The Fundamentals of Clinical Research capstone certificate is offered through the UW–Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (UW ICTR), part of a national consortium of patient care and research institutes funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Awards. The capstone certificate allows students to understand and practice evidence-based research to help tackle the world’s complex research questions — such as those in therapeutics, diagnostics, and preventative health care — and bring solutions to patients. Courses are taught by UW–Madison faculty in population health sciences, biostatistics, veterinary surgical sciences, oncology, and medical history and bioethics.
This capstone certificate provides formal training and a practicum in research design and statistical analysis for professionals in health care, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry. The certificate program is completed on average in just under two years. Designed for the working professional, courses are offered after 4 p.m.
Further details, including current tuition and cost, are available at the program website.
How to Get in
The capstone program is for health professionals or health program managers who do not have an existing student relationship with the University.
Students do not need to be seeking a degree to earn the Capstone Certificate in the Fundamentals of Clinical Research.
Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree, as the required courses are graduate level.
The application is free, relatively brief, and online. Through the online application process, the university will determine whether the applicant is a Wisconsin resident or a non-Wisconsin resident for tuition purposes.
Submit your application to the Fundamentals of Clinical Research Certificate Program (UNCS453) through the Division of Continuing Studies.
Once admitted, you will receive a formal letter of admission. The letter will contain course enrollment instructions and information about tuition and registration deadlines.
For more information, please contact the Graduate Program Manager, at student inquiry@ictr.wisc.edu
Requirements
- Must have a minimum GPA of 3.000 during the program to remain in good standing
- Additional option for ethical conduct of research may be available for new faculty or team-leading independently funded researchers
- Students complete 12–15 graduate-level credits.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
Students complete the following courses. | ||
| Introduction to Clinical Trials I | ||
| Introduction to Epidemiology | ||
| Biostatistics Requirement | ||
| Students complete 3-6 credits to fulfill this requirement. Course selections are listed below. | ||
| Introduction to Biostatistics | ||
| Independent Study 1 | ||
| Introduction to Biostatistics for Population Health and Regression Methods for Population Health | ||
| Clinical Translational Science Requirement. | ||
| Students complete 3-credits to fulfill this requirement. Course selections are listed below. | ||
| B M I 544 | Introduction to Clinical and Healthcare Research II | 3 |
| B M I 773 | Clinical Research Informatics | 3 |
| POP HLTH 709 | Translational and Outcomes Research in Health and Health Care | 3 |
- 1
The 1-credit B M I 699 is for students with instructor consent who have prior statistics (not biostatistics) coursework. Students who take this option must also complete an additional 2 credits. Consult with certificate program for course options.
Minimum Requirements for Capstone Certificate Completion
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C in each course used to meet Capstone Certificate requirements.
- Courses in which a student elects the pass/fail or audit option will not count toward completion of Capstone Certificate requirements.
- All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned "in residence" (which includes on campus and distance-delivered courses) at UW-Madison.
- All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned while enrolled in the Capstone Certificate program.
Individual Capstone Certificate programs may have additional requirements for completion, which will be listed above as/if applicable.
Learning Outcomes
- Determine when it is appropriate to use a patient -oriented research design to investigate a translational clinical problem.
- Understand the principles of clinical research design and statistical analysis.
- Understand the principles of multidisciplinary patient -oriented clinical research protocols.
- Apply and foster professional, ethical and responsible conduct of clinical research.