Advanced Training in Clinical Research Certificate

We are currently accepting applications for 2023-24. The deadline to apply to this program is May 2, 2023.

Please note: We are planning for 2022-2023 academic year course and program offerings to be based in-person in our facilities at the Mission Bay campus at UCSF.

The Advanced Training in Clinical Research (ATCR) Certificate Program is intended for scholars who desire rigorous training in the methods and conduct of clinical research, which is defined broadly as any research where individual human beings or groups of human beings are the unit of observation. The program focuses on epidemiologic and biostatistical methods, applied in observational or experimental study designs. Clinical researchers spend their time working with human research participants, data from participants or other human populations and computers. 

Through required coursework, trainees learn the methods required to perform both observational and experimental clinical research, preparing them to plan and implement one or more research projects and to analyze, interpret and present their clinical research data. Mentoring is an essential element of the program. Faculty in the Training in Clinical Research (TICR) program provide methodologic guidance, and students meet regularly with a research mentor in their chosen subject area who reviews their progress and provides scholarly guidance. 

The ATCR Certificate Program can be taken either as a stand-alone educational program or as a stepping stone to a more advanced degree program, such as the UCSF master's degree in clinical research or PhD in epidemiology and translational science. ATCR graduates are poised to work in a variety of research settings, including universities, public health departments, foundations and private industry. (Note: The program does not provide instruction in laboratory investigation and is not intended for scholars who envision themselves working primarily in a wet laboratory.)

The program begins in August and runs over four academic quarters (10 calendar months).

Please note: We are planning for 2022-2023 academic year course and program offerings to be based in-person in our facilities at the Mission Bay campus at UCSF