between 2-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Diploma or the MSc. 

Once registered, you will be sent the learning materials for the module(s) you have chosen to study. Clinical Trials module materials are mostly delivered online. These materials will take you through a programme of directed self-study, and indicate how and where you can obtain supplementary study materials and access tutorial support to enhance your studies.

The study year runs from the beginning of October through to the June exams, during which time tutorial support is available. Those writing the Clinical Trials integrating report will also continue to have tutorial support over the summer. Deadlines for submission of coursework vary per course but are usually in March, May, August and September.

The fees below refer to the 2024/25 academic year. Fees are subject to annual review and may be paid in one of two ways:

Either: on initial registration, a single payment covering the programme registration fee and all module fees for the duration of the programme

Or: pay the initial programme registration fee, plus the fee for each module you are taking in the first year. Then, in subsequent years, you pay the fee for each new module you take.

Individual modules (taken on a stand-alone basis with no registration fee)

Blended learning fees (for distance learning students attending modules in London)

All fees must be paid in pounds sterling (GBP) directly to the University of London. The University of London accepts:

• Western Union - Quick Pay
• Credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Electron, JCB)
• Sterling banker's draft/cheque
• International money/postal order 

Further details are given on the  University of London website .

Other costs

In addition to the fees payable to the University of London, you should also budget for the fee charged by your local examination centre to cover its costs; this fee will vary.

Academic requirements

All applicants are required to have:

• either a first or second class honours degree, or the equivalent, from a university or other institution acceptable to the University of London, in a subject appropriate to the course; or
• an appropriate professional or technical qualification, together with at least three years’ relevant experience, which satisfies the University as a qualification equivalent to a second class honours degree. All applications in this category will be considered on an individual basis

Qualifications from around the world are accepted; for further guidance please see the University of London's  qualifications for entrance . Students who do not satisfy the entrance requirements may still be admitted at the discretion of LSHTM on the basis of their academic qualifications, work experience and references.

English language requirements

You need a high standard of English to study this programme. You will meet our language requirements if you have achieved one of the following within the past three years:

• IELTS :  7.0  overall, with  6.5  in the written test and  5.5  in listening, reading and speaking.
• TOEFL iBT :  100  overall, with  24+  in writing,  23 +  in speaking,  22+  in reading and  21+  in listening.
• Pearson Test (Academic) :  68  overall, with  62+  in writing and  59+  in listening, reading and speaking.
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English :  185  overall, with  176+  in writing and  169+  in listening.
• Duolingo : must achieve an overall score of at least 130.

Alternatively, you may satisfy the language requirements if you have at least  18 months  of education or work experience conducted in English.

If you do not meet these requirements but believe you can meet the standard, the University of London may also consider your application.

Computer requirements

You must have regular access to a computer (or mobile device*) with an internet connection to use the University of London website and the Student Portal. These are where your programme’s study resources are located. Through the Student Portal you can register as a student, enter exams and use your programme’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE provides you with electronic learning materials, access to the University of London Online Library, networking opportunities and other resources.

To get the most from your studies, your computer should have at least the following minimum specification:

• a web browser (the latest version of Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer). This must accept cookies and have JavaScript enabled
• screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or greater
• sufficient bandwidth to download documents/files of at least 50 MB

and the following applications installed:

• word processor that reads Microsoft Word format (.doc)
• Adobe, or other pdf reader

Some of the CD-ROMs and software provided for use with Epidemiology modules may not be fully compatible with Apple Mac computers.

*Full mobile access is not available for all programmes

Our distance learning programmes are run in collaboration with the University of London , a federation of 18 independent member institutions and universities, of which the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is one.

Please choose which qualification you would like to apply for. The link will take you directly to the University of London application portal.

• MSc Clinical Trials Gain the MSc Clinical Trials by completing 10 modules plus a final integrating report.  
• PGDip Clinical Trials Gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Trials by completing 8 modules.  
• PGCert Clinical Trials Gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Trials by completing 4 modules.  
• Individual modules Study a module as a short course.

1. Submit your application to University of London. Please read the Guidance Notes for Applications (pdf)  before you complete your application.

2. Submit your documentary evidence. This can be done online when submitting your application or at a later stage. You will be required to submit personal identification, educational certificates, transcripts, English language proficiency evidence, references and CV (see  Guidance Notes for Applications (pdf)  for further details).

3. University of London will notify you of whether or not you have been accepted. This usually happens within five working days. You will be sent a student reference number by email in case you need to contact University of London about your application.

4. If you are made an offer, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your online registration (usually from May/June). You will have until the registration deadline to accept your offer and pay your initial fees.

5. Begin your studies. You will be given access to LSHTM's online learning site (Moodle) at the beginning of October. If you have registered for a module which provides hard copy study materials, these will be sent to your correspondence address. Clinical Trials modules are delivered solely online via Moodle.

Important: you are welcome to submit your application even if you are yet to sit an exam or you are awaiting results. University of London can begin to process your application without all the evidence, although a final decision will be made once all the necessary documentation has been received. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet our entry requirements, University of London might be able to advise you on this before you submit your online application.

If you have any questions before submitting your application, you can contact:

Academic queries (LSHTM)

Email  [email protected]  for queries about programme content, modules or assessments.

Contact the Study team  for general enquiries.

Admissions queries (University of London)

Send a message to University of London  for queries about how to apply, documentary evidence or entry requirements, or call +44 (0)20 7862 8360

Admissions status

How to apply

Programme directors

Edward Stanhope

General enquiries Email Study Team

Academic enquiries Email Programme Team

Talk to a student Contact Student Ambassadors

More information

• Request a prospectus
• Contact Student Ambassadors

MSc in Clinical Trials

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The MSc in Clinical Trials is a two-year, part-time distance learning course that provides a thorough training in both the theoretical and practical aspects of conducting randomised clinical trials.

By the end of the course, students should have the knowledge and skills required to design and undertake a clinical trial. By running a fully integrated course covering all key aspects of clinical trials, students will acquire a good understanding of the theoretical underpinning as well as the practical aspects of randomised clinical trials and have an in-depth training in trials methodology. The course will cover different types of trials and clinical conditions, with a focus on large, streamlined clinical outcome trials in cardiovascular disease.

The specific aims are to provide:

• in-depth training in, and understanding of, the principles and practice of conducting randomised clinical trials
• a forum for the nurturing of future global leaders in clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine and beyond.

Teaching is delivered virtually (via online lectures, tutorials and group work) during the first year, and for the first two whole terms and part of the third term in the second year. You will receive around three hours of supported study per week and will be expected to complete between six and ten hours per week self-directed study. The curriculum comprises eight compulsory modules of varying length and intensity across six terms:

• Introduction to the principles of randomised trials
• Design to implementation
• Data management and analysis
• Regulatory and ethical framework and participant involvement
• Routine health care data, Big Data and new technologies
• Health economics for clinical trials and patient reported outcomes 
• Meta-analyses and trial reporting
• Different types of trials and populations.

The course will include two residential periods. The first will be a one-week residential period in the Long Vacation (September) between years one and two. A shorter residential period will take place in Trinity term in year two.

The aim of the first residential period is to allow students to meet the tutors and course teaching team and to provide face-to-face teaching, discussion time and leadership training. The second residential period aims to allow discussion about dissertation content, practical guidance on statistical content and an opportunity for face-to-face discussion between student and dissertation supervisor.

The first residential is not mandatory for students who cannot attend the residential for unforeseen reasons, but students must attend at least one residential period during the course.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Nuffield Department of Population Health and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A supervisor may be found outside the Nuffield Department of Population Health.

You will typically meet with your supervisor once every three to four weeks.

During all six terms of the course there will be a series of formative assessments designed to enable teaching staff and the students to monitor progress. These assessments are compulsory but the marks do not contribute to the final degree. All students are provided with detailed feedback that will enable them to improve their learning by helping them identify their strengths and weaknesses.

There are five summative assessments in total. In Trinity term of year one, a written assignment is submitted. The examination will be held at the end of  year one long vacation period (September). During Michaelmas term of year two a written assignment will be submitted. During Hilary term of year two students will give a presentation and finally during the Trinity term of year two, students will write a dissertation that will be submitted in September of year two.

Graduate destinations

It is expected that MSc in Clinical Trials graduates will return to their full-time roles, but may include more clinical trials/studies in their duties. Some students may wish to progress to DPhil study.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  in medicine, health sciences, statistics or a related field.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.6 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

The course will be open to health professionals (eg physicians, surgeons and nurses), postgraduate scientists or statisticians (eg from industry, contract research organisations, regulatory agencies) and experienced trial managers.

Candidates will usually hold a doctoral or masters qualification and will be working in a health profession or as a post-graduate scientist, though this is not a requirement of entry.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process. Applications will be shortlisted using a scoring system that takes into account the applicant’s degree, trials experience, prizes, research experiences, references and their proposal.

Interviews are expected to be held in mid-late February.

Interviews will be held via Skype (or other suitable online platform). Interviews will normally last around 15 to 20 minutes and will be conducted by an admissions panel of senior academics.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Initiatives to improve access to graduate study

This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.

For this course, socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.  Further information about how we use your socio-economic data  can be found in our page about initiatives to improve access to graduate study.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

You will have access to the online University library services and online reading lists. You will also receive full access to the virtual learning environment (Canvas) where lectures, seminars and tutorials will occur.

You will also have access to recordings of weekly seminars held on the Old Road Campus and will be made aware of any other online seminars taking place across the Medical Sciences Division. You will be welcome to use any online courses within the Medical Sciences Skills Training programmes if you wish.

Nuffield Department of Population Health

The Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH) brings together over 500 staff from a number of world-leading research groups with the aim of reducing premature death and disability from human disease.

A number of world-renowned research groups and disciplines are part of the NDPH, including the Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), Cancer Epidemiology Unit (CEU), National Perinatal Epidemiology Group (NPEU), Health Economics Research Centre (HERC) and Ethox. These groups are responsible for some of the world’s largest population cohorts and randomised trials, and produce highly-cited practice-changing research, which continues to have a major impact on international clinical management guidelines (eg on statins, aspirin, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, heart failure, serious childhood illness and infections). The department offers three taught courses: the one-year taught MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology, the PG Certificate in Statistics and Epidemiology and the two-year distance learning MSc in Clinical Trials. The department also offers the DPhil in Population Health, offered full-time over three to four years and part-time over six to eight years.

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The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

All students on this course will need access to a computer, webcam, microphone and a reliable broadband internet connection (compulsory). The recommended bandwidth for the software used is 1Mbps. This is estimated to cost approximately £1000. Departmental or college bursaries may be available for this. Students will have to attend a compulsory residential week between Years 1 and 2, and may wish to attend a further residential period in Year 2. The department will provide food and accommodation for these residential periods, but you will need to pay for your own travel. Students can apply to the course directors for support for travel, and may also be able to apply for small grants from their college. As part of your course requirements, you may need to choose a dissertation, a project or a thesis topic. Please note that, depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students on the MSc in Clinical Trials:

• Green Templeton College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Reuben College
• St Hilda's College
• Wolfson College
• Wycliffe Hall

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Referees Three overall, academic and/or professional

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Your references will support:

• your intellectual ability;
• your academic achievement;
• your motivation and interest in the course and subject area; and 
• your ability to work effectively both in a group and independently.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Statement of purpose/personal statement: A maximum of 1,000 words

Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying;
• your ability to present a coherent case in proficient English;
• your commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course;
• your preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques; and
• awareness of key issues in clinical trials.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 5 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Nuffield Department of Population Health

• Course page on the department's website
• Funding information from the department
• Academic and research staff
• Departmental research
• Medical Sciences Graduate School
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 743539

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Other courses to consider

You may also wish to consider applying to other courses that are similar or related to this course:

View related courses

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

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Clinical Research MClinRes, PGDip, PGCert (E-learning)

Our Clinical Research MClinRes, PGDip, and PGCert allow you to study clinical research in the context of your workplace.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2024

The suite of courses is a collaborative partnership with Newcastle Academic Health Partners. You'll gain knowledge and skills to perform to a high level in all aspects of clinical research. Our courses are for professionals in many different areas of the health service. This includes doctors and NMAHPs.

Our programmes encourage you to plan, conduct, analyse and write up clinical research. You'll do this in the context of your own professional role. You'll learn and develop skills in clinical research in your area of expertise. This is the most valuable way of consolidating the theory you'll learn on the course.

In the final year of your master's, you'll carry out your own research project. It is useful to have a workplace mentor for this. This is someone who can provide professional and specialist advice and guidance. The University will provide an academic supervisor to support your research.

You'll gain a strong theoretical as well as practical knowledge of clinical research. This helps support your current or future professional as well as leadership roles. Our programmes are UK based but globally aware. They reflect international collaborations and their requirements.

Our courses are suitable for any clinical research topic, including:

• mental health
• allied health care

Clinical Research Delivery, PGCert

We also run a PG Certificate in Clinical Research Delivery. This course will enable experienced healthcare professionals to contribute to clinical research delivery and will develop future leaders. It has been developed with support from the NIHR-AoMRC Clinical Researcher Credentials Framework. Bursaries are available, please  contact us to leave your details to find out more.

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Nihr insight.

The NIHR INSIGHT North East & Cumbria programme is fully-funding research masters courses to help early career health and care professionals. Our Clinical Research programme is eligible for this funding. To find out more and see if you are eligible, please visit the  NHIP Academy .

Qualifications explained

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

A PGDip is awarded if you successfully complete all of the taught modules (120 credits).

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PGCert is awarded if you successfully complete half of the taught modules (60 credits).

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications .

An MClinRes is a taught master’s degree. It allows you to study clinical research in the context of your workplace. It typically includes:

• subject-specific taught modules
• a research project

You can study part time or accelerated.

What you'll learn

Some of the core learning outcomes of our programmes include:

• appraising good practice principles in all aspects of clinical research
• recognising academic scholarship in your own work and of others
• differentiating between different forms of clinical research
• identify opportunities in your chosen area of clinical research or chosen pathway

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions .

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Compulsory modules

• Integrity, Infrastructure and Information Governance in Healthcare Research (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Data Management and Communication of Clinical Research: Doing Clinical Research Well (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Designing a Research Proposal (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Clinical Research Dissertation (E-learning)* (60 credits)

* The dissertation will be undertaken in the field of the degree programme studied.

Optional modules

• Writing in a Research Setting (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Clinical Research Delivery in Practice (20 credits)

You also take 40 credits from the list of optional modules below:

• Clinical Trials (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Clinical Research Statistics (E-learning) (20 credits)
• Qualitative Research (E-Learning) (20 credits)
• Clinical Research with Older People (E-learning) (20 credits)

How you'll learn

You'll learn online, so you can choose to study anytime and anywhere. This flexibility means that you can fit your studies around your other commitments. It will also allow you to develop your online digital literacy skills.

The courses offer a range of modules to choose from so that you can gain the research skills you need. The master's research project can involve a topic of your choice in line with the needs of your day-to-day job.

We'll provide you with an email address. You'll also receive an account on Canvas (our managed learning environment). Canvas is accessible across a variety of operating systems and browsers.

You don’t need to attend any classes on campus. Instead, you’ll need access to a computer, and hardware to take part in group discussion and seminars.

As part of the course, you’ll take part in ‘good clinical practice’ training. This is mandatory for professionals who conduct clinical research. If you can prove that you’ve already completed this training, you won’t need to repeat it.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Computer assessment
• Dissertation
• Professional skills assessments
• Oral examination
• Oral presentation
• PC examination
• Research proposal
• Written exercise

You'll undertake a single research project. Projects will offer diverse experiences in research techniques and methods. This will be across the range of research activities in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. You'll work in collaboration with your own workplace environment.

You'll work with an academic tutor to guide you through your studies.

For the master's project, you'll need to nominate a workplace mentor. They will provide professional and specialist advice and guidance. They’ll also:

• support your studies
• maintain academic links
• maintain clinical links

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Academics, researchers and NHS clinicians deliver the courses. They are all research-active or in NHS research and development teams. They are also part of clinical networks.

Our teaching staff includes:

• Dr Joanne Elson (Lecturer, dissertation coordination)
• Hon. Prof Marieke Emonts (Curriculum Director)

Your development

Upon completion of our programmes, you'll be able to:

• design clinical research projects or trials. They'll exhibit good research practices. They will show effective governance and with justified ethical principles and theories
• get the necessary permissions and approvals for carrying out research. This will be specific to Postgraduate Diploma and Masters
• collect, manage, analyse data using appropriate computer database(s). You'll use statistical software and in compliance with relevant legislation
• translate research findings into clinical practice. This will be in the context of current research in your own field
• complete the various steps and documentation to gain access and approval to data sources
• interpret and analyse data using appropriate resources
• design, put in place, adjust manage and report on projects. This is specific to postgraduate diploma and master's

Your future

Applicants may wish to progress their career in a research-intensive clinical environment. Our courses are also for anyone wishing to introduce clinical research into their workplace. Our graduates include:

• research managers
• projects leads
• research nurses
• clinical trials managers

Our programmes also provide a route into:

• PhD level study
• research management
• research design
• research delivery

Many of our students go on to publish in peer-reviewed journals. An excellent example Greig Taylor, Research Fellow in Paediatric Dentistry. He studied for a MClinRes and was recently published in the online International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry .

Our Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

You'll have access to services that will develop graduate and research skills. With these, you'll enhance personal development and employability. Our facilities include:

• professional support services for health and wellbeing
• careers service
• excellent library and IT resources
• participation in academic and programme development

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year).

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

• How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Programme Coordinator Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 2338 Email:  [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

Keep updated

We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

Receive regular updates by email

Chat to a student

Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.

• What You'll Learn
• How You'll Learn
• Your Development
• Your Future
• Quality and Ranking
• Fees and Funding
• Entry Requirements
• Open days & events

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

Download our course brochure

Discover more about Nursing at Manchester

MClin Res Clinical Research / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

• View full page

Course description

Our MClin Res Clinical Research course is aimed at health professionals and others working in a health setting who want to develop careers in clinical research, clinical and academic practice, or academic research with a strong clinical/healthcare practice component.

You will develop in-depth knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of research and skills in research methods relevant to applied research in a range of contemporary health and social care settings.

The course is mainly delivered online, but is complemented by two compulsory four-day campus-based introductory and winter study schools, and one mid-semester study day in Semesters 1 and 2.

Most of the units that make up this course are shared with other students on master's and PhD programmes at Manchester.

Please note this course is not designed to develop the knowledge and skills for a laboratory-based research career.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health.

Our course has been designed to provide health professionals and others working in a health setting with the skills needed to conduct and manage research in health and social care settings, and to develop careers in clinical research, clinical and academic practice, or academic research with a strong clinical/healthcare practice component.

The aims of the course are to:

• enable you to further develop systematic, in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the nature, purposes, methods and application of research relevant to clinical/health care practice at an individual and/or organisational level;
• contribute to building capacity and capability for research and evidence-based practice by equipping you with in-depth knowledge and essential skills to critically appraise, apply, design and undertake high quality research in a range of clinical/health care settings;
• enhance the quality and evidence base for clinical research, practice and service development through the provision of robust research training in a stimulating, challenging and supportive learning environment that draws on outstanding resources and research and practice expertise;
• promote lifelong learning in students and enhance opportunities to pursue a variety of research careers and/or further research training which support and advance clinical knowledge, research and practice;
• equip you with key transferable skills in critical reasoning and reflection, effective communication, team and multi-disciplinary working, use of IT/health informatics, logical and systematic approaches to problem-solving and decision-making.

Special features

Interdisciplinary learning

You will learn from renowned lecturers and practitioners from various disciplines including nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, social work, speech and language therapy, audiology, psychology, and medicine.

Strong collaborations

We have strong links with other courses at Manchester and with experts from Health Innovation Manchester .

Learn using real research projects

You will learn from academics who use their own research projects to demonstrate different approaches to research, with some studies being examined in depth to look at the different stages of the research process.

Teaching and learning

The course content is primarily delivered online, giving you more flexibility over how you learn. You will also attend two three-day introductory and winter study schools and one mid-semester study days, allowing you to learn face-to-face and meet other students and staff at Manchester.

We use digital technology to ensure our supervision of and communications with students meet the high standards required for the learning process to work. This includes:

• individual and group web-based audio-visual tutorials;
• web-based collaboration areas and discussion boards
• shared digital documents;
• online, phone and face-to-face support from supervisors and academic advisors;
• peer support through course-specific discussion boards and face-to-face meetings.

Find out more about postgraduate teaching and learning at Manchester.

Coursework and assessment

We will assess your progress using a variety of summative assessment methods that enable the integration of theory and practice. They also build on the continuous formative assessment exercises that come with each individual unit, which include interactive, stimulating online exercises with regular self-assessment and feedback.

Course unit details

Our MClin Res comprises six taught units (90 academic credits in total) and a 90-credit dissertation unit.

The PGDip Clin Res comprises six taught (90 academic credits in total) and a mini-dissertation (30 academic credits).

The PGCert Clin Res comprises four taught units (60 academic credits in total).

Full-time study

Six taught units in the following areas, plus a dissertation:

• Research design
• Managing research in health and social care
• Critical appraisal and evidence synthesis
• Quantitative research design and analysis
• Qualitative research design and analysis

Part-time study

Four taught units:

Two taught units, plus a dissertation:

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Scholarships and bursaries

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

Course collaborators

We are based in Jean McFarlane Building, which houses seminar rooms, IT facilities, clinical and interpersonal skills laboratories, and lecture theatres.

The University of Manchester also offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.

Disability support

• Postgraduate study
• Postgraduate taught courses

Health and Clinical Research Delivery

Explore this course:.

Applications for 2024 entry are now open. Apply now or register your interest to hear about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.

School of Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Health

Course description

This part-time online programme offers a practical look into the world of health and clinical research for aspiring researchers and research leaders.

The course is aimed at healthcare practitioners – such as doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, healthcare scientists and allied health professionals – whether you are new to research or are already championing research in healthcare.

You will learn to plan, analyse and evaluate clinical research, and reflect on the challenges, impact and ethical implications of existing research. Everything you study will be applied back to your field of expertise so you can leave the course with the confidence to lead clinical research in practice. The course will prepare you for future roles as a collaborator, co-investigator or principal investigator (PI) within your organisation.

Flexible study 

The programme has been designed to be as flexible as possible, and with support from your employer, can fit around your work and life commitments. You will study part-time and online, with most of your study being asynchronous (not scheduled for a specific time or date). This allows you to work through online material at a time and pace that is convenient for you. The online course structure means you will benefit from high-quality teaching and support wherever you are, alongside your clinical practice.

Our course also allows you to be flexible with the time you spend studying with us. You can choose to study for one year to obtain a PG Certificate; two years to obtain a PG Diploma or stay for the full three years to obtain a full masters qualification. If you start on one route and decide you want to shorten or lengthen your study time this can also be supported. To succeed in the programme you will need to ensure that you can meet the following expectations:

• You need to be confident that you have sufficient time to complete the coursework (approximately 20 hours per week).
• You will be expected to observe or participate in practice-based research delivery activities during the working week (an average of approximately 3 hours per week).
• You will need to identify someone who could act as your work-based supervisor for your Research Practice experience module.
• You will need the support of your organisation and line manager to study the programme.
• If you do not work in England, you must be employed by an organisation where clinical research is delivered and have access to local research delivery training. 

Applying for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

You can apply to use previous study or experiential learning to count towards your Health & Clinical Research Delivery qualification.

For more information on RPL read the University of Sheffield's Recognition of Prior Learning policy .

To make an application you must complete the RPL application form and email it to [email protected] .

If you are applying for RPL based on experiential learning, you should refer to the HCRD RPL Guidance carefully to ensure that you include all of the relevant information. 

You will also need to submit a Postgraduate Online Application Form to be considered for entry.  Approval of your RPL application does not guarantee you a place on the course.

We offer two different courses in the field of health research: this MSc in Health and Clinical Research Delivery (HCRD), which is delivered remotely and a Masters in Clinical Research (MClinRes), delivered on campus. If you're not sure which course to take, use the table below to help you.

Which course should I take?

Use the link below to view the Masters in Clinical Research (MClinRes) course:

Clinical Research MSc PG Certificate PG Diploma

• September 2024 start
• 1 year 2 years 3 years Full-time Part-time

Explore the fundamental concepts and methods of health-related research, medical statistics and how to critically appraise research literature and examine the practical and regulatory issues involved in designing and delivering clinical and health-related research projects.

Accreditation

All our HCRD qualifications are accredited by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC).

This programme has been developed in line with the new  NIHR-AoMRC Clinician Researcher Credentials Framework . This framework was designed by both the NIHR and the AoMRC to bridge the research skills gap within the NHS and other healthcare services. We worked with partner organisations from the healthcare sector to develop the course and tailor it to your needs.

An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.

You may also be able to pre-book a department visit as part of a campus tour. Open days and campus tours

MSc (with no RPL top-up): 3 years

MSc (via RPL top-up): 2 years

PGDip (with no RPL top-up): 2 years

PGDip (via RPL top-up): 1 year

PGCert: 1 year

Extensive support is available for students returning to academia after a break from formal study. You will get help with study techniques, academic writing, time management and other essential skills for success.

All of your teaching will take place online. You will learn through presentations, video and audio content, screencasts, tutorials, group work and independent study. There are optional live webinars that offer more opportunities to interact with your tutors and peers.

You will be assessed through written assignments, essays and reports, a practice-based placement e-portfolio and, if you do the MSc programme, a dissertation.

Your career

As a graduate, you will be able to use the knowledge you have gained to introduce or develop clinical research in your current workplace, working as a Collaborator, Co-investigator or Principal Investigator (PI).

Alternatively, you may wish to progress your career within a research-intensive healthcare environment or in clinical academic research – for example, as a research nurse, clinical trial coordinator or data analyst. The course is also great preparation for a PhD or research fellowship.

Student profiles

Arvin's postgraduate journey.

Arvin Fernando talks about his experience on the course.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a clinical subject or equivalent qualification or an equivalent professional qualification or relevant work experience. If you have a lower degree classification or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification.

If you have any questions about entry requirements or the course in general, contact the department .

Alternatively, you can book an online one-to-one chat with Claire Beecroft, the deputy program lead, by clicking the link below.

Book a chat with Deputy Programme Director Claire Beecroft

Health and Clinical Research Delivery (HCRD) Bursaries

The application form for Regulated Health and Care Professionals* bursaries is now live. You need to hold an offer of a place on one of the courses to apply for a bursary.

Apply for a Regulated Health and Care Professionals bursary

Get more guidance on the eligibility criteria and how to complete the application form .

The deadline for bursary applications is 11.59am BST on 1 August 2024.

*The adopted definition of regulated health and care professionals are those regulated healthcare professionals, excluding doctors and dentists, who are currently registered with one of the national regulatory bodies, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health and Care Professions Council, General Dental Council, General Medical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Chiropractic Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Regulated Health and Care Professionals can apply for one to three years of funding to complete a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master’s Degree starting in the academic year 2024/25. Funding cannot be deferred to a future academic year and funding for any subsequent years will be conditional upon meeting the requirements to complete the next stage. No funding will be available to retake any component of the course.

MSc fee per year

Pg diploma fee per year, pg certificate fee.

You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.

More information

School of Medicine and Population Health

[email protected] +44 114 222 5454

• Schools & departments

Clinical Trials (Online Learning) MSc, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

Awards: MSc, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

Study modes: Part-time, Part-time Intermittent Study

Online learning

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Clinical Trials (Online Learning)

You can work full-time in clinical trials or a clinical background and study for this degree. I personally feel that studying with the University of Edinburgh has been the best experience for me. Asha Mathews MSc Clinical Trials, graduate

Online Learning Open Days On-Demand

Watch session recordings from our previous Open Days to learn more about studying online.

Find out more and register

Programme description

Never more relevant, our mission is to equip our global students with the principles underpinning the design, management, appraisal and reporting of clinical trials to improve health.

Study with us to gain a qualification in the theory and practice of health care interventions including randomised control trials. Our suite of online courses allows students to qualify at Certificate, Diploma and Masters level.

Who is it for?

The programme will support the demand for appropriately qualified health professionals to lead clinical trials of all phases. It is suitable for graduates in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, life sciences and other allied disciplines involved in Clinical Trials. It also attracts students who are working in clinical trials but have not studied for many years, and people who wish to move into the field of clinical trials and change their career.

How is it taught?

Each course is divided into a set of themed sections in which material is presented in a blend of short online lectures, practical case studies, directed readings, podcasts and archived webinars. Discussion board tasks and live expert guest lectures offer an opportunity for collaborative critical discourse and debate of current issues under the guidance of expert teaching staff.

Online learning is a way to study for an internationally recognised qualification without needing to attend classes on campus. It is aimed at those who wish to study for a postgraduate qualification alongside work or other commitments.

Online programmes are of equal value to on-campus programmes. The only difference is the way the course is delivered. Our online learning platform enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or work place.

As an online student you have access to the University's excellent resources. We use the latest in educational technology tools and systems. Our VLE has a modern, intuitive, fully accessible and responsive interface, delivering a powerful teaching and learning experience on any device with an internet connection, anytime, anywhere.

The programme is delivered fully online with a study commitment of 12-15 hours per week. It has been designed to embrace the role that technology can play to enhance teaching, learning and assessment, allowing for a flexible approach that caters to different ways of learning.

Each student will be supported as an active member of a vibrant global online community where the learning is facilitated by tutors, tasks and materials that foster active, relevant and collaborative learning.

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

• Postgraduate online learning

Programme structure

You can study to Masters, Diploma or Certificate level.

In year one, students will follow 2 compulsory courses ensuring a solid foundation in the basics of randomised control trials and medical statistics, and the ethical and regulatory context underpinning clinical research.

Our suite of elective courses offers students the opportunity to explore areas of interest in more depth and to tailor the programme to their own learning needs and career goals.

Year 1 – Certificate - Two 20 credit compulsory courses and one 20 credit elective

Year 2 – Diploma - a total of 60 credits from our list of electives

Year 3 – Masters - dissertation year 60 credits

We also offer the option for students to take individual courses under the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) scheme. Tuition fees are paid on a course-by-course basis.

Find out more:

• Online learning options

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Learning outcomes

Graduates of this programme will have gained:

a critical understanding of the principles, science and evidence underpinning clinical trials

the ability to critique current approaches in clinical trial design and implementation

the capacity to take responsibility for their own learning and development within the clinical trials environment

the ability to communicate the design, implementation and results of clinical trials to a variety of audiences

the resolve to work professionally and with integrity in a multi-disciplinary research team to deliver effective clinical trials

the skills to design, implement and report clinical trials

Career opportunities

Our Certificate, Diploma and Masters courses are designed to improve your prospects in the rapidly growing field of clinical trials research. Students have found excellent opportunities in academia, the public and non-profit health sectors and industry including pharmaceutical and biotech companies and contract research organisations (CROs).

Roles exist in a variety of areas including:

Clinical research - trial managers, administrators, clinical research associates

Quality Assurance and Control - trial monitors, QA managers, pharmacovigilance

Data management - data managers, biostatistics and programming

Regulatory affairs - global regulatory lead, information management associate, executive roles

Medical affairs - Chief and Principal Investigators, medical liaison, medical communications and writing

Product development - medical devices

What our students say about us

Some comments from past graduates

I have gained so much from hearing about different practices from around the world. The online discussions were an invaluable part of the course. The focus on clinical practice is an advantage of this course. Staff are very supportive. You can work full-time in clinical trials or a clinical background and study for this degree. I personally feel that studying with the University of Edinburgh has been the best experience for me. The group work was really useful. I felt I got to know the students. As English is not my first language I found that whenever a concept is difficult to understand, I was able to re-watch lectures and review online notes at my convenience.

Listen to two of our graduates describe how they benefited from our programme.

Becci Petch

Asha Mathews

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A medical degree (MBChB or equivalent), or a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, biological sciences, life sciences, biomedicine, statistics or other related discipline.

We may also consider your application if you have 3-5 years' relevant work experience; please contact the programme team to check before you apply. You may be admitted to certificate level only in the first instance.

Students from China

This degree is Band D.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding.

• Online Learning Scholarships

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Programme Administrator
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 7112
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Director, Afshan Dean
• Usher Institute of Population Health and Informatics
• Old Medical School
• Teviot Place
• Central Campus
• Programme: Clinical Trials (Online Learning)
• School: Edinburgh Medical School: Molecular, Genetic & Population Health Sciences
• College: Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

MSc Clinical Trials (Online Learning) - 3 Years (Part-time)

Pgcert clinical trials (online learning) - 1 year (part-time), pgdip clinical trials (online learning) - 2 years (part-time), pg professional development in clinical trials (online learning) (icl) - 2 years (part-time intermittent study), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Master of Science in Clinical Research

Duration: 24 months

University of Warwick

Want to make an impact on the world? You can change lives with a career in clinical research and meaningfully improve patient care and health outcomes. A clinical research masters is vital to the training to enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing the burdens of illness and disability. For instance, through clinical research we gain insights and answers about the safety and effectiveness of drugs and other therapies. Make a real difference and pursue a career in Clinical Research.

Based on 63 reviews

Clinical Research Masters Programme Details

Research is at the heart of advancement in medicine and pharmacy. to pursue a career in research, it is critical you have the necessary grounding in the evidence base as to how robust, ethical research is conducted..

This Masters in Clinical Research is a multi-disciplinary programme aimed at providing you with the requisite academic knowledge to conduct research within your professional scope of practice in pharmaceutical, medical device, clinical or the academic sector.  The programme covers clinical research design and methodologies, management of data, ethics, leadership, and is closely aligned to industry needs by focussing on the design and management of clinical trials. 

The MSc in clinical research offers state-of-the-art education that can be accessed anytime, anywhere and provide you with a leading edge understanding of Clinical Research. 

Postgraduate Certificate: 6 months

Postgraduate Diploma: 12 months

Master of Science: 24 months

Start dates

Start date: January, May and September 2024

Entry requirements

This programme welcomes students from varied professional backgrounds from across the world, including physicians, nurses, dentists, professionals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, academicians and those who plan to conduct clinical trials.

You must hold a 2.2. honours degree (or above) from a UK university or comparable Institution in a healthcare, or life sciences background.

Postgraduate Certificate: £ 4,200

Postgraduate Diploma: £ 8,400

Master of Science: £ 12,600*

* The full cumulative price of the MSc in Clinical Research is £12,600. Monthly subscription, instalments and discounts are available.

About the University of Warwick

The University of Warwick provides transformative learning and research opportunities that spark debate, fuel ambition and ignite innovation. Ranked 10th in United Kingdom and 69th in the World, the University of Warwick is an internationally-recognised centre of excellence delivering the highest standards of education, research, information and materials to improve the quality of healthcare globally.

Why the University of Warwick?

• Top 10 UK university
• 7th within the Russell Group ranking
• A global centre of academic excellence

Who is the clinical research masters for?

How is this programme delivered?

The master of science in clinical research part-time programme is provided through an unparalleled online education environment, blending self-directed learning with tutor-led teambased learning. Throughout the course, students will interact and engage in:

Weekly synchronous online tutorials.

Highly interactive content and tutor-moderated discussion forums.

Reflective exercises to test your thinking and learning application.

You never feel isolated in your learning with small-group sizes, a programme management team and tutor support.

Outcomes of this programme

Graduates of this online master’s programme can go on to work in a wide range of rewarding and challenging roles in clinical research. You will become leaders and principal investigators in the managing and monitoring of clinical research

Graduates will be able to:

Obtain a recognised Postgraduate qualification from a top 10 UK university

Secure local CME accreditation

Demonstrate knowledge of trial design, delivery and assessment

Explore theoretical and practical issues in the design and implementation of clinical trials

Develop skills in handling and presenting clinical trial data

Critically evaluate key aspects of how clinical trials are reviewed and reported

Programme Overview

The masters in clinical research online programme blends self-directed learning and Tutor-led group learning. Throughout the programme, you'll engage in: online group tutorials, tutor-moderated discussion forums, interactive case studies, reflective exercises. The programme is broken down into the following modules:

1 . Understanding Evidence in Practice – Semester 1 PG Cert

Introduction to evidence-based medicine.

Exploration of study design in clinical and medical research.

Designing research questions using accepted frameworks.

Refining research questions through appraisal of literature.

Assessing strengths / weaknesses and biases of study designs.

Ethical and regulatory frameworks of clinical research.

Please find more information here.

2 . Clinical Research Design – Semester 1 PG Cert

Application of evidence-based medicine.

Consideration of research methodologies and study designs (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed

Bias in research and its link to the internal and external validity standards.

Understanding reporting guidelines for common study designs.

Management of participants in research.

Understanding evaluation and regulation of therapeutic agents in clinical trials.

Data collection and data management.

Selection of analysis techniques.

Qualitative data analysis.

Quantitative data analysis.

Describing and summarising data.

Interpretation of data.

3 . Clinical Research Analysis – Semester 1 PG Cert

4 . design of clinical trials – semester 2 pg diploma.

Clinical Trials: Introduction and ethics in clinical trials

Clinical Trials: Phases, contexts and ethics

Study protocols

Study populations and cohorts

Clinical Trial Design: Phase I-IV designs

Treatment allocations

5 . Management of Patient-Centred Approach – Semester 2 PG Diploma

Ethics, privacy and safety in clinical trials

Clinical Trial management and conduct

Measurement of clinical trials and data capture

Data monitoring and analysis

Reporting of Results

Regulatory issues in clinical trials

6 . Leadership in Clinical Research – Semester 2 PG Diploma

Effective leadership in a clinical research setting

Organisational structures in clinical research

Organisation behaviour and organisation culture.

Mentorship in clinical research

Change management in research projects

Ethical issues in clinical leadership

7 . Professional Project in Clinical Research – Semester 3 M.Sc.

The “Professional Project in Clinical Research” is a 60 CATS module that will enable students to identify, understand, appraise and plan research related to clinical research. The module will cover the skills needed to identify, appraise and synthesise research evidence and develop an understanding of the implications of research for in a clinical setting. Working independently, and under limited supervision, students will then take responsibility for the direction and management of a project through to completion and submission.

The module addresses the following areas:

Literature searching

Formulating a research question

Study design

Writing a research protocol

Presenting a research protocol

Your Dedicated Tutors

Dr Stephen Holding

Programme Leader

Dr Annet Nakaganda

Professor Julie Bruce

Course benefits, active, not passive learning.

Heavily focussed on 'Learning by doing' - an active learning experience. Challenging formative assessments and group work to forge exemplary clinical educators.

World-leading healthcare faculty

Clinical Researchers of the highest calibre have developed the programme; they are thought leaders hand-selected by iheed from the world's leading medical schools and research industries.

Excellent career prospects

With the global clinical research market growing and a host of new opportunities appearing across the world, there’s never been a better time to enter the clinical research profession.

A Truly Global Programme

Developed by international Clinical Research experts. Participants from across the globe study together, learning from each other's experiences and forming a global network of like-minded researchers.

A world-class online learning experience

The programme is a truly transformative user experience. The content is rich, compelling, engaging and innovative. It includes interactive video, 2D & 3D animations, medical imagery and instructional competency-focused pedagogy.

Discounts and Flexible Payment Options available

We offer early registration discounts, bulk payment discounts and flexible payment plans to make this programme affordable and accessible to clinicians

Check out our On Demand Webinar

Clinical Research Programme - information webinar

How do i apply.

To apply for your place on a programme, all you have to is to fill out the online application form, and when requested send in proof of eligibility (confirmation of your previous degree/other qualifications).

Is this programme recognised globally?

Please see the link to the Accreditation page.

Is there any funding or Sponsorship available?

Please see the link to the Funding pages here.

Please give me a detailed breakdown of the payment Options.

Please see the link to the Payment options pages here.

Please contact your Educational Advisor for more information on pricing and offer.

Can I have access to a more detailed Curriculum?

Yes, please see the link to the full programme curriculum here.

If I finish with a PGCert and later want to do the MSc, can I re-join?

Yes – if you exit with a PGCert or PGDip, you can re-join at a future intake to do the additional modules required to effectively upgrade your award to an MSC. However, there is a 5-year time limit within which you can complete the MSc – the clock starts from the moment you commence the programme until you complete your Master’s – this would allow for an accumulative 3 years (approx.) of time away from the programme.

What is the difference between a PGCert v PGDip v MSc?

This programme is a Master of Science in Medical Education for Healthcare Professionals. The course is 2 years in duration and made up of 180 CATS in the UK or 90 ECTS in Europe. The PGDip (12 months - 120 CTS/60 ECTS) and PGCert (6 months - 60 CATS/30 ECTS) are earlier exits from the Master’s.

Why would I take this programme?

If you choose to pursue a career in clinical research you can be sure that you'll make a difference in people’s lives, whether through curing patients in new ways, or working to combat increasingly-prevalent issues like antimicrobial resistance. There’s never a dull day when you’re working in clinical research. The sector is ideal if you like variety and you like to be challenged, because apart from setting up, monitoring and closing clinical studies, you’ll also be travelling to different research areas, writing reports, going into the office for meetings and getting to know hundreds of different people- whether as part of the trials or within different companies. 

Who are iheed?

iheed are an Online Programme Manager (OPM) that specialise specifically in the delivery of online medical education. iheed partner with world-leading medical schools to deliver market-leading postgraduate education programmes. iheed also work closely with health ministries and health regulators across the globe to develop CPD programmes for national healthcare workforces in key regions, particularly in the Middle East and Asia.

Is the certificate awarded by the University of Warwick or iheed?

The certificate is awarded by the University of Warwick; the award itself is no different from completing an on-campus programme at the University of Warwick and the certificate is the exact same as for an on-campus programme and does not say ‘online’. It will simply state the course title ‘Master of Science in Clinical Research’.

Imperial College London Imperial College London

Latest news.

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Four Imperial scientists win European grants to develop research concepts

10,000 STEM activity packs given to local charities

• Postgraduate taught, Online

Clinical Research

Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies.

Receive broad training and practical experience in designing, implementing and reporting clinical studies

Specialise in diabetes and obesity, human nutrition or translational medicine on a dedicated research pathway

Become familiar with the innovative technologies that underpin novel clinical investigation

How would you like to study?

Study option:

Course key facts

Qualification, 1 year, 2 years, september 2024, full-time, part-time, full-time: £14,900 part-time: £7,450 home, full-time: £43,250 part-time: £8,800 or full-time: £24,600 part-time: £12,300 overseas, delivered by, department of metabolism, digestion and reproduction, hammersmith, online (human nutrition only), minimum entry standard, 2:1 in medicine or life sciences, £7,450 home, £21,625 or £12,300 overseas, course overview.

Receive broad and high quality training and practical experience in designing, implementing, conducting and reporting clinical studies on this MRes course within the intensive world-leading clinical research environment of Imperial College London. You'll build the broad and rounded skillset of a clinical researcher. With core skills such as clinical trial design, conduct and implementation, research dissemination conduct, PPI, critical appraisal, applying for ethics and research funding, and explore a range of challenging clinical research scenarios and contexts. You'll then specialise in a chosen area of clinical research on one of three dedicated pathways:

• Diabetes and Obesity –  Develop a deep understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and research advances in the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes and obesity.
• Human Nutrition – Gain deep insight into the latest developments of interplay of diet, health and  disease, such as gastrointenstinal tract mechanisms, aging and chronic disease , engaging with cutting edge research including investigative techniques such  as Camera technology,  Metabolomics and and Omic technology, to accurately explore the most clinically relevant research questions.
• Translational Medicine – assess the challenges of drug development including clinical trial design, and learn why most drug development programmes are unsuccessful, and how to improve the success rate. You'll also have an opportunity to apply your practical experience and training to a research project.

This course will allow you to develop the essential clinical research skills in your subject area of interest and prepare you for clinical research oriented career or further research study, such as a PhD.

Receive broad training and practical experience of designing, implementing, and reporting clinical studies on this PG Certificate course

You'll build skills in research conduct, clinical research measures, and explore a range of clinical research scenarios.

You'll then specialise in a chosen area of clinical research on one of three dedicated pathways:

• Diabetes and Obesity - explore modern investigative techniques including MRI and metabolomics and understand the pathophysiology of both types of diabetes.
• Human Nutrition - understand the regulatory requirements of human nutrition and analyse the latest cutting-edge research.
• Translational Medicine - assess the challenges of drug development including clinical trial design. The course explores innovative technologies in specific areas of clinical research and examines the concepts, theories and developments that underpin novel clinical investigation.

You'll also learn how to critically analyse data and become familiar with governance and ethics in relation to clinical research.

This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.

Find out more about potential course changes .

Please note:  it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.

Core modules

Optional modules.

• Research project

You’ll study all the following modules.

Research Conduct & Clinical Research Measures

Explore and investigate the design, challenges and considerations and around research in humans, become familiar with clinical research regulatory frameworks,  Good Clinical Practice (GCP), statistics in clinical research and clinical research study design.

Clinical Research Scenarios

Gain insight into the design and conduct of clinical research in non-typical and challenging situations and populations, as well as developing a rounded researcher skillset, initiative and confidence through a simulated realistic grant application exercise.

Critical Appraisal

Develop the crucial ability to appraise clinical research literature, study design and judge its validity.

You’ll study one optional module depending on your selected pathway at registration.

Human Nutrition

Examine the research methods required to study human nutrition in controlled and free living situations and analyse dietary assessment methods.

Diabetes and Obesity

Deepen your understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and obesity.

Translational Medicine

Investigate the challenges of developing drug and non-drug interventions, and how to mee these challenges.

Apply a range of clinical and laboratory techniques to a specific research area on an extensive project of your choosing.  The project topic will be based on your selected pathway, and supervised by a Imperial based research academic. Your work will be assessed by a research proposal, research paper, poster presentation and oral viva voce examination.

You’ll study one optional module depending on your selected pathway at registration:

Gain a deep understanding of the most advanced techniques to assess nutritional status and explore how these and other investigative approaches are applied in cutting edge research to provide insight into the role of food and physiology in pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of a range of conditions.

Investigate the challenges of research in non-drug interventional research, including regenerative medicine and devices.

Teaching and assessment

Balance of teaching and learning.

• Lectures, seminars and independent study
• 30% Lectures, seminars and independent study
• 70% Research project

Teaching and learning methods

Assessment methods.

• 100% Lectures, seminars and independent study
• 0% Research project

Human Nutrition (online stream)

If you choose the Human Nutrition online stream, all taught components, group activities and assessments will take place online using Blackboard Learn and similar platforms.

Entry requirements

We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.

• Minimum academic requirement
• English language requirement
• International qualifications

2:1  in medicine or life sciences.

All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the university.

For admission to this course, you must achieve the  standard university requirement  in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the  English language requirements .

We also accept a wide variety of international qualifications.

The academic requirement above is for applicants who hold or who are working towards a UK qualification.

For guidance see our accepted qualifications  though please note that the standards listed are the  minimum for entry to Imperial , and  not specifically this Department .

If you have any questions about admissions and the standard required for the qualification you hold or are currently studying then please contact the relevant admissions team .

How to apply

Apply online.

You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.

Choosing your course

This course is divided into two progressional levels of study:

• PG Certificate (PG Cert)

Each level of study has its own separate entry point; you can  apply to either level  in the first instance.

Read more about Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc degrees

Application fee

There is no application fee for MRes courses, Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.

If you are applying for a taught Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.

The fee applies per application and not per course.

• £80 for all taught Master's applications, excluding those to the Imperial College Business School.
• £100 for all MSc applications to the Imperial College Business School.
• £150 for all MBA applications to the Imperial College Business School.

If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.

Read full details about the application fee and waiver

Application process

Find out more about  how to apply for a Master's course , including references and personal statements.

ATAS certificate

An ATAS certificate  is not  required for students applying for this course.

Tuition fees

• Home fee (all streams)
• Overseas fee

All streams

Mres (full-time), mres (part-time), £7,450 per year, pg cert (full-time), £7,450, inflationary increases.

You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.

Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.

Find out more about our  tuition fees payment terms , including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.

Which fee you pay

Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out  how we assess your fee status .

MRes in Clinical Research – Translational Medicine bursaries

The NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is awarding up to four bursaries to home fee students on the MRes Clinical Research Translational Medicine pathway programme for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Learn more about the Translational Medicine bursaries

Postgraduate Master's Loan

If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a  Postgraduate Master’s Loan  from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.

The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023. 

The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) for online courses

If you live in a country that imposes a GST for online courses, you may incur an additional tax charge on your tuition fees.

Currently, the countries that charge a GST are:

Find out more how to pay GST and how much it is .

On-campus streams

£21,625 per year, £21,625, human nutrition online, £12,300 per year, £12,300, scholarships, the dean’s master’s scholarships, value per award.

• £10,000

Who it's for

• All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine Master’s programme beginning in October 2024

The Dr Jean Alero Thomas Scholarships

• Partial or full tuition fee at the Home rate
• All students applying to study a Faculty of Medicine lab-based Master’s programme beginning in October 2024

How will studying at Imperial help my career?

Acquire transferable skills relevant to a career in clinical research.

Develop the clinical expertise required to pursue research positions within healthcare or to attend medical school.

Expert leaders in the field provide practical training for a research career.

Our graduates often pursue further study in master's programs or doctoral research.

With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.

Graduates have gained employment in areas such as clinical trials and the food industry.

Further links

Contact the department.

• Telephone: +44 (0)20 3313 6114
• Email:  [email protected]

Course Directors: Professor Martin Wilkins  and  Professor Gary Frost

Visit the  Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction  website.

Register your interest

Stay up to date on news, events, scholarship opportunities and information related to this course.

Events, tasters and talks

Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.

Find an event

Terms and conditions

There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.

Read our terms and conditions

You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.

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Clinical Research

• Entry year 2024 or 2025
• Duration Full time 1 year, Part time 2 - 3 years

Introduction

MSc Clinical Research comprises three core modules providing an introduction to clinical research and applied methodological skills and will enable students interpret and communicate healthcare and clinical research. Students will choose then from a range of optional modules tailored to their needs to complete the Master's. The structure of the Master's is very flexible and it can be completed full-time over 1 year or part-time over 2 or 3 years.

Programme overview

The programme is delivered by whole day sessions of face-to-face teaching supported by flexible online learning resources and interactions. Face-to-face teaching sessions led by experts in their respective fields focus on sharing knowledge and group activities, while online interactions use our virtual learning environment and include discussion forums and collaborative digital spaces.

• The Life Cycle of Clinical Research
• Methodological Foundations
• Translating Research into Healthcare Policy and Practice
• Evidence-Based Improvement Science
• Quality Improvement and Measurement
• Drug Development (from concept to clinic)
• Systematic Reviews
• Infectious Disease Modelling
• Spatial Statistics
• Secondary Data Analysis

There are a total of 120 taught credits, followed by a 60 credit dissertation, which can be taken over a one, two or three year pathway.

For the 60 credit practice-based dissertation module, you will develop and undertake a research project designed, delivered and submitted as a dissertation. This project is undertaken in your own professional context, under academic supervision. Supervisors will be chosen based on relevant theoretical or methodological expertise within a student’s area of interest where possible.

Our academic staff have expertise in:

• Biostatistics and Epidemiology
• Public health and population health
• Palliative care
• Social and Ethical Aspects of Health and Medicine

Programme outcomes

The Master's in Clinical Research aims to:

• Promote advanced knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of research in a healthcare setting.
• Foster critical approaches to evidence review
• Develop advanced skills in awareness of research designs, data analysis, presentation and dissemination

The programme is available to study full-time over one year, part-time over two years, or as a Clinical Academic Fellow over three years. Depending on which option students choose, the study modules take place in the following years:

The life cycle of clinical research MED706 (30 credits)

Methodological Foundations MED707 (30 credits).

Equivalent to a PG Certificate/60 credits

Translating research into healthcare policy and practice MED708 (30 credits)

30 credits from optional modules

Year 1 and year 2 equivalent to a PG Diploma/ 120 credits]

Dissertation MED703 (60 credits)

Methodological Foundations MED707 (30 credits)

Optional Modules

30 credits from optional modules within the faculty allowing the student to develop specific research interests. The Course Director should meet with students to discuss research interests and provide further information.

Your department

• Lancaster Medical School Faculty of Health and Medicine
• Telephone +44 (0)1524 592032

Entry requirements

Academic requirements.

2:1 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a relevant subject including medicine, nursing, psychology, biological sciences or related subjects. Applicants with relevant professional experience and without a first degree should contact the Course Director.

We may also consider non-standard applicants. Please contact us for information.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

English Language Requirements

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 5.5 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications .

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email [email protected]

Course structure

You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

core modules accordion

The module will engage students with the research process from initial idea to communicating results. Students will develop a systematic understanding of research management applicable to their organisational context and clinical practice. Students will cover an overview of topics including selecting a research question, considering a method, the practicalities of research (ethics, governance, funding, project management, data management), data collection and analysis, and reporting and presenting research.

This module will introduce a range of quantitative and qualitative research designs, providing an introduction to the underlying theory and some practical experience of using data collection and analysis methods in practice. Students will cover topics including the concept and definitions of research quality, including their applicability to different methodological approaches and evidence-based practice, and quantitative and qualitative study designs, methods, methodologies and analytical methods.

The module will develop the student's understanding and knowledge of the research cycle in an applied context. By completing a formal report of research undertaken relevant to the student's own professional practice (15,000 words), the dissertation offers students the opportunity to apply research skills, developed on the previous modules, in a work-based research project framework.

The module will introduce students to the complex relationship between research evidence, health policy and practice. It will enable them to use tools to critically appraise research literature, and to communicate with different groups of stakeholders to outline research priorities and findings. Students will become familiar with topics including evidence synthesis/systematic review, critical appraisal, relating research interests and key research priorities, communicating research, translating evidence into policy and practice and Public and Patient Involvement.

Fees and funding

The Clinical Research programme is designed for professionals working in healthcare settings who are interested in building a research career. The programme offers a flexible pathway through study, with a tiered exit structure allowing students to exit with a PG Certificate, PG Diploma, or MSc over three years. The MSc can also be studied full time over one year, or part time over two years.

The full MSc Clinical Research programme (180 credits) is £13,600 for home students and £29,150 for international students.

Home students can also choose from two study programme pathways:

• Part time/ 24 month route: (90 credits per year for two years; £6,800 per annum at 2024/25 prices).

• Part time tiered exit/36 month route: (60 credits per year for three years; £4,530 per annum at 2024/25 prices).

For most home students, it is likely they would complete the Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) in their first year, progressing on to the Postgraduate Diploma (a further 60 credits) in their second year, and the Master's (60 credit Dissertation) in their third year.

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.

Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.

College fees

Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small College Membership Fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.

For students starting in 2024, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2025 have not yet been set.

Computer equipment and internet access

To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.

The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.

For most taught postgraduate applications there is a non-refundable application fee of £40. We cannot consider applications until this fee has been paid, as advised on our online secure payment system. There is no application fee for postgraduate research applications.

For some of our courses you will need to pay a deposit to accept your offer and secure your place. We will let you know in your offer letter if a deposit is required and you will be given a deadline date when this is due to be paid.

The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status .

If you are studying on a programme of more than one year’s duration, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years .

Scholarships and bursaries

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status and course. You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.

If you're considering postgraduate research you should look at our funded PhD opportunities .

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries .

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• Clinical Research PgDip
• Health Data Science MSc
• Health Data Science PhD
• Medical Education PgCert
• Medical Ethics and Law PhD
• Medical Sciences MSc by Research
• Medicine PhD
• Medicine M.D.
• Social and Behavioural Sciences in Medicine PhD
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Study flexibly for up to three years in our tiered-exit programme, designed to fit with healthcare work

Focus on integrating research into  your  clinical context

Choose from optional modules that tailor the course to your development

Who should apply?

The Clinical Research programme is designed for professionals working in healthcare settings who are interested in building a research career.

The programme offers a flexible pathway through study, with a tiered exit structure allowing students to exit with a PG Certificate, PG Diploma, or MSc over three years.

The MSc can also be studied full time over one year, or part time over two years.

Lancaster Medical School

Lancaster Medical School is an emerging school offering high quality teaching, research and expertise addressing fundamental issues in health and medicine. We aim to contribute to continuing professional development of doctors and allied professionals across the health sector.

Research in the Faculty

Interests include epidemiology, medical education, social science and biomedical science subjects applied to medicine.

The Centre for Health Informatics, Computing and Statistics.

Social and ethical aspects of health and medicine

Exploring the social and ethical aspects of health and medicine, and informing policy and practice.

Athena Swan: gender equality at Lancaster

We hold the Athena SWAN Silver Award, recognising our commitment to advancing the careers of women in higher education and research.

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information .

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies .

Why Lancaster?

League tables and reputation

A highly-ranked university with a global reputation.

Colleges and community

Your college will be your home away from home.

Careers and employability

Career support for our students through university and beyond.

Student life

Lancaster has so much to offer. On our campus, in our city and in our community, you’ll find your place – whoever you are.

Where is Lancaster?

Lancaster is easy to get to and surrounded by natural beauty.

The campus and the city

Our campus and the surrounding area is a great place to call home.

Your global experience

Build your global community on campus and around the world.

Wellbeing and support

Services to help you fulfil your potential at Lancaster.

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Research training and careers

Find out more about what health and care research is and how you can develop your research knowledge and skills.

Log-in to NIHR Learn for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) courses and many other learning programmes:

Introduction to health and care research

If you’re new to research and you want to find out more, we offer a range of support and training to help you.

Research courses and support

Find courses, schemes and support to help you conduct clinical research in health and care settings.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) courses

Find out about GCP courses to support clinical research delivery at the NHS, UK universities and other publicly funded organisations in England.

Career information for researchers

We offer a range of academic training programmes through the NIHR Academy.

Log-in to NIHR Learn for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) courses and many other learning programmes.

New funding for health and care professionals

Find out about new opportunities to help you develop your research career.

Support by profession

Explore support and information tailored to your profession.

School of Health Professions

MClinRes Clinical Research

Do you want to lead, direct or manage clinical research? Interprofessional teams of clinical researchers are needed in order to bridge a transitional gap between scientific innovation and healthcare, and to optimise patient care and ensure efficiency of costs for healthcare providers. This programme provides in-depth training in qualitative and quantitative research methods and equips you with the skills to direct, develop, manage and deliver research in any clinical setting.

International application deadline

Your career as a healthcare professional starts here.

The first-class new home for our healthcare teaching and research providing students with skills to meet the needs of 21st century careers.

Key features

• Aligned with National Health Service England (NHSE) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) objectives: To develop a research active workforce, skilled in evidence-based practice and research leadership.
• Programme delivery via flexible and blended learning – experience an inclusive curriculum designed specifically for health professionals, continually developed in line with student feedback. This currently features 2–3-day face-to-face study blocks and supported distance learning. 
• Study full-time over 1 year or part-time over 2 years.
• Receive mentorship and supervision from experienced clinical academic researchers. A research mentorship 'mini-module' is available.
• Develop a critical understanding of research.
• Learn advanced qualitative methods and analysis using a variety of approaches. 
• Incorporates quantitative study designs such as RCTs and observational studies. 
• Join the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research to further engage with contemporary clinical research during and beyond your studies.
• Progress your career and become a leader in clinical research with a programme that provides both theoretical and first-hand practical experience of the whole research process from developing a clinically relevant question through to implementing research in clinical practice.
• Learn from experts from across the University of Plymouth, other higher education institutes, the Research Design Service, the National Institute for Health and Care Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) and the Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit .
• Train and practice your professional healthcare skills in an inspiring purpose-built environment, InterCity Place .
• Study a contemporary MClinRes founded on ongoing consultation with patient and public support groups, NHS staff, managers and commissioners and international partners.
• Receive support with onward funding applications to further your integrated clinical research career. Opt for the research management and mentorship module to gain protected time and support with academic writing to publish your research, develop your profile and compose onward funding applications.
• Choose from three award pathways – PgCert, PgDip or MClinRes.

Course details

Programme overview.

• Applying Evidence to Practice (ADV702) or (ADV702Z online)  
• Project Design for Research (ADV715) or (ADV715Z online)  
• Applied Qualitative Research Methods (MCR701)  
• Applied Quantitative Research Methods (MCR702) or (MCR702Z online)  
• Research Dissertation (MCR703) or (MCR703Z online)
• 1 x (level 7) 20 credit optional module from across the MSc pathways offered within the Faculty of Health. 

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

MClinRes Clinical Research programme specification 5540

Entry requirements

Fees, costs and funding.

Tuition fee discount for University of Plymouth graduates

• 10% or 20% discount on tuition fees for home students 
• For 2024/2025 entry, a 20% discount on tuition fees for international students (International alumni who have applied to the University through an agent are not eligible to receive the discount)

How to apply

• T Apply now
• / Admissions enquiry
• & Register for open evening
• % Prospectus

Applying for this programme Applications for the full-time programme need to be completed via the PG apply online form . Applicants for the part-time programme need to complete the application via the Postgraduate Application Form . You will also need to provide two Referee Forms completed and signed by your referees, and a copy of your degree (or higher) certificate(s). Please return the forms and certificate copies to [email protected] .

Help & enquiries

Nihr insight programme for the south west peninsula .

Successful applicants will receive 100% course fee payment plus £18,622 (full time route study or 0.5 FTE each year for two years part time) studentship for living expenses.  

• Masters of Clinical Research (UoP) – ten part-time and five full-time places available
• Masters in Leading Clinical Research Delivery (UoE) – seven part-time places available
• Masters in Health Research Methods (UoE) – two part-time and six full-time places available

Register your interest in this opportunity

• Academy for Healthcare Science
• General Chiropractic Council
• General Dental Council
• General Medical Council
• General Optical Council
• General Osteopathic Council
• General Pharmaceutical Council
• Health and Care Professions Council
• Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Social Work England
• UK Public Health Register

What our students say...

@ “The MClinRes programme has provided me with the skills and knowledge to develop my career as a clinical academic; and to learn from a diverse and exceptionally knowledgeable group of people from the clinical research community.” Tim Powell, graduate

MClinRes student Dr Aban Gautam

Dr Aban Gautam has been selected to receive the David Nott Foundation scholarship following his work to treat over 25,000 people cut off from healthcare after the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

MClinRes student Sasha Johnston

Sasha is a paramedic with SWASFT and advocates for paramedic mental health after losing a colleague to suicide. She is currently exploring perceptions of mental health services for paramedic staff through her MClinRes.

Dr Lisa Bunn

Associate head of school (postgraduate study), programme lead.

Dr Keith Walker

Lecturer / academic cpd co-ordinator.

Dr Oliver Beer

Associate professor of social work.

Professor Jonathan Marsden

Professorship and chair in rehabilitation.

Professor Jennifer Freeman

Associate head of school (research).

Professor Jos Latour

Professor in clinical nursing.

Professor Bridie Kent

Professor of leadership nursing.

Professor Mary Hickson

Professor in dietetics, gain your masters degree and learn from a team of world-leading researchers.

Professor Ruth Endacott

Honorary professor, find out more about.

Our teaching and learning methods

Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR)

How this programme can enhance your career prospects

Did you know that you can undertake our MClinRes Clinical Research programme as a component of a personal award?

Postgraduate taught international student scholarship.

Postgraduate scholarships for international students

We offer several scholarships for international students who wish to study postgraduate taught (PGT) degree programmes.

English Language Centre

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• MClinRes Clinical Research Z
• MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Occupational Therapy Z
• MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Neurological Rehabilitation Z
• MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics Z
• MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Dietetics Z

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Training Talent

Clinical research training to help professionals excel in their job for the benefit of patients, training sessions scheduled, course prospectus 2024.

Join our face-to-face training sessions to meet and exchange with our expert and your peers.

Register in our interactive online training sessions, in our Virtual Campus.

Participate in our live webinar training sessions with our expert and other attendees.

microLearning

Subscribe to our bite size online learning activities that are 10-15 minutes duration.

Star Programmes

Eccrt has developed a series of course collections, called star programmes. each star programme combines a number of training sessions that are key to the development of your career in a specific function or area. a mix of technical and soft skill trainings assure that you will get an all-around curriculum, providing you with all required competencies needed., upcoming clinical research trainings, how to prepare your vaccine candidate for the clinic.

Reasons to attend This course will improve your understanding of the pitfalls of pre-clinical vaccine development. What's included? Documents a ...

Local Clinical Trial Legislation in the USA

Reasons to attend Do you need a clear and hands-on understanding and be up to date with the most current national regulatory legislation for Clinical ...

Understanding and implementing the EU CTR 536

Reasons to attend The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the EU CTR 536/2014 (CTR) and to allow participants to implement it in their or ...

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King's College London

Clinical research mres/pg cert.

The Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care at King's is a world-leading centre for applied and allied healthcare, clinical research and education. Our focus is on training the healthcare leaders of the future, with a strong commitment to providing post-qualification programmes of the highest quality. The Clinical Research MRes and PGCert is a multi-disciplinary course aimed at practitioners who wish to develop their clinical or academic research careers. The course seeks to enhance the skills and knowledge needed for supporting, delivering and integrating research into clinical practice, as well as fostering evidence-based practice. Practitioners with the appropriate innovation and critical-thinking skills may be supported to undertake further study at MPhil/PhD level with the aim of developing a future clinical academic career.

Key benefits

• You will be studying at the no.1 Nursing Faculty in the UK and 2nd in the world (2023 QS World University Rankings by subject).
• Located in the heart of London, across four of King’s Thames-side campuses (Waterloo, Strand, St Thomas’ and Guy’s) and the Denmark Hill Campus in South London.
• Lectures delivered by experienced multi- disciplinary researchers on contemporary issues in the conduct and utilisation of health, clinical and social care research.
• Support will be given to circulate work relating to your studies, predominantly through publication in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, with the opportunity to develop your research into a PhD Fellowship application.
• Course essentials
• Entry requirements
• Teaching & structure

Employability

Graduates from this course go on to develop a research or a clinical-academic career or move into a senior leadership role.

• Fees & Funding

Application closing date guidance

• How to apply
• Register your interest
• Chat to a student
• Order a prospectus

Related departments

• Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
• Department of Adult Nursing

Open days and events

Chat with current students and King's staff to find out about the courses we offer, life at King's and ask any questions you may have.

Inspiring students into research

Applications open for new INSIGHT Programme for South London.

Choosing between the MSc in Clinical Research Delivery and the MRes in Clinical Research

When deciding between the MSc Clinical Research Delivery (delivered online) and the MRes Clinical Research (taught on-campus),...

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Accommodation

Discover your accommodation options and explore our residences.

Connect with a King’s Advisor

Want to know more about studying at King's? We're here to help.

Learning in London

King's is right in the heart of the capital.

UCL Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology

Short Courses

• Patient and Public Involvement
• An Introduction to Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials: Statistics for Non-Statisticians
• Statistical & Practical Aspects of the Design and Analysis of Multi-Arm Multi-Stage Platform Trials
• Practical Use of Multiple Imputation to Handle Missing Data in Stata
• Using Simulation Studies to Evaluate Statistical Methods
• Conduct of Platform Trials
• GMP for IMP
• Sample size calculations in clinical trials: beyond the basics
• Using Healthcare Systems Data in Clinical Trials: Data Utility Comparisons - DUCks Workshop

The Institute of Clinical Trials & Methodology (ICTM) offer a number of short courses throughout the year, most of which are open to internal staff and members of the public.

In order to both ensure that ICTM staff working on clinical trials are properly trained, and also to share the expertise of our staff with those working on clinical trials outside of ICTM, we offer the following courses:

• Using Simulation Studies to Evaluate Statistical Methods (TBC)
• Practical Use of Multiple Imputation to Handle Missing Data in Stata  (TBC)
• Methods of Analysis for Different Estimands (5th June 2024)
• Public and Patient Involvement (PPI)  (TBC)
• Conduct of Platform Trials  - (TBC)
• Independent Data Monitoring Committees (IDMC)  (TBC)
• Statistical & Practical Aspects of the Design and Analysis of Multi-Arm Multi Stage Platform Trials  (20th November 2024)
• Sample Size Calculations in Randomised Clinical Trials: Beyond the Basics  (TBC)

Using Healthcare Systems Data in Clinical Trials: Data Utility Comparisons - DUCks Workshop  (TBC)

• An Introduction to Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials: Statistics for Non-statisticians  (TBC)
• GMP for IMP  (6th November 2024)

The Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre also run a number of course on clinical trials. Information on these courses can be found on their website under the training section .

If you have any enquiries about our short courses, please contact us at [email protected] .

Cancellation policy

For non-ictm delegates.

Refunds will be issued according to the following cancellation schedule: - Cancellations made 3 months in advance of the course: £80 - Cancellations made 2 months in advance of the course: £100 - Cancellations made 1 month in advance of the course: £150 Registrations can be transferred to another individual. Course Cancellation:  If the course is cancelled, we will refund the course fees only.

For ICTM delegates

UCL/ICTM staff will be charged to their units an £80 fee for late cancellations (less than 14 days) and no-shows for all short courses. A late cancellation fee of £80 (less than 14 days) and no shows will be charged to your units. Please note that there are limited spaces available for ICTM staff for all courses.

Feedback on our courses!

“As a Science Communications Officer at the MRC CTU at UCL, a big part of my job is communicating the results of clinical trials to researchers, patients and the public. Because I hadn’t done any statistics training since I was an undergraduate, I decided to complete the ‘Statistics for Non-statisticians' short course to refamiliarise myself with general statistical principles and how they apply to trials. The training involved a mix of talks from statisticians, group discussions and practical activities. I came away from the course with more confidence to interpret statistical analyses of trial results, which helps me communicate these ideas to different audiences.”  

Charlotte Hartley, Science Communications Officer

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• Open access
• Published: 05 August 2024

Development and piloting of an online course to improve knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards triaging images of skin lesions submitted online in primary care

• Maria Ntessalen 1 ,
• Albana Krasniqi 1 &
• Peter Murchie 1  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  839 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

154 Accesses

Metrics details

Melanoma is the 5th commonest cancer in the UK and survivors require frequent and thorough skin checks. During the Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA) trial, melanoma survivors used an app to submit images of concerning lesions for assessment by a dermatology nurse. In the past, online courses have been used to train non-specialist primary care practitioners (PCPs) in this skill.

This study aimed to determine whether an online course could increase knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards skin image triage in PCPs in the Grampian area.

Preliminary discussions were held with PCPs to determine the need for an online course. The course was designed at the University of Aberdeen and included an introduction to the skin, case studies and quizzes on a variety of skin conditions based on melanoma survivors’ submissions via the ASICA app. Two pre- and post-course questionnaires were administered to all participants to (1) assess knowledge gained and (2) assess any improvements in confidence and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions that could be indicative of skin cancer. All PCPs in the Grampian area were invited to participate with almost 70 medical practices contacted. Results were analysed using a paired sample T-test.

The course was advertised to all GP practices in the Grampian area and 38 PCPs completed all its stages. Undertaking the course improved all PCPs’ confidence and attitudes towards triaging ( p  < 0.001). It also improved knowledge in all non-GP PCPs ( p  = 0.01). Most participants found the course useful; thought it was at the right level of difficulty, right format and thought the design was good.

Conclusions

Our online course in triaging skin lesions submitted digitally to PCPs was able to improve knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards triaging. The course was acceptable in its design and was deemed useful and applicable to practice. Further research should investigate the effect the course has on secondary care referral numbers.

Significance

Skin problems can make up to 15% of Primary Care appointments and patients with benign or low risk skin problems are often inappropriately referred to specialists causing delay in secondary care.

Based on the findings of the ASICA trial it was suggested that low risk concerns can be effectively triaged by non-specialist primary care practitioners (PCPs).

Previous studies showed that online courses can improve knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards triaging images of skin lesions.

The content of this online course was designed based on the most commonly submitted lesions in the ASICA trial and allowed PCPs (including GPs, GP trainees, ANPs, practice nurses and physician associates) to complete it in their own time.

The study showed that completing the online course increased PCP confidence and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions, regardless of their prior knowledge and experience.

The course also increased knowledge of all non-GP PCPs as well as PCPs with up to 2 years in their current post.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Melanoma is a cancer of pigment-producing cells within the skin and can result from long-term exposure to UV light [ 1 ]. It is the fifth commonest cancer in the UK and incidence is increasing, making it a significant public health concern [ 2 , 3 ]. 10 year recurrence rates for patients treated are reportedly high beginning from 20% for stage IB/ IIA melanomas (accounting for almost 28% of all primary melanomas) and up to 67% for stage IIB/C primary melanomas (accounting for almost 10% of melanomas) [ 4 ]. These patients require regular monitoring to diagnose melanoma at an early stage as early diagnosis offers better treatment outcomes [ 4 , 5 ]. However, the need for regular monitoring through skin checks in secondary care may be disadvantaging certain groups, such as rural dwellers, as it may mean longer journey times to the hospital and therefore could result in poorer outcomes [ 6 , 7 ]. Additionally, given the shortfall of dermatologists in the UK and increasing skin cancer workload, it is imperative primary care practitioners (PCPs) work together with secondary care to help meet increasing demands [ 7 , 8 ].

In recent years, digital healthcare has been increasingly used as a method for skin lesion triaging to limit unnecessary hospital attendance and to help patients facing difficulties accessing care due to geographic location [ 9 , 10 ]. In line with this, the Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA) app was developed to help melanoma patients with their monthly skin checks to aid early detection of recurrent or new melanoma [ 11 , 12 ]. The app prompted and supported Total Skin Self Examinations (TSSEs) and provided participants with the opportunity to contact a Dermatology Nurse Practitioner (DNP) and receive feedback on any worrisome skin problems they had [ 13 ]. Participants in the ASICA trial were randomised to the ASICA intervention plus standard care, or standard care alone in a 1:1 ratio using a validated remote computer-automated randomisation system hosted at the Centre for Healthcare Randomized Trials (CHaRT) in Aberdeen [ 11 , 12 ]. 120 participants used ASICA for 12 months and together submitted a total of 189 concerns with their skin to be checked by the trial dermatology specialist nurse during that period. Participants were given a tablet with a built-in digital camera preloaded with the ASICA app and received comprehensive training on how to use the app (in person, group and written instruction). No restrictions were made on the nature of skin concerns that they should report as patients all had prior experience of receiving melanoma follow-up examinations [ 11 , 12 ]. Most concerns submitted were low risk and could be resolved without the need to see the participant face to face. The DNP could usually resolve the concern by referring to images and text descriptions submitted by the patient and following up with them by telephone, sometime requesting follow-up images. A relatively small number of patients, with higher risk concerns, required to be seen face to face; 7% triggered face-to-face consultations with a General Practitioner (GP) and 10% were seen at a dermatology clinic.

During analysis of qualitative data from the DNP in the ASICA trial (unpublished data), it was suggested that many low risk concerns could be effectively and efficiently triaged by non-specialist PCPs. This could have the added advantage of offering quicker reassurance for patients and enable more efficient use of specialist time to focus on higher risk concerns. The potential is further emphasised by the fact that initial screening of skin problems is a core activity for PCPs, where approximately 15% of primary care appointments are related to the skin [ 14 ]. Not surprisingly a previous systematic review has suggested that the diagnostic accuracy of pigmented lesions is lower for primary care physicians than dermatologists [0.42-1.00 vs. 0.81-1.00] so it is important that further effective training in skin-lesion triage is made available to PCPs to support them in this role [ 3 ].

A systematic review found that brief online courses can increase confidence and knowledge of PCPs skin lesion triage [ 15 , 16 ]. Currently, however, there are few well-designed and evidence-based courses that support the development of skin problem triage skills by PCPs [ 17 , 18 ]. To address this we designed an online course informed by the concerns submitted by participants in the ASICA trial. Our aim was to determine whether this course could increase the knowledge, confidence and positive attitudes toward skin lesion triage of relevant non-dermatology specialist PCPs such that they could have a larger role in the widescale implementation of ASICA into National Health Service (NHS) practice.

Development of the course

One-to-one preliminary discussions were held with 3 Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) working in primary care in the NHS Grampian area in January 2022 to scope how useful they would perceive a course in skin lesion triage to be. Discussions focused on: (1) The current situation in Primary Care, (2) How well-equipped PCPs felt to carry out triaging, (3) How they triaged the lesions that would come to them, (4) What would be the best way to train PCPs. The discussion took place online.

Course content

The content of the course was informed by the results of the ASICA trial with the commonest diagnoses forming its basis [ 12 ]. The course consisted of 2 main sections. The first provided a general introduction to the skin, discussed skin cancer, skin protection and assessment of suspicious skin lesions using the ABCDE algorithm - a mnemonic developed to help patients and physicians identify possible melanomas early where A is for Asymmetry, B is for Border irregularity, C is for Colour variability and/or Changing colour, D is for Different, E is for Evolving (changing) [ 19 ]. This was chosen above the modified Glasgow Algorithm as despite both being validated tools for assessing pigmented skin lesions (), as the former tool was deemed to be more memorable and easier to use given it is already in a checklist/ mnemonic format.

Each case study consisted of a patient scenario intentionally presented in an e-consult format to provide a realistic reflection of how skin lesion triage scenarios may present in primary care day-to-day. E-consult cases were formatted in a way that guided participants through clinical assessment of the lesion, assessment of level of concern, management steps and the appropriate outcome. Eleven scenarios were included in the course with primary diagnoses being (1) cherry haemangioma, (2) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), (3) basal cell carcinoma (BCC), (4) dermatofibroma, 5)skin tag, 6) seborrhoeic keratosis, 7) melanoma, 8) atypical melanocytic naevus, 9) benign melanocytic nevus, 10) benign melanocytic nevus and 11) subungual haematoma. The case studies were interactive and required participants to provide answers before receiving feedback. Cases were grouped into sections and after a few cases, participants were asked to answer MCQs relating to the cases in the section they had just completed. Each quiz question depicted four images of lesions, three correct and one differential (incorrect) answer, and feedback using ABCDE descriptors was provided upon answer selection. There was a total of 11 case studies and 27 MCQs.

Course content was written up by the authors of this paper. Course content and questionnaires were reviewed for validity of content and proofread by three GP colleagues and a final year medical student with special interests/ experience in dermatology, two research fellows and two research assistants. Feedback on the correctness of content, structure and language was provided. Unfortunately, no Dermatology Consultants in the area were available provide feedback on this.

Moodle, an online platform used by Aberdeen University Medical School, was used to host the course. Material was transferred to Moodle by a software engineer at Aberdeen University. The course was designed to take approximately 3–4 h to complete however PCPs were allowed to complete it over 6 weeks.

As is standard on Moodle courses by the medical school, all participants were asked to complete an evaluation form at the end of the course to provide feedback on the dermatology case studies.

Recruitment and participants

A member of the NHS Research Network (NRS) Primary Care Network contacted all practice managers in the Grampian area with information about the online course (January 2023). Practice managers were asked to circulate an email to PCPs. Within this study PCPs included GPs, GP trainees, ANPs, practice nurses and physician associates. A reminder was circulated 2 weeks later to notify PCPs of the final date and prompt them to join the course if they were interested. Personal networks were also contacted.

Course evaluation methods

Participants emailed the course coordinator (MN) expressing their interest and were subsequently sent two pre-course questionnaires to complete which measured knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions. A 12-item questionnaire was developed by one of the authors (AK), assessing knowledge in triaging skin lesions using MCQs. No feedback was given to participants regarding their answers. A second 33-item questionnaire was developed by two of the authors (AK, PM), to collect personal and professional information and to assess confidence and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the least confident and 10 being the most. Following completion of the questionnaires, access was given to the course and participants were asked to complete it within 6 weeks. REDCap 13.1.25, an online database with in-built ability to create surveys, was used to design and distribute the pre- and post-course questionnaires.

Participants who did not complete the questionnaires within 2 weeks were sent two reminders 1 week apart as were those who had not started it within 2 weeks. All participants received a reminder email at 4 weeks since they were given access to the course and again a week later.

Following completion of the course, participants notified the course organiser and received the final two questionnaires. One was identical to the pre-course questionnaire. The other assessed confidence levels and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions.

The questionnaire was identical to the one they received at the beginning of the course, minus questions on personal information. Questions on confidence were assessed using a sliding bar. The participant chose how they felt about the question asked (using the sliding bar) and that automatically gave a number from 1 (least confident) – 10 (most confident). Confidence question examples included “How confident are you that if you find an issue of concern on an image of a skin lesion that you will take appropriate action?”. Questions on participants attitudes towards triaging skin lesions were scored using a 5-point Likert scale varying from strongly disagree- disagree- unsure- agree- strongly agree. Strongly disagree was given a value of 1 and strongly agree was given a 5. Attitude question examples include “It is important to carefully assess skin lesions submitted by patients?” and “I could find suspicious features on an image of a skin lesion if they were there.”

The values were added up before and after the course was taken to estimate a confidence score and a score on attitudes.

Statistical analysis

The pre- and post-course questionnaires were designed and sent using REDCap. After receiving all responses, the data were exported in cvs format and analysed using SPSS 28. The data were assessed for normal distribution and the appropriate test was applied (in this case a paired sample t-test). A p value of 0.05 was set as the point of significance. Only data from participants who completed both the pre- and post- test questionnaires were included in analysis.

Participants

All GP practices in Grampian, Northeast Scotland, were invited. Seventy-one PCPs contacted the course coordinator and expressed their interest. Figure  1 shows the number of people who joined the course and completed all steps. Thirty-eight out of 71 participants (53%) completed the course and all steps involved.

Flow diagram showing the number of people who joined the course and the number of people who were able to complete it and submit all questionnaires

Table  1 . shows characteristics of the participants who completed the online course. The participants were asked a number of questions at baseline that pertained to their age, gender, job role, years in their current post and previous training in dermatology and triaging.

Participants were also asked about frequency of triaging lesions, number of lesions triage and areas most commonly assessed (Table  2 ).

Course evaluation

Participants completed two questionnaires during course evaluation. A questionnaire assessing knowledge before and after they took the course, and a questionnaire assessing confidence and attitudes towards triaging skin lesions at the same time points. Table  3 shows mean values (SD) of questionnaires for the whole cohort and for different sub-groups. Notably, confidence increased significantly for the whole cohort, whereas knowledge increased significantly for non-GP PCPs and participants with just 0–2 years in their current post.

Participants feedback on course difficulty, usefulness, and overall satisfaction are seen in Table  4 . Feedback from all participants who started the course and attempted at least one question was analysed as feedback from non-completers was felt to be helpful in giving insight into barriers to course completion/ negative aspects to course design which could be useful for future improvement of the course/ similar courses.

Further information collected from the baseline questionnaire on confidence and attitude towards triaging skin lesions includes comments left by PCPs in an open textbox. Before joining the course, participants provided comments such as the following:

“Worried that I mainly rely on my experience of seeing abnormal lesions in past to guide my decision of whether lesion is abnormal rather than any “guideline” based decision making “ (Female, 46–54, GP). The time pressures in General Practice are so great at the moment that what I would want to do in an ideal world is not necessarily what I have time for currently. It would be good to look at every lesion in person and take a full history but if a patient has submitted a photo of a suspicious looking lesion I am more likely simply to refer on to dermatology. (Female, 55–65, GP)

According to participant feedback post-course, it was “useful”, “educational” and allowed them to “gain knowledge which they took directly back to practice”. Participants also found use of cases and MCQs very useful for learning and liked the realistic set-up of the course with the presentation of the e-consult.

Participants also provided opinions on the course in a free-text question (Table  5 ). These focused on suggestions to improve technical issues and praise for the course. The technical feedback was on an error that appeared during the release of the course where images on a case were no longer available. A small number of participants fed back that images could be larger to aid with identification of diseases. One participant felt not all topics in MCQs were covered in case studies. Another suggested a navigation bar plus the ability to go back to where they had left off would be a good addition to the course. A few participants suggested increasing the number of MCQs and providing more feedback on the “incorrect” answers to questions. Finally, more than a third of participants expressed how useful they found the course in increasing their knowledge, how it would help their practice and that they would like to see more of it.

Summary of findings

This study developed and evaluated a digital healthcare intervention in the form of an online course which aimed to improve the knowledge, confidence and attitudes of PCPs in triaging digital images and descriptions of skin concerns submitted by patients to support self-directed total-skin-self-examination. Of the PCPs who volunteered to take the course and complete the pre- and post-course questionnaires, 38 submitted all questionnaires and completed the course (53%). The training provided during the course increased confidence and attitudes in the cohort of PCPs ( p  < 0.001). Knowledge increased in the whole cohort but was only significantly increased when GPs were excluded from the analysis ( p  = 0.010) or among PCPs with only 0–2 years of experience in their current post ( p  = 0.008).

Context with other research

A number of online courses were previously designed aiming to improve the dermatological skills and practice of PCPs as already mentioned. Their content is variable, either covering only specific areas of dermatology/ body sites [ 20 , 21 ] or being based on referral guidelines determined by “red flags” [ 22 ]. The ASICA trial specifically analysed cases that were frequently encountered by a dermatology nurse practitioner as reported by participants. Consequently, in addition to covering cases centred around a single topic, the course provided comprehensive information and training on skin cancers and pigmented lesions, which has been proven to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of PCPs [ 23 ] .

In our study, we gathered information about training received by PCPs prior to attending the course. It was notable that out of the 38 PCPs, 26 (68.4%) had no prior training in dermatology. Specifically, none of the non-GPs had received any training (11 /11), and more than half of GPs had also received no training (15/27). Interestingly, despite the lack of formal training, a significant proportion of PCPs reported regularly triaging images submitted to their practice. Over 40% of PCPs reported triaging images on a weekly basis, 15% reported triaging 5–10 images per month and more than 10% reported triaging 10 or more images per month.

Our study assessed participants’ knowledge in dermatology before and after the course but despite an increase in mean knowledge (before: 7.38 ± 2.08 vs. after: 8.18 ± 1.96) the difference was not statistically significant ( p  = 0.056) for the whole cohort. Assessment of pre and post course knowledge was via completion of 12 MCQs on skin anatomy, risk factors for skin cancers and differential diagnoses. Similarly, other questionnaires which have been used to test PCP knowledge on skin conditions also included between nine [ 24 ] and thirty questions [ 25 ]. Once GPs were excluded from the analysis, other PCPs did demonstrate a significant increase in knowledge suggesting those with no previous formal dermatological training have much to gain from our course. This course may be more effective overall for non-GP PCPs (ANPs/ primary care nurses/ PAs) than GPs as it has achieved a significant increase in their knowledge level despite number of years in their current role. However, GPs did appear to report increased confidence after undertaking the course.

The course increased confidence in everyone and knowledge in the non-GP cohort showing that allowing the PCPs to take the course at their own pace was still beneficial to them. A number of other courses have been carried out on different time scales varying from 1 h [ 26 ] to 24 months [ 27 ]. Our course shows that increases in knowledge and confidence can still be achieved even if PCPs personalise their engagement with the material to their own schedules. This approach reflected engagement with the course in a pragmatic manner as daily pressures can make daily or even weekly engagement difficult. An important parameter that was not explored in our study was the maintenance of knowledge and confidence long-term. In other studies where knowledge and confidence were assessed long-term the average value remained increased at 6 months but dropped by 12 months [ 28 , 29 ], perhaps suggesting the need for refresher courses. Supporting this, an RCT that evaluated whether a short dermoscopy e-learning course (4 h) was non-inferior to a longer course (12 h) in terms of PCPs’ competence in selective triage of skin tumours found spaced test-based refresher training sessions appear to maintain and even increase the skills acquired by PCPs over time [ 30 ].

While only 53% of participants completed the course, this compares favourably with completion rates for other similar online courses aimed at primary care professionals for whom competing demands and workloads are high. For example, a French study by Greco et al. (2023) aiming to evaluate knowledge on the diagnosis and management of common nail conditions using a 31-minute online training session was deemed successful with an identical 53% completion rate. Furthermore, of the 47% of participants who did not complete our course, only 15% actually accessed the course at all suggesting that barriers to completing the course were unlikely to be due to intrinsic limitations of the course. The remainder who started but did not complete the course may have done so for various reasons including workload pressures.

Strengths and weaknesses

Our study is the first to create an online course in triaging skin lesions submitted to PCPs informed directly by their needs and supported by the most commonly found skin lesions as observed in the ASICA trial. This course consisted of an interactive set-up with case-studies and MCQs which proved to be well received by participants and was useful in their learning and understanding. We demonstrated the course was attractive to busy PCPs, and that they could practically complete and benefit from it within a timescale which would be realistic for widescale implementation within the NHS.

As our study depended on volunteers, the PCPs who enrolled may not have been the most representative of PCPs tasked with skin lesion image triage in general. A number of PCPs mentioned a personal interest in dermatology and attendance of every opportunity for training on the field. As our cohort included all PCPs in Primary care, we were unable to have a representative sample from all divisions (GPs, ANPs, practice nurses etc.) and some were under-represented introducing bias (60% of participants were GPs) and limiting sub-group analysis.

Future research

Our course has demonstrated short-term potential to increase the knowledge and confidence of those who are increasingly being tasked with the triage of skin lesion images in primary care. Future research should look to define the best way to consolidate and sustain these improvements. Additionally, we did not look at the impact the course had on clinical practice. Future studies could also look into specificity and sensitivity of triaging by PCPs and the number of referrals to secondary care before and after training.

This online course was able to increase knowledge and confidence in the PCPs who undertook it and appeared to be acceptable in its design, level of difficulty and usefulness and could be completed within a time commitment practical for busy PCPs. The course appeared to be particularly effective in improving scores for those with less than two-year’s experience, suggesting it may have value for those PCPs in training, and/ or new to skin lesion triage. While the content of this course was initially based on data from submissions to the ASICA trial which aimed to support detecting melanoma early in survivors, it included cases on benign lesions and non-melanoma skin cancers as differentials and in order to equip participants to triage a broad range of skin lesions/ concerns. Therefore, the knowledge gained from our course can be used in the triage of skin concerns in any patient in primary care where PCPs are increasingly being tasked with the triage of skin lesion images. Further research should look to characterise the effect this course has on the number and nature of referrals to secondary care.

Data availability

Data can be made available following request to Professor Peter Murchie ([email protected]).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Peter Bartlam at the University of Aberdeen for his help with the technical aspects of the course and Dr Asha Venkatesh for her help setting aims for the course. We also want to thank all the Primary Care Practitioners for taking the course and providing feedback.

This work was funded by NHS Endowments Research Grants.

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PM contributed to the conception of the idea, design of the course and manuscript preparation. MN contributed to the design of the course, data collection, data analysis and manuscript preparation. AK contributed to the design of the course, data analysis and manuscript preparation.

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Ntessalen, M., Krasniqi, A. & Murchie, P. Development and piloting of an online course to improve knowledge, confidence and attitudes towards triaging images of skin lesions submitted online in primary care. BMC Med Educ 24 , 839 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05840-1

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• cystic fibrosis
• pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive
• interstitial fibrosis
• bronchiectasis
• idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• respiratory infection
• respiratory measurement

Introduction

Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK 1 and poor lung health costs the UK £188 billion every year. 2 Involvement in clinical translational research improves clinical outcomes. 3 4 However, while respiratory health was identified as a government priority in the Life Science Vision missions in 2021, 5 it has not yet received any additional funding. Given the acknowledged respiratory research strength of the UK, it’s therefore surprising that only 2.5% 6 of public investment is spent on researching lung conditions that would help diagnose, treat and manage them much more effectively.

Lung Research and Innovation Group’s 10 priorities for respiratory research …

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Contributors Contributors IH, EA, CR and SW all contributed to writing the article. SW is the guarantor.

Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interests Eric Alton Royalties or licenses: Royalties from Boehringer Ingelheim related to cystic fibrosis gene therapy programme. Consulting fees: Boehringer Ingelheim - payments made to EA and institution; AlveoGene - payments made to EA. Patents planned, issued or pending: multiple patents filed by Imperial College. Participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board: Boehringer Ingelheim Advisory Board - payments made to EA Leadership or fiduciary role in other board, society, committee or advocacy group, paid or unpaid. Founder Director, AlveoGeneStock or stock options AlveoGene shares - payments to EA. Sam Walker Leadership or fiduciary role in other board, society, committee or advocacy group, paid or unpaid co-Chair of Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG). Ian Hall: Grants or contracts from any entity. NIHR Senior Investigator Award - research grant to institution. Support for attending meetings and/or travel. Travel to AUKCAR meeting in Reading, 2024 - Expenses covered by Asthma+Lung UK Leadership or fiduciary role in other board, society, committee or advocacy group, paid or unpaid co-Chair of Lung Research and Innovation Group (LRIG).

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