Application
All
applicants for admission to the Master of Arts in Clinical Investigation
are required to:
- Submit
the results of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) or the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) General Test.
- Have
met the requirements for the baccalaureate degree including the following
courses:
General
Chemistry
Organic
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Biology
Physiology
Physics
Please
note: Courses in English Composition or Literature (one year) and
Humanities (one year) are recommended for admission
to the M.A. in Clinical Investigation Program.
- Applicants whose native language is
not English are required to submit results no lower than 550 of the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Admission
Criteria
The
overall grade point average (GPA) for acceptance is at least 3.0 with
a higher average for the prerequisite sciences.
The average
standardized test scores for acceptance are: MCAT scores of 25-30 for
the verbal reasoning, biological and physical science tests and “O” for
the writing sample; for the GRE, placement in the 70th percentile or above.
Degree
Requirements
Master
of Arts in Clinical Investigation candidates are required to complete
all of the following:
A.
Curriculum
The
equivalent of a minimum of eight semester courses equaling at least
32 credits at the graduate level. These must include the following requirements:
GMS
CI 670 Biostatistics with Computer,
4 cr.
SPH
EB 711 or SPH EB 712 Epidemiology,
3 or 4 cr.
GMS
CI 640 Regulatory and Compliance Issues,
4 cr.
GMS
CI 675 Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials,
4 cr.
GMS
CI 660 Good Clinical Practices,
4 cr.
GMS
CI 631 Clinical Trials Management,
4 cr.
GMS
CI 790 Seminar in Clinical Investigation,
2 cr.
Total
Core Course Credits = 25-26 credits
Students who have completed one or more of the required courses before
matriculation may acquire "advanced standing" for that requirement.
"Advanced standing" means that the student may waive the requirement
but would need to replace the course requirement by taking an elective
course(s). The student would not need to retake the course requirement.
To waive a course requirement, students must speak to their academic
advisor and complete/submit a "Petition for Approval of Advanced
Standing." No transfer credits from other BosU departments
or institutions will be accepted.
The
remaining 6-7 credits are taken as elective courses
A
wide variety of courses in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences
that will count toward elective credit. At least two credits must be
taken as an elective course. A maximum of eight credits or two semester
courses may be taken as practicum and/or directed study. It is always
best to have electives approved by your academic advisor before registering
for them.
B.
Practicum
Completion
of a minimum of 240 hours of a practicum in clinical trials is required
for the degree. The practicum should begin near completion of formal
coursework and the student needs to meet with the program director to
get practicum approval before he/she begins.
The
goal of the practicum direct experience component is to provide the
student hands-on exposure to clinical research. The student will work
with a mentor and will be actively involved in the development, execution,
and evaluation of a clinical research project. During the practicum,
it is expected that the student will be exposed to clinical research
planning, protocol preparation, interaction with Institutional Review
Boards, regulatory requirements, selection of subjects/patients for
the clinical trial, study monitoring, and data analysis.
The
practicum may be completed with a mentor who is actively conducting
clinical research studies within a clinical research or hospital setting.
It may be performed under the direction of a clinical research professional
within a drug, device, or biotechnology company, a clinical research
organization (CRO), or site management organization actively involved
in clinical trials. Areas within Boston University School of Medicine
that may offer practicum opportunities include Dermatology, Cardiology,
Pulmonary, Urology, the General Clinical Research Center and the Goldman
School of Dental Medicine.
C.
Thesis
A
thesis, also required for the degree, will be based on the experience
in the practicum.
The
goal of the thesis component is for the student to write about the practicum
direct experience. The thesis may take the form of a sample Physician's
Investigational New Drug Application (IND) or a sample Physician's Investigational
Device Exemption (IDE) for the drug or device under investigation. The
thesis could also be a clinical report describing such study components
as its objectives, design, protocol deviations, analysis and results,
and conclusions. Each thesis is expected to demonstrate the student's
understanding of the clinical research process from both a theoretical
and a practical point of view. The thesis outline must be pre-approved
by the mentor and the program director. A "Thesis Title Approval
Card" must be submitted to the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences
Office.
There
will be two readers for the thesis; the first reader will be a Graduate
Medical Sciences faculty member and the second reader may be a faculty
member or an appropriate industry mentor upon approval of a "Special
Service" appointment. The research project must be well conceived
and well focused and the written thesis should be of modest scope.
A
thesis committee will be organized to hear the oral thesis defense.
The committee will consist of the two readers, one member of the Graduate
Medical Sciences faculty, chosen by Drs. Moore and Franzblau and one
member suggested by the student and approved by the program director.
The student will give an oral presentation on the thesis highlights
and be questioned afterwards by his/her thesis committee members in
private.
