Introduction to the MS Program |
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Background Changes in the organization and financing of health services, combined with rapid and groundbreaking developments in the fields of information technology, presentation, and processing, has translated into a dramatically increased interconnection between business, politics, and medicine. These trends, combined with far-reaching biologic discoveries and advances such as the mapping of the human genome, have changed the environment of health care in the United States and produced a demand for new types of innovative training for clinicians, administrators, and others involved in the research, delivery, or evaluation of health care. This new breed of program equips graduates to tackle a variety of topics, ranging from broad questions of health policy to specific instances of how to maximize medical benefit while controlling medical costs. Our enhanced interdisciplinary program in public health sciences provides a broad range of training opportunities for students interested in these new areas of clinical investigation and health care research. This interdisciplinary blend of research methodology, economics, information studies, and policy is not available at most medical schools, except by individual design. UVa, with its Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Arts and Sciences, Business, and Law, has the variety of resources necessary to support the study of health outcomes research and clinical effectiveness. Program History Launched in 1997, the MS-CR program subsumed the existing Master of Science in Epidemiology program, which was created in 1981. The new program builds on the structure and courses previously offered in the Epidemiology program, while offering a breadth and diversity of courses not previously possible. The M.S. in Clinical Research is administered by both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. The program is housed in the Department of Public Health Sciences in the School of Medicine.
Students complete a minimum 31-credit curriculum including core courses, core electives, and specialized track-specific coursework. The MS-CR degree supports the development of clinical investigation and patient-oriented research in academic medicine. Students are encouraged to use the MS program to identify areas of clinical research and to utilize supervised research opportunities within the curriculum to develop research projects. While the curriculum can be completed in 9-12 months of intensive full-time study, part-time options are available that can span 2-5 years according to students' individual needs and preferences. To see our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list, click here. Program Administration
Program Director: Carolyn L. Engelhard, M.P.A. Application Information Our application deadline is March 1. Only applications that are COMPLETE (with ALL supporting documentation included) by the deadline will be evaluated for admission. Incomplete applications will not be read. Applications received after the deadline will be evaluated for placement on a waiting list, with admission offered on a space-available basis according to the strength of each student's individual application. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) has an online application form, the quickest and easiest way to obtain application materials, available both as a downloadable file or as a completely electronically-submitted form (the all-electronic form requires a credit card for submission of the application fee). You may also contact the Program Coordinator for more information, or contact the GSAS Admissions Office directly at (434) 924-7184. |