Most courses or programs in clinical data management are post-baccalaureate programs, which means that you will have to possess a bachelor's or master's degree before you apply. It is recommended that you have a degree in a life sciences field, such as biology or health sciences. You may also be asked to have some experience in assisting with clinical trials before you apply.
Your coursework in a clinical data management program will include clinical, regulatory, scientific and project management topics that are related to clinical research. Within these topics, you will take courses like clinical trials design, drug safety, writing medical reports and patient recruitment for trials. The coursework attempts to familiarize you with any issue you might experience during your career as a clinical data manager.
There are master's degrees offered in the clinical data management field, but they are called "Health Informatics and Information Management" programs. Most of these health information programs only require a bachelor's degree to apply, but some may ask that you have previous coursework in such areas as health information management or clinical information systems. These master's programs will typically require you to complete 33 semester-hours along with a thesis, or 45 semester-hours if you are not writing a thesis. Some of the topics you will discuss in your coursework will include health record strategies, legal issues and new clinical data technologies.
As of 2011 the Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM) is the only organization in the United States that offers certification for clinical data managers. Before you can apply to sit for the certification exam, you must have a bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience in the clinical data management field. SCDM will also allow those who have an associate degree and three years of professional experience, or four years of full-time professional experience, or part-time work experience equal to or surpassing four years of full-time professional experience.