MSc Clinical Research (Part Time)

Key details

MSC CLINICAL RESEARCH (PART TIME) – 3 YEARS

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Science

Duration (years)

Clinical research is how we develop new treatments and knowledge for better health and care, building the evidence for new approaches that are safe and effective. 

Tailored to your needs and interests, our Clinical Research programme will equip you with the tools and knowledge to help you achieve your professional goals. You will develop the skills to conduct critical analysis of evidence, and to carry out in-depth qualitative and quantitative research. You will acquire the leadership qualities needed to deliver the best and most effective service. Our interprofessional approach means that you will be learning with students from related disciplines, giving you a unique insight into their roles and ideas. 

You will achieve all of this on a course that’s both dynamic and fascinating, solving problems in small groups with inspirational teachers using their own cutting-edge research. Your learning will take place within a close-knit student body with a highly supportive culture. 

About

Our MSc in Clinical Research can be tailored to your specific needs, ensuring that you walk away with skills and knowledge that are relevant to your chosen career. Through our exciting mix of multidisciplinary modules, you’ll also benefit from exposure to students from the related health and social care professions, with whom you will be able to share practice, knowledge and ideas. 

In the part time route, you will need to gain 60 credits per year, you are required to complete three compulsory or core modules. These are Introduction to Research Methods; Research Ethics and Governance and either Further Quantitative Methods or Further Qualitative Methods (depending on your choice of specialism). You then will choose three modules from the remaining six options of Systematic Review and Research Synthesis; Introduction to Implementation Science, Health Economics, Transferrable Skills for Research, Facilitating Research in Clinical Practice (pending approval) and either Further Quantitative Methods or Further Qualitative Methods (depending on your choice of compulsory module), for a further 60 credits. Finally, in year 3 you will complete a dissertation for the remaining 60 credits.

The website describes a potential pathway for the course, but this is flexible depending on when you choose to do each module.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

You will be assessed through a combination of methods including exams and extended essays, as well as your Master’s thesis.

Structure

Our part-time Master’s programme can also be completed in one year, full-time. Within it, you can opt to take one of two routes: the Clinical Research Pathway or, for medical applicants who meet the criteria for NIHR-funding, the Academic Clinical Fellowship pathway. Both routes have options of the same taught modules. 

The Clinical Research pathway features three compulsory modules, including a module in either further quantitative research or in further qualitative research. You will also select three optional modules to meet your professional interests. 

In order to attain your Master’s qualification, you will need to gain 180 credits in total, 60 of which will come from your Master’s dissertation. However, we also offer exit opportunities of a Postgraduate Certificate after one year of study with 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma after two years with 120 credits. 

In year 1, semester 1 you will complete the Introduction to Research Methods module as a core module; semester 2 - Further Quantitative Research Methods; semester 3 – Facilitating Research in Clinical Practice.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching 

Our teaching combines lectures, seminars and tutorials. We encourage small-group work, so that you benefit from peer-to-peer learning. And we also provide you with practical teaching sessions to support your use of statistical software. 

You will be allocated a personal adviser who will provide you with pastoral and academic support, and a dissertation supervisor who will be specially chosen to support you as you write your Master’s thesis. 

Independent study 

Students are expected to carry out independent study as part of each module. 

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Open Days

Year 1

Assessment for Year 1

You will be assessed through a combination of methods including exams and extended essays, as well as your Master’s thesis.

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7021D

Credits 20

The purpose of this module is to provide students with a broad introduction to the methods used in Health Science Research. . The skills to be developed include being able to 1: recognise basic quantitative and qualitative research designs 2: recognise different data collection techniques 3: acquire a basic understanding of both statistical analysis and qualitative analysis; 4: critically appraise of the research literature.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

FURTHER QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7013E

Credits 20

This course builds on the quantitative methods covered in Introduction to Research Methods. It will add depth to the basic knowledge already acquired in that module on measurement, survey instruments, study designs and statistics. Students will also take part in practical sessions where they will apply the statistical knowledge gained to describe and analyse datasets.

FURTHER QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7014E

Credits 20

The purpose of this module is to build on the coverage of qualitative methods and critical appraisal skills that were introduced and described in the Introduction to Research Methods module. The skills to be developed further include being able to 1. Gain further knowledge of the conduct of qualitative studies 2. Negotiate and acquire the practical skills needed in the planning and design, the data collection, the data analysis, and the data interpretation of a qualitative study.

Optional B Modules

(20 credits)

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND RESEARCH SYNTHESIS

Code HSC-7057E

Credits 20

Findings from systematic reviews have been increasingly used by health policy makers, clinicians and patients for making decisions. A systematic review of available evidence is also often required for developing new research, and for interpreting findings from a primary study. The module will include the following contents: 1. Introduction, framing questions and inclusion/exclusion criteria 2. Sources of evidence and literature search strategy 3. Data extraction and validity assessment 4. Synthesizing evidence from qualitative studies 5. Synthesizing evidence from quantitative studies 6. Quality of systematic reviews and overview of reviews 7. Recent development in research synthesis methods 8. Systematic review protocol. The learning outcome will provide you with the skills and understanding to appraise and interpret published systematic reviews, to develop a protocol and undertake a systematic review. By the end of the module, you will be able to: • Frame questions appropriate for a systematic review • Design an appropriate literature search strategy • Assess the relevance and quality of primary studies • Qualitatively and quantitatively synthesize data from primary studies • Appropriately interpret findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis • Understand common pitfalls in systematic reviews and meta-analysis • Become familiar with recent method research relevant to systematic reviews.

INTRODUCTION TO IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE (ONLINE)

Code HSC-7170F

Credits 20

This module aims to provide an introduction to Implementation Science and its role in healthcare. Health services are under increasing pressure to improve services and yet save resources. The routine delivery of evidence-based interventions and services ensures that the most cost-effective interventions are delivered to patients; however, it takes on average 17 years for research evidence to be routinely adopted in practice. In an attempt to close this research-to-practice gap, the field of Implementation Science has evolved. Implementation Science is defined as the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services. This module will cover: • Key differences between Implementation Science, Quality Improvement and Knowledge Mobilisation. • Implementation study design, including implementation strategies, outcomes and hybrid designs. • Implementation frameworks and theories for understanding contextual factors that impact on successful implementation, for informing the process of implementation and to guide the evaluation of implementation efforts. • Stakeholder engagement, organisational readiness and systems thinking. • Scalability and sustainability of evidence-based practice. This new online module is delivered by leading implementation researchers across four universities: UEA, King’s College London, Kingston University and St George’s. A formative and summative assessment will be used to assess student knowledge gained throughout the module. Students will be presented with three case studies that provide implementation challenges faced in the NHS. Students will select one of the case studies on which to develop an implementation study protocol to explore / investigate the implementation challenge. Students will be encouraged to use the ImpRes tool and guide to designing implementation research throughout the module https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13012-019-0897-z Formative assessment: students will record a Powerpoint presentation that talks through their ideas for an implementation study protocol. The presentation will be recorded in Collaborate and made available to a small group of students for peer feedback. Summary feedback will be provided to the entire cohort. Summative assignment: students will write a protocol for an implementation research study. The protocol should be no more than 4000 words in length and address one of the implementation challenges addressed by the case studies. The protocol can be either quantitative, qualitative or mixed method. Students would be expected to demonstrate clear understanding of the implementation science concepts introduced in the module, e.g. implementation outcomes, implementation strategies, implementation theories, stakeholder engagement, organisational readiness, systems thinking and sustainability.

HEALTH ECONOMICS

Code MED-7006D

Credits 20

This module aims to equip you with an understanding of health economics, its value and limitations. It is suitable for students with and without an economics background as the course covers fundamental economic principles and their application to health care. These will include concepts of opportunity cost, supply and demand, efficiency and equity. The module uses these principles to explore relevant topics in health and healthcare. The following topics are covered: * The application of economic principles to system level health policy issues such as health care priority setting. * Alternative models of health care financing and organisation. * Inequity and inequalities in health and healthcare. * The use of economic evaluation of health care interventions using techniques such as cost effectiveness analysis and cost benefit analysis. * the determinants and consequences of health, and the economics of health behaviour.

FURTHER QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7013E

Credits 20

FURTHER QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7014E

Credits 20

TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS FOR RESEARCH

Code MED-7024F

Credits 20

At masters degree level the purpose of PGT research masters degrees are primarily to familiarise and prepare students for careers with significant but diverse research components. This course meets the central need of all Clinical Researchers to communicate effectively in formats that are either written or oral and to a variety of audiences from their peers as researchers to members of the public. In this module students will focus on communicating the work they are undertaking and the rationale for it. Students will consider writing for peers and for the public, preparing abstracts, posters, papers and grant applications and giving oral presentations. By the end of the module students will have: • Written lay and professional abstracts • Assembled a poster • Given a presentation • Prepared a grant application

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Year 2

Assessment for Year 2

You will be assessed through a combination of methods including exams and extended essays, as well as your Master’s thesis.

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE

Code MED-7019D

Credits 20

This module gives an overview of research ethics and research governance. It will enable the students to understand the research governance frameworks and it will help them to understand the ethical implications of their planned research. In addition, it will help the students to write participant information sheets (PIS), informed consent forms, and lay summaries of their protocols. It will also address crucial issues for successful funding applications such as patient and public involvement (PPI).