The Applied Clinical Research program provides a solid introduction to the varied areas of knowledge and skills related to clinical research. The program is intended for individuals seeking to enter the field or professionals upgrading knowledge and skills.

Earning a Certificate in Applied Clinical Research opens doors to wide range of rewarding careers such as:

• Study Coordinator
• Ethics Coordinator
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Data Management Associate/Specialist
• Project Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Assistant
• Clinical Research Associate (Junior)
• Clinical Research Assistant
• Clinical Research Coordinator

Upon completion of the program it is recommended that you consider obtaining a professional designation from ACRP or SOCRA.  By considering your background and future career goals you will find a professional designation that best suits your needs.

Upon completion of the program, learners will be able to:

1. Summarize clinical research principles and study design concepts
2. Identify the sequential steps, milestones, processes, and deliverables for conducting a clinical trial across a study’s start-up, maintenance, and close-out phases
3. Describe study conduct in compliance with clinical research protocol requirements, as well as good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines, standard operating procedures (SOPs), research ethics board (REB) requirements, and federal regulations (Health Canada and FDA)
4. Create study documents and forms that are essential for clinical trial conduct
5. Explain how quality management processes are implemented in clinical trials to ensure participant safety and data integrity
6. Apply core principles when examining ethical issues in clinical research
7. Demonstrate teamwork, leadership, communication, and project management skills needed to work effectively with multidisciplinary study teams

ACRP: Association of Clinal Research Professionals

Program content is based on knowledge and skills for clinical research associates and managers as identified by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP)

There are 6 designations at the ACRP, we encourage you to explore these opportunities to determine which would best align with your interests and background. Contact ACRP for more information.

SOCRA: The Society of Clinical Research Associates

Students completing the Applied Clinical Research program with McMaster Continuing Education could qualify for the SOCRA certification under Category 3 as long as they meet all requirements. Candidate eligibility for the SOCRA certification can only be assessed by SOCRA according to SOCRA full list of requirements. Acceptance is not guaranteed and it is up to SOCRA’s discretion to accept candidates after reviewing candidate’s profile. If you have a question about Candidate eligibility please email SOCRA at certification@socra.org.

CoARCR: Consortium of Academic Programs in Clinical Research

The Consortium of Academic Programs in Clinical Research (CoAPCR) facilitates the development of high-quality educational programs encompassing all areas of clinical research that are based in academic credit-granting institutions.

McMaster’s affiliation with the CoAPCR provides a medium for communication among educators, institutions, and industry

This educational offering has been approved for the following continuing education credit/professional development credit by the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. McMaster University Continuing Education maintains all responsibility for this offering and its content.

ACR 101: Principles of Clinical Research (36 credits)
ACR 102: Research Ethics (39 credits)
ACR 103: Clinical Trial Design (39 credits)
ACR 104: Clinical Trial Management (39 credits)
ACR 105: Clinical Research Capstone (36 credits)

Are you a current McMaster University undergraduate student?

Explore the ElevateYourSkills option to learn how you can earn an Applied Clinical Research certificate as part of your degree.

• Use your electives to earn a professional certificate or diploma
• Fully online courses that you can fit into your schedule
• Providing you with real-life career skills and experience before you graduate

Learn more here.