Applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now open.
Join us for our upcoming informational session on (click link to register):
Application Guidelines
- Deadline March 21, 2025.
- Students interested in the Masters Program, please choose Advanced Training in Clinical Research Masters/ATCR Masters (vs ATCRC/ATCR Certificate)
- For general questions, please contact [email protected].
- If you are considering enrollment in the program but have concerns about scheduling, time constraints, or parental leave, please contact [email protected] to discuss potential options.
The Master of Science (MS) in Clinical and Epidemiological Research is a two-year program intended for individuals who wish to master clinical research methods and pursue independent research careers.
Through coursework, research and teaching, students will:
- Acquire a mastery of a broad set of clinical research methods
- Plan and implement one or more clinical research projects that leads to a first-author publication
- Obtain experience in the instruction of clinical research methods
Upon graduation, students receive a Master of Science degree and are poised to work in a variety of research settings, including universities, public health departments, foundations and private industry.
The 2024-2025 academic year course and program offerings will be based in-person at our Mission Bay campus at UCSF.
See the Demographics, Completion Rates, and Career Outcomes of the MS (formerly known as MAS) program compiled by the UCSF Graduate Division.
Curriculum
The Master of Science (MS) program is designed to be completed in two academic years. Most trainees are able to complete all requirements within seven academic quarters, although occasionally students take extra time to complete their original research.
At least 38 quarter-units of coursework are needed for graduation. Students will take the majority of their coursework in the first year allowing for focus on performing and publishing original research in the second year with faculty support.
In addition to coursework, requirements include:
- A comprehensive review of the literature in the scholar's field;
- Presentation of original research at a national or international scientific meeting;
- Submission of a peer-reviewed scientific report in a biomedical journal; and
- Experience in the instruction of clinical research methods as an educational apprentice for one course.
See the coursework schedule.
Coursework for the MS program extends beyond the requirements for the one-year Advanced Training in Clinical Research Certificate to include instruction in advanced epidemiological and biostatistical methods and specialized topics such as causal inference, prediction science, molecular methods in clinical research, and decision and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Format
- Select in-person required components with online access to all lectures and assignments
- Optional in-person labs
Timeline
The program begins on July 14, 2025 with orientation and ends June 11, 2026 (for students on track with a seven-quarter program).
The MS program is a minimum two-year course of study, requiring registration in seven quarters (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring in the first year and Fall, Winter, Spring in the second year). Students take the majority of their coursework in the first year allowing for focus on their original independent research in the second year.
Cost
Fees for 2025-2026 are estimated to be $34,500 and are subject to change pending confirmation from the University of California, Office of the President.
Learn more about Fees and Financial Support.
Admissions
Applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now open.
Deadline March 21, 2025.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and admission decisions are typically made within six weeks. Early application is particularly encouraged for applicants originating outside of the San Francisco Bay Area who may require housing or travel visas.
We seek applicants who have at least a Bachelor’s degree and a strong interest in clinical and health research. Potentially relevant college majors include pre-medical, epidemiology, public health, population health, demography, biology, and psychology. Because of the strong emphasis on quantitative skills in clinical research, we also encourage applicants with backgrounds in fields such as statistics, mathematics, computer science, or economics who have a commitment to health-related research.
To start your application, please see our Admissions Criteria.
Contact
After you have reviewed the information on the Master’s Program website, please contact Clair Dunne, TICR Coordinator, at [email protected] if you have questions about applying to the program.
Info Session
See our last info session to learn more about Training in Clinical Research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical research?
Clinical research is broadly defined as health-related research where people, as individuals or in groups, are the objects of observation. It includes patient-oriented, translational, epidemiologic, comparative effectiveness, behavioral, outcomes or health services research.
Clinical research aims to improve human health by identifying strategies to prevent disease and improve care for patients with diagnosed illnesses. Clinical researchers usually define an area of focus with respect to diseases (examples include breast cancer, heart disease, HIV, or malaria) and affected populations (examples include research focusing on children, older adults, minority populations, or urban communities). Researchers focus on many different influences on health including genetic and physiologic risk factors, individual-level behavior, social and environmental determinants, health care access and quality, drugs and devices. The basic methods that clinical researchers use in their work are those of epidemiology, experimental study design, and biostatistics.
Of note, clinical research is typically not primarily performed in a basic science laboratory via characterization of genes, molecules and cells. Rather, it is performed with individual humans or groups of humans as the unit of observation; computers and software are the major technological tools. The products of basic science laboratories are often used as measurements in clinical research but the initial identification of a gene or molecule is typically in the purview of basic science rather than clinical research. Some recent examples of clinical research studies completed in this MS program include:
- Role of breastfeeding in preventing childhood obesity among Latina women;
- Impact of under-prescription of medications in the management of refractory high blood pressure; and
- Influence of HIV disease severity on the occurrence of heart disease
What is the difference between this MS in Clinical and Epidemiologic Research program and an MPH?
The critical difference between our MS program (a graduate program) and an MPH program (a professional program) is that our MS and ATCR programs are focused on the design and conduct of independent and original research. In contrast, an MPH program is devoted to training public health practitioners. Specifically, MPH programs provide a broad overview of environmental health, health administration, epidemiology and biostatistics. The last two domains are essential tools shared by the MS/ATCR Programs and the MPH. However, the MS program focuses on epidemiology and biostatistics, which are most pertinent to clinical researchers (and not on environmental health or health administration). Furthermore, our programs offer many courses often not found in MPH programs but are specific to the conduct of clinical research (Designing Clinical Research, Clinical Epidemiology, and Clinical Trials are just a few examples) and provide opportunities to learn the backbone of clinical informatics, data science and implementation science.
Is prior knowledge or experience in clinical research an advantage when applying?
Yes. Prior substantive knowledge or experience in a health-related field (e.g., breast cancer, HIV, substance abuse, or exercise promotion), obtained from formal education, volunteering or employment, can help in identifying a research area of interest and demonstrate commitment to health research. As such, preference during the admissions process will be given to scholars who have demonstrated knowledge or experience in some aspect of a health-related field (e.g., clinical practice, public health, health promotion, or research) by virtue of either possession of a graduate or professional doctoral degree (MD, DDS, PharmD, PhD or international equivalent), being currently enrolled in such a program, or relevant work or volunteer experience. This prior knowledge or experience is preferred because, as noted above, Master’s students must perform original research in a subject matter area of their choosing to fulfill graduation requirements.
What do graduates do after completing the program?
Program graduates are poised to work in a variety of research settings, including universities, public health departments, foundations, and private industry. Regardless of setting, the program strives to train individuals who will become leaders of research efforts and teams. The great majority of our graduates are employed in university settings in some aspect of clinical research. The program can be completed as a stand-alone experience, but it also provides a springboard for students considering advanced degree programs, such as an MD or PhD (e.g., the UCSF PhD Program in Epidemiology and Translational Science). Because our graduates must both present their research at national scientific meetings and publish their findings in biomedical journals, they have built academic records which should make them more competitive when applying for subsequent MD or PhD programs.
Combined MD/MS Program
Medical students can obtain a Master of Science (MS) degree in Clinical and Epidemiological Research in addition to an MD degree in a 5-year combined MD/MS program. MS program coursework includes instruction in advanced epidemiologic and biostatistical methods with electives in specialized topics such as causal inference, prediction science, molecular methods in clinical research, implementation science, and decision and cost-effectiveness analysis. Students graduating from the MD/MS program will be prepared for careers as leaders in clinical research and medicine.
Download the slides used in this video.
For more information, please visit MD/MS in Clinical Research.
