MGH Institute lets students work online to advance clinical investigation careers

A graduate degree in Clinical Investigation from the MGH Institute of Health Professions can advance both your career and the level of care brought to the research process — improving not just your life, but also those of the patients who benefit from your efforts.

As one of the first Clinical Investigation programs in the country, the MGH Institute offers rigorous courses taught by faculty actively engaged in clinical research, as well as opportunities for hands-on, mentored field experiences.

The Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation involves the science of human research. The explosion of scientific advances in genetics and other medical areas in recent years has given rise to a vast and complex field of patient-oriented clinical research that encompasses numerous disciplines, including:

• Translational research, or the defining of normal physiology and disease mechanisms

• Clinical trials, in which new drugs and devices are tested in order to bring new therapies to market

• Outcomes research, which determines the effectiveness of established therapeutic approaches on human beings.

The MGH Institute’s affiliation with leading academic health centers, clinical trial sponsors and contract research organizations means that students get the experience they need to succeed.

A pioneer in developing graduate-level education for this comparatively new academic field, the Graduate Program in Clinical Investigation — which is ideally suited to individuals with full-time career obligations — broadly prepares individuals for professional pursuits in both industry and academia.

The program attracts a diverse group of experienced health care professionals and new college graduates, including nurses, pharmacists, physicians, biologists, chemists, information technologists, relational database managers, educators, engineers and ethicists.

Students who complete either the Certificate of Advanced Study or Master of Science in Clinical Investigation are in demand in an extensive array of research settings, including academic health centers, pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, contract research organizations and government. Both the master’s and certificate program can be completed entirely online, and students can progress either full- or part-time.

The MGH Institute of Health Professions is an innovative graduate school with graduate and certificate programs in clinical investigation, communication sciences and disorders, medical imaging, nursing and physical therapy. An independent affiliate of the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital, the MGH Institute operates within the Partners HealthCare System — the nation’s second-largest integrated health care system — offering unparalleled opportunities for students to learn and work alongside expert practitioners in a variety of hospital, clinical and community settings.

For more information on the Clinical Investigation program, visit: ci.mghihp.edu.

To sign up for the next information session on the program, to be held May 17, visit: info.mghihp.edu.