The College of Extended Learning at San Fransisco State University provides a certificate training program in Clinical Trials Design and Management for prospective clinical research associates. Students in the program benefit from the the school's advanced resources, innovative technological equipment and experienced instructors who are highly regarded in the industry for their excellent contributions to the research field as well as for their superior teaching abilities. With a focus on biotechnology, the challenging program teaches students to conduct clinical trials on pharmaceuticals, biologics and devices sponsored by private organizations. The courses increase the medical and pharmaceutical knowledge of the students and prepare them to manage clinical trials, make constant visits to the site, document case review forms, CRFs, understand the proper protocol and arrange trials to comply with the ever-changing research regulations.
The Durham Technical Community College, in North Carolina, offers an associate's degree program in clinical trials research for associates. The program equips students with the required knowledge and necessary skills to competently and effectively administer, coordinate and manage clinical research trials that test the impacts of new drug medication, clinical products and treatment regimens. With an emphasis on hands-on applications and supervised fieldwork, courses in this program discuss good clinical practices, drug development, clinical research, federal regulations, subject recruitment, CRF design, regulatory compliance, and auditing documentation in clinical research studies. Although the school has a certificate program, to graduate with an associate's degree students must complete a seven-semester evening program while participating in fieldwork rotations during the day.
Boston College provides certificate programs that prepare and qualify graduates to competently and effectively contribute to pharmaceutical research as clinical research associates or as clinical research coordinators. The program consists of three sections. The first section, called Essentials of Initiating Clinical Research, includes classes pertaining to drug development, regulations, management of pre-study activities, directing day-to-day activities of a study and tracking the status of all activities. The second section of the program, Health Care Statistics, includes courses that address statistics and clinical research studies, protocols, trial design, and clinical strategies. The third part, Transitioning Into A Career In Clinical Research, covers the inevitable personal, emotional and professional challenges that accompany the transition from the classroom to the actual research field.
Located in Rochester, New York, the Mayo Clinic offers an asssociate's degree in clinical research coordination that prepares students to achieve successful careers as clinical research coordinators or associates. The program requires students to complete 60 credits, and although students may take courses on a part-time level or at an accelerated pace, students must complete the program within three years to graduate. Courses incorporate both informative lectures and lab assignments into the program, and classes will address relevant topics such as medical terminology, foundation of clinical research, anatomy, project management, research concepts and theories, health records and legal aspects of health information.