Clinical Research Certificate Program Online

Certificate of Study in Clinical Research

Drexel University’s nationally ranked College of Medicine offers an online Certificate of Study in Clinical Research. The online clinical research certificate program, taught by industry experts, is designed for a wide range of professionals seeking clinical research credentials and career-movers who want to break ground in the clinical research field.

Program at a Glance

• Semester Credits: 15 credits
• Average Completion Time: 1 to 2 years
  • You may take up to 7 years to complete the program
• No on-campus requirements
• No thesis requirements
• Plans of study are created on a case-by-case basis and customized to your career plans
• Interactive coursework
• Expert faculty

What is a Certificate in Clinical Research?

The online Certificate of Study in Clinical Research is a 15-semester credit program that covers both business principles and clinical research industry best practices. To earn your professional credential at Drexel, you’ll complete five graduate-level courses that draw content from the MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management (CROM) curriculum. Three of these courses are:

• Intro to Clinical Trials
• Pharmaceutical Law
• Fundamentals of Compliance

These three core courses help you keep pace with the changes in the clinical research, financial, legal, and regulatory environments. You’ll also be able to tailor your study plan to career goals through two elective courses. As a result, you’ll be able to build skills that are relevant to you and can help you navigate the evolving clinical research landscapes successfully.

Take a Broad Range of Clinical Research Courses Online

Some of Drexel’s more popular clinical research online courses pertain to building leadership skills and strategic planning. We also offer several “special topics” courses which you can take as electives. These fall under the following broad clinical research categories:

• New Product Research and Development
• Compliance and Safety Surveillance
• Ethics and Law
• Regulatory Affairs
• Biostatistics and Data Management
• Clinical Research Management
• New Therapeutic Product Business and Strategic Planning

Academic Plans of Study

Students who pursue Drexel’s clinical research certificate online may apply their credits toward the full MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management program.

Will this program prepare me for ACRP and SOCRA certification?

Coupled with other certification requirements, the online Certificate of Study in Clinical Research program can help you prepare for ACRP or SOCRA certification. If this is your goal, we can help you map out your study plan.

What Can I Do with A Certificate in Clinical Research?

A Certificate in Clinical Research may help you pursue career paths such as Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) and eventually Clinical Research Associate (CRA) opportunities. In both of these roles, you’ll likely find your skills are in high demand. Reports point to faster than average job growth (10 – 15 percent) by 2026.

Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)

• What They Do: Clinical Research Coordinators plan the day-to-day clinical operations, oversee personnel, finance and the regulatory aspects of medical research trials.
• Projected Job Outlook to 2026: 5,200 job openings and a 10 – 14% overall projected growth
• Other job titles: Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator, Clinical Trial Manager, Clinical Research Administrator (CRA)
• Related career paths: Clinical Data Managers, Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Workforce Data: 350 direct employers currently competing for CRC talent.
• Possible clinical research courses to take as electives: Designing the Clinical Trial, International Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Trial Budgeting, Fundamentals of Academic Research Administration.

Clinical Research Associate

• What They Do: Clinical Research Associates assist in laboratory, survey and other science research, prepare findings for publication, manage databases, harness participant information, conduct reports, and oversee quality control.
• Projected Job Outlook to 2026: 4,400 new job openings by 2026 and 15% + overall projected growth
• Other job titles: Clinical Data Manager (CDM), Clinical Informatics Manager, Clinical Data Associate
• Related career paths: Regulatory Affairs Specialists, Social Science Research Assistant
• Workforce Data: 263 direct employers currently competing for CRA talent
• Possible clinical research courses to take as electives: Patient Recruitment and Informed Consent, Clinical Data Management, Scientific Writing and Medical Literature, Current Issues in Review Boards

What are the Salary Expectations for a Certificate in Clinical Research?

Salaries in the clinical research field vary widely due to several contributing factors. These can include your education level, certifications, work experience, location and overall skill level. 

Related Programs

Drexel University also offers other online clinical research master’s and certificate programs designed to match your career goals:

• MS in Clinical Research for Health Professionals
• MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management
• Quantitative Principles for Clinical Research Certificate

If you have questions, please contact:

Patricia Cashin
Academic Administrator
215.762.4075
pcc36@drexel.edu

State restrictions may apply to some programs.