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Earn Your Graduate Clinical Research Certificate Online

Like the professionals it was founded to serve, Kent State University's College of Public Health (CPH) strives to support the greater good. That's why the college used its extensive experience in online education to develop the online graduate clinical research certificate program.

Clinical research is a dynamically growing field with a wide choice of career paths, and this program is intentionally designed to help you custom-fit your coursework to your professional goals. In this innovative program, you can design your own professional path from a selection of courses that will deepen your expertise in clinical research topic areas including research methods, regulatory affairs, and data management and analysis.

Course Delivery

100% online

Total Credits

Approximate Cost per Credit

$695 in state
$705 out of state

Time to Completion

Earn your certificate in as few as 2 semesters

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Program of Interest

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Kent Clinical Research Certificate Program Details Sheet

Take your career to a higher level with Kent State’s affordable, flexible undergraduate and graduate public health programs. Our 100% online programs allow you to keep up with your current responsibilities while you study. Find out how these programs can help you create the career and positive public health impact you want to have.

Download our guide to learn more about:

Career Opportunities
Customizing Your Degree
The Student Experience
Admission Requirements
Tuition and Financial Aid

Get Career-Boosting Clinical Research Skills in as Few as Two Semesters

You’re the ultimate expert on your career goals and interests. Recognizing this, Kent State College of Public Health’s Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research program empowers you to choose exactly the courses you need to reach your goals. If you choose to include a clinical research practicum, a dedicated coordinator will help you find a placement for on-site practical experience in your community so you can translate your new learning to real-world impact.

Complete the certificate on your own schedule and elevate your profile in this core health profession. If you decide to earn a master’s degree, the credits for this certificate will transfer to the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology or the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology.

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Education That Works for You

Courses in this flexible program are delivered asynchronously, helping working professionals like you maintain your other commitments and responsibilities while pursuing professional education goals.

Kent State University is proud to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and recognized for outstanding service to the extended military community, and all students, with the Military Friendly Gold Designation.

CEPH-accredited bacherlor's master's doctoral

Maximize Your Professional Potential with Minimum Expense

Post-graduate education doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Kent State University offers an affordable clinical research certificate program where you will develop your expertise under the mentorship of faculty with substantial real-world research and clinical trials management experience coupled with in-depth public health understanding.

All course content is available on your schedule, and the total tuition for the program is under $9,000.

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Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program Overview

Kent State University's flexible program offers clinical research certification for professionals. It allows you to study on your own schedule and get optional practical experience in your community. Choose your curriculum to advance your understanding of a range of topics in the field, digging deep into one area or sampling several.

Clinical research: To deepen your expertise in clinical work, select from subjects including clinical epidemiology research methods, biostatistics, qualitative methods or experimental designs.

Public health: Learn about the public health perspective on clinical research, covering topics such as the fundamentals of public health epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, ethics and regulatory affairs.

Research management: Examine clinical research through various management lenses, including cost-benefit analysis, ethical issues, healthcare privacy and security and clinical trials management.

Learn Online, Excel in the Lab

Kent State’s Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research offers the opportunity to include a clinical research practicum with your online coursework, which can elevate your professional profile by strengthening your research skills. If you choose this option, a dedicated practicum coordinator will help you arrange a placement in your community.

View Courses

Stack Credentials to Raise Your Professional Profile: Apply Your Certificate Credits to a Master’s Degree

Deepen your healthcare expertise and enhance your resume with the Kent State online Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Designed for working professionals with a passion for advancing healthcare, this rigorous and respected 46-credit-hour program also offers asynchronous coursework, enabling you to seamlessly manage professional and personal commitments.

Apply your clinical research knowledge immediately in the workplace and apply your credits to your Master of Public Health in Epidemiology or the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology. With this innovative program design, you can save on tuition for your master’s degree while solidifying your expertise and positioning yourself for leadership roles in the evolving healthcare landscape.

Explore the Online MPH in Epidemiology
Explore the Online MS in Clinical Epidemiology

A Career That Counts in an Expanding Industry

The field of clinical research is undergoing significant expansion. O*Net Online, a career site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, characterizes many clinical research roles as having a bright outlook, with rapid job growth and new or emerging occupations. A sampling of occupations within this group of fast-growing professions includes Clinical Data Managers, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Clinical Research Coordinators and Medical Scientists.^1,2

National Average Clinical Research Salaries

$91,797

Clinical Research Nurse³

$83,712

Institutional Review Board Director⁴

$130,034

Clinical Trial Manager⁵

Beyond the Paycheck: The Rich Rewards of Clinical Research Careers

In addition to financial benefits and job security, clinical research roles offer the profound satisfaction derived from contributing to medical science and public health advancements. Careers in clinical research are defined by their potential to innovate, improve patient outcomes, and tackle health challenges with integrity and dedication.

Kent State is committed to fostering leaders in clinical research, combining academic rigor with practical research insights and opportunities. Here you can train to contribute effectively to healthcare advancements, addressing ethical, legal and technical challenges with professionalism and compassion. Embrace the journey with Kent State, where your academic and professional aspirations can help improve lives.

Clinical Research Graduate Certificate Program Outcomes

The Clinical Research certificate equips you for advanced roles in clinical research, research management or public health by building knowledge on a range of essential topics. You can focus on clinical research practices and regulatory standards critical for the field, prepare to navigate ethical and regulatory complexities with confidence and apply different management perspectives to clinical research or a mix of approaches. Whichever emphasis you choose, Kent State's online clinical research certificate will enhance your capacity to contribute meaningfully to public health and clinical research endeavors.

View Course List

Fast-Track Your Research Career

In Kent State’s clinical research certificate program, you will gain skills and expertise that will make you valuable to organizations across the continuum of healthcare and public health. Leading organizations in these areas will welcome your expertise:

Government agencies
Research institutions
Healthcare providers and insurers
Schools and higher education institutions
Non-profit organizations
Global health organizations

Learn from Leaders, Become a Leader

Kent State's College of Public Health boasts a faculty rich in professional experience, passionately dedicated to blending theory with real-world application. Students have the rare opportunity to collaborate on groundbreaking research projects across diverse areas like healthcare disparities, HIV/STD prevention and health literacy. Read the recent faculty highlight blog and visit the faculty page to see how Kent State’s expertise can support your professional growth.

Learn More About Kent State’s Faculty Experts

Tuition

	Ohio Resident	Out of State
Per Credit Hour	$695	$705
Approximate Program Cost	$8,340*	$8,460*

*Tuition and costs effective as of February 5, 2024. Tuition rates are not inclusive of textbooks and fees. Tuition and costs are subject to change and should be confirmed on the University’s official tuition listing at onlinedegrees.kent.edu/tuition-costs#cert.

An additional distance learning fee for all students enrolled in a distance learning course is $15 per credit hour. Kent State University recognizes that pursuing graduate education is a significant financial outlay. Your admissions outreach advisor can answer your questions on program costs, discuss how a Kent State degree compares to others and connect you with additional information resources.

Please contact an admissions outreach advisor for more information on tuition and fees either by email at onlinedegrees@kent.edu or toll-free at +1 844‑234‑4073.

Schedule a Call Download Application Checklist

Program Structure and Organization

Choose four of the 21 available courses to design your 12-credit-hour online clinical research graduate certificate to meet your professional goals. Focusing on one course at a time, you can complete two 7-week courses each semester while keeping up your other commitments. If you choose to include the clinical research practicum, a dedicated coordinator will help you find a local placement where you can translate your learning into real-world practice.

The Flexibility and Support You Need to Succeed

2 annual start dates: spring and fall
No GRE requirement
Asynchronous courses and a powerful, user-friendly learning management system
4 focused 7-week courses, including an optional clinical research practicum in your community

Earn your graduate certificate in as few as two semesters, while keeping up with your other life commitments with the focused, asynchronous online courses in Kent State’s online clinical research program. Let Kent State help you achieve your professional public health goals.

Talk to an Admissions Outreach Advisor

Courses

Choose four courses from this list to shape your curriculum and support your professional goals. Each course earns 3 credit hours.

BST 52019 Biostatistics in Public Health

This course provides an understanding of basic statistical methods in public health research, as well as the skills to perform and interpret basic statistical procedures. Students learn how to use statistical analysis software to analyze real data from public health-related studies. They then learn how to interpret the analysis and present the results to public health professionals and educated lay audiences. Includes a lab component that enhances student awareness and informed usage of the statistical software SAS for public health analysis.

EPI 50013 Clinical Epidemiology Basics

In this course, students develop an understanding of clinical research, good clinical practices, research environments and methods used in clinical research. Students gain an understanding of the use of clinical investigation, from the product development stage to the application of investigations in contract research organizations. Ethical implications and regulatory issues are examined.

EPI 50014 Clinical Trials Management

This course examines guidelines for good clinical practices. Students learn how to conduct and manage clinical trials; understand clinical trials data; develop instruments and protocols; recognize quality control and data issues; know approaches to recruitment, retention and participant assessment; identify adverse events and measurement of response variables; and acquire skills in study close-out procedures.

EPI 50017 Pharmacoepidemiology

Pharmacoepidemiology uses epidemiology methods to understand medication use and distribution at the population level. This introduction to the field of pharmacoepidemiology examines risk-benefit and epidemiology approaches to examining medication use and therapeutic trials. Drug and device manufacturing to market are explored.

EPI 50018 Regulatory Affairs in Clinical Research

This course helps students develop an understanding of the individual researcher and organization's responsibilities in research and the development of clinical trial products. Detailed exploration of examples from the field helps students understand regulations from the government and industry, privacy concerns, liability and ethical issues related to clinical trials research.

EPI 52017 Fundamentals of Public Health Epidemiology

This course introduces the principles, methods and application of epidemiology. It also highlights applications of epidemiology to understanding disease etiology, transmission, pathogenesis and prevention, along with public policy development and evaluation. The history of epidemiology, disease causation and prevention concepts, disease frequency and excessive risk measures, epidemiologic study designs, causal inference, outbreak investigation and screening are covered. Students will gain experience with the calculation of rate standardization; measures of disease frequency association and impact; and sensitivity and specificity of screening tests.

EPI 63019 Experimental Designs for Clinical Research

Principles of experimental designs as they apply to clinical research and clinical trials are presented at an intermediate level. Students understand randomized control trial designs and alternative designs. Study methodology, including randomization and blinding techniques, is covered. Topics include evidence-based medicine; risk prediction and risk scores; instruments and measurement; data issues; and recruitment, retention and adherence.

EPI 63021 Ethical Issues in Public Health and Clinical Research

Introduces students to historical and contemporary ethical issues that arise during public health and clinical or biomedical research studies. Broadly covers human subjects research, the responsible conduct of research and the good clinical practice guidelines.

EPI 63192 Research Practicum in Clinical Epidemiology

The research practicum allows students to gain hands-on experience conducting research in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or other approved organization. Students complete the experience under the supervision of a field preceptor and faculty member.

HPM 63006 Cost-Benefit Analysis in Public Health Programs

Provides an overview of cost-benefit analysis as applied to the evaluation of public health programs. Students apply principles of cost-benefit analysis and related cost-utility analysis to case studies in the public health sector.

HPM 63008 Healthcare Privacy and Security

This course introduces students to the fundamental concerns addressed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The course will explore the Privacy and Security Rules, and the HITECH Act Provisions, Enforcement, and Omnibus Final Rule. By the end of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of healthcare privacy and security.

SBS 63010 Qualitative Methods for Public Health Research

In this course, students will be guided through an exploration of the uses and value of qualitative approaches to research with humans through a combination of resource review and guided applied practice. Students will be provided with information about various methodologies that comprise qualitative inquiry, and will engage in practice efforts to analyze provided data and assess the quality of research reports.

SBS 63011 Qualitative Data Analysis

Students will be introduced to the process and goals of qualitative data analysis relevant to research design and study purpose. The course includes opportunities to conduct coding and other types of analysis of qualitative data using both computer-assisted and manual processes. Students will focus on descriptive or generic approaches for qualitative and mixed-methods research. Students will additionally learn about and be provided opportunities for guided practice in quality control measures that include the creation of an audit trail, "member checking," composition of analytic memos, and other forms of researcher-initiated documentation.

Admissions Requirements

Completed online application
Bachelor’s degree, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), from an accredited university
Application fee: $15
Official transcripts
There are no requirements for the GRE, or recommendation letter

Language Proficiency for International Students

International students must provide proof of English language proficiency with an acceptable score on one of the following tests.

Test	Minimum score
TOEFL PBT (paper-based test)	550
TOEFL IBT (internet-based test)	79
MELAB	77
IELTS	6.5
PTE	58

There are a limited number of specific exceptions to this requirement. Contact an admissions outreach advisor for more information.

The application process is simple and we’re here to guide you through it.

Admissions outreach advisors are available to answer your questions regarding admissions requirements for the program. If you have questions, please email us at onlinedegrees@kent.edu or call us toll-free at +1 844-234-4073.

Important Dates

Nov

Priority Application Deadline

Spring 2025 Term

Dec

Final Application Deadline

Spring 2025 Term

Jan

First Day of Class

Spring 2025 Term

Application FAQs

Begin your application by creating an account in the online application system to save your work and track the progress of materials submitted via the system.

I am a U.S. citizen. Where should I send my application materials?

If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident, all required application materials should be sent to the Division of Graduate Studies at gradapps@kent.edu or by mail to:

Division of Graduate Studies
P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242

Please be sure to include your full name and Kent State ID (9 digit number starting with 8) on all submitted documents. For questions, contact Graduate Admissions at +1 330-672-2661 or gradapps@kent.edu.

I am not a U.S. citizen. Where should I send my application materials?

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident, all required documents should be submitted to the Office of Global Education at intladm@kent.edu or by mail to:

Office of Global Education
Kent State University
106 Van Campen Hall
625 Loop Rd.
Kent, OH 44242
USA

For questions, contact International Admissions at +1 330-672-7970 or intladm@kent.edu.

Build Your Career With an Online Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research

Explore the immersive online experience, Kent State's faculty roster and some of the diverse post-graduation career options.

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Immersive Online Curriculum

Designed for busy working professionals and students seeking to expand their career options.

Explore the Online Classroom

Award-Winning Faculty

Study with authorities who are at the forefront of health research and policy.

Meet Our Faculty

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MPH Career Potential

Gain expertise in mitigating public health risks through advocacy, research, and policy implementation.

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Advance Your Career With Kent State

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Important Dates

Nov

Priority Application Deadline

Spring 2025 Term

Dec

Final Application Deadline

Spring 2025 Term

Jan

First Day of Class

Spring 2025 Term

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Sources

Retrieved on March 25, 2024, from onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9121.01
Retrieved on March 25, 2024, from onetonline.org/link/summary/19-1042.00
Retrieved on March 25, 2024, ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Clinical-Research-Nurse-Salary#Yearly
Retrieved on March 25, 2024, from ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Institutional-Review-Board-Director-Salary
Retrieved on March 25, 2024, from ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Clinical-Trial-Manager-Salary#Yearly