Practical answers for prospective participants of the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research course.
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research is a course offered by the Department of Continuing Education at Harvard Medical School. It is therefore a postgraduate course that offers continuing medical education credits for those who are interested, and participants receive a certificate on successful completion.
Classes take place once a week, on Thursdays from 4 pm to 7 pm Boston time. Classes start in March and end in October, with a six week break in the summer. These are interactive lectures and a strong opportunity to work with colleagues and Harvard faculty.
The Thursday lectures are three hours each, and there are other activities during the week on the course website. Most activities are self guided and can be completed at any time during the week.
All participants receive Stata software with their registration, and it is required during the course.
If you live near one of our international site centers, you should attend lectures there, as lectures are broadcast from Harvard through videoconference. If you do not live close to a site center, you can take part from home through the online environment. See the participating centers.
There are four exams, one after each module of the course. They are all web based and interactive.
You can review the student evaluation. Students report spending between two and ten hours a week, apart from the three hour weekly lecture.
You can complete the entire course from your location. There is an optional two day workshop in Boston in the summer and an optional four day workshop held at the end of the course. If you will be in the United States at some point, you are welcome to join us in Boston.
It depends on the level of knowledge of clinical research methodology. This course is important for reviewing and advancing knowledge of the fundamentals of clinical trials.
This is a course offered by Harvard Medical School with renowned Harvard professors. It is therefore recognised globally.
You take the course online. We have lectures on Thursday evenings from 4 pm to 7 pm Boston time, and you connect to these lectures by webcast and participate live. The remaining activities run through the course website, including the forum, assignments, chat rooms for discussion with teaching assistants, and a group project using an online word processor.
We try to help participants as much as possible, while following the payment guidelines of the school. If you need help, please contact us.
In order to receive the welcome packet and secure a place, a participant should complete payment as soon as possible. The registration deadline is published for each intake, and a place is not secured until registration and payment are complete.
Students should buy the required book for the course, and we recommend attending the four day workshop if possible. Travel costs are not included in the workshop fees.
The application deadline is set in advance, and we recommend completing the application as soon as possible, as there may be a waiting list. If you miss the deadline, contact us as soon as possible, as the period may be extended if spaces are available.
We offer a discounted price for residents and fellows. See the enrollment and fees for the list of fees. If you choose the option for residents and fellows when registering, include proof of resident or fellow status in your application.
We offer a discounted price for residents and fellows, and some site centers offer scholarships for their participants. If you will be enrolling through a site center, please contact your site director about this possibility.
No. The goal of the program is to offer a solid initial background in clinical research methodology, so the intensive schedule is necessary to reach this goal.
The workshops are usually restricted to current and previous students of the course. Please contact us if you are interested in attending them.
Yes. This course is suitable for anyone interested in clinical research from the health care area, and applicants usually have a graduate degree or a health care professional degree.
Further reading: the EQUATOR Network, ClinicalTrials.gov and the National Institutes of Health.
Authoritative external resources for readers who want to go further into clinical research methods, reporting and education.
