A Dual Degree to Help You Impact Clinical Research
Institutional Member of the CoAPCR
Top Medical Research School
Evidence-Based Approaches
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QUICK FACTS:
48-60 months
Duration
87
Credit Hours
100%
Online
Impact Change through Clinical Research and Translating Research into Practice
Answer the call for top-skilled clinical research professionals in the growing field of clinical research and find answers for patients through translating research into practice with the George Washington University’s Dual Degree: BSHS Clinical Research Administration/MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research. Courses are taught by experienced educators with clinical research experience who are committed to helping you succeed academically and professionally.
With this 87-credit/hour dual health science degree, you’ll build the knowledge and skills to ensure the safety and effectiveness of new drugs, devices, diagnostics, and treatment regimens and learn how to translate clinical research into practice. Graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree as a competitively qualified clinical research professional.
Accreditation and Rankings
- GWU is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- #62 Best National University*
- #15 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs*
- #8 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans*
* The U.S. News & World Report – 2023 Rankings
Program Highlights
- You will take nine graduate credits as part of your undergraduate program, shortening the duration and cost of your master’s degree.
- Institutional Member of the Consortium of Academic Programs in Clinical Research (CoAPCR)
- Transfer in 45-60 credit hours into the dual degree program.
- Earn both degrees sequentially
- Fast track knowledge to apply in your current role
- Military-friendly, Yellow Ribbon school
- Enter with a 3.3 GPA
Curriculum: Learn to Address Ethical and Cultural Health Care Considerations
In coursework for the dual BSHS in Clinical Research Administration / MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research, you’ll study clinical research processes, good clinical practices (GCP), health equity, issues in bioethics, clinical and translational research, research collaboration and team science, and more. This dual degree program is designed for motivated, high-performing students who would like to make a difference in advancing scientific discoveries in the health arena and build their team-based and leadership skills.
By completing the BSHS in Clinical Research Administration, you’ll satisfy 1,500 hours of professional experience towards the 3,000 professional experience hour requirement for the following certifications through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP):
- CCRA® (Certified Clinical Research Associate)
- CCRC® (Certified Clinical Research Coordinator)
- CPI® (Certified Principal Investigator)
- ACRP-CP® (ACRP Certified Professional)
You will also satisfy one year of the two-year full-time work experience requirement for the Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP®) certification through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).
Why Choose a Dual Degree?
By completing nine credits of graduate coursework as part of the BSHS in Clinical Research Administration, you will then be able to complete your MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research in around four and a half semesters rather than six.
You’ll also save money because the nine credit hours of graduate coursework that are part of the program will be charged at the undergraduate tuition rate instead of the graduate tuition rate.
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes for the BSHS in Clinical Research Administration:
- Integrate scientific, medical, regulatory, and commercial requirements to create clinical development plan (CDP) sections that provide for benefit and risk assessments in the development of a new investigational product.
- Analyze strategies to address ethical and cultural considerations for effective and compliant clinical trial conduct in national and international settings.
- Compare clinical, regulatory, and business requirements in the planning and conduct of a clinical trial, including data integrity and documentation.
- Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, individually and in group settings, using verbal, written, and electronic modes of communication.
- Explain structural determinants adversely impacting the health of socially disadvantaged groups from diverse perspectives.
Program outcomes for the MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research:
- Develop a broad foundation and understanding of the philosophies and practices of clinical and translational research in human health.
- Lead and collaborate with other scientists, clinicians, investigators on translational research teams.
- Develop strategies for health-care improvement initiatives.
- Evaluate clinical research processes and standards for protecting human subjects.
- Develop translational research proposals in collaboration with professionals from other disciplines.
Career Outlook
When you graduate with your BSHS in Clinical Research Administration / MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research dual degree, you can pursue employment in many clinical research-based positions. You might play a supportive role on a team that designs, manages, evaluates, or conducts clinical trials and studies that investigate the safety and efficacy of drugs, biologics, diagnostic tests, treatments, and devices in human participants. You could also write grant proposals, develop translational research proposals and work with other scientists, clinicians, and investigators on translational research teams.
The average annual salary for a clinical research manager is over $78,000, according to PayScale.4
With this dual degree, you could fill the following roles with these median yearly salaries:
- Clinical Data Coordinator/Manager: $78,920 avg. salary1
- Clinical Research Associate (usually requires previous work experience in clinical research): $73,307 avg. salary2
- Clinical Research Coordinator: $52,319 avg. salary3
- Clinical Research Manager: $83,712 avg. salary4
- Clinical Trial Assistant: $52,894 avg. salary5
Admission Requirements
To apply for the dual BSHS in Clinical Research Administration / MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research, you’ll need the following:
| Completed application and $80 application fee |
| 3.3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale for all previous college-level coursework |
| Résumé/CV |
| Statement of purpose |
| Two letters of recommendation from a previous instructor or employer |
| Official transcripts from every college and university attended. All non-U.S. transcripts (including those in English) must be evaluated by an accredited foreign credential agency. Please find the list of member organizations here: https://www.naces.org/ members. |
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Prerequisite Coursework: Applicants must have completed 45-60 credits of college-level coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education. These completed courses should contain the following General Education courses (students who are missing one or two of these courses may be admitted but must complete them at another college or university and transfer them in to GW before they will be able to graduate from GW).
If you have an associate degree from a participating D.C., Maryland, or Virginia community college, you may be eligible for guaranteed admission to this program. Review the list of participating institutions or complete this form to speak with an Online Admissions Advisor for more details. |
Tuition Details
The dual BSHS in Clinical Research Administration / MSHS in Clinical and Translational Research at GW consists of 87 credit hours. Nine credit hours of graduate coursework that are part of the program will be charged at the undergraduate tuition rate instead of the graduate tuition rate. Please find the cost per credit hour and total estimated program costs here.
Note: Tuition rates are subject to change and additional fees may vary by program.
Meet the Program Directors
GW’s experienced faculty provide you with the rich, practical knowledge and support needed for you to succeed in the program and in your career.
Kathleen Thoma, EdD, CCRP, CPH
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Dr. Thoma is the Program Director for the BSHS in Clinical Research Administration Program, the Dual Degree Clinical Research Administration Programs, and the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research Administration Program. She is also the Assistant Program Director for the MSHS in Leadership and Strategy in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research Administration Program, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership. She has over 20 years of experience in clinical research, health services research, and educational research
Before coming to the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, she was the director of research and a clinical research specialist at the University of Florida Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Service (UF CARES) where she managed many NIH and industry-sponsored clinical trials during her tenure. Her particular expertise involved working with NIH-sponsored trials through the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Network and the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) network.
She has also held positions as research project manager for the Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) Network at the American Academy of Pediatrics, director of educational research at Florida State College at Jacksonville, and research project coordinator at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Medicine/School of Public Health.
She earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership with a cognate in Public Health from the University of North Florida. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and holds the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential from the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
IHer research interests include patient engagement and centricity in clinical trials, increasing diversity and inclusion in clinical trials, health literacy, health disparities and the social determinants of health, health equity, and distance education in the health sciences.
Samar Nasser, PhD, MPH, PA-C
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Samar A. Nasser, PhD, MPH, PA-C has dedicated her career to improving patient care in disparate populations for the past two decades, and is specialized in Hypertension and Vascular Disease. Currently, Dr. Nasser is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership and Section Chief of Translational Research. She is also the Academic Program Director for the PhD in Translational Health Sciences, and Program Director of the Graduate Clinical and Translational Research program and Undergraduate Clinical Health Sciences program.
After earning her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nutrition, Dr. Nasser completed her Master’s of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. While working full-time as a PA, she advanced her knowledge in clinical research application by earning her Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. Thereafter, she pursued a doctorate in Physiology from the School of Medicine at Wayne State University as she has a passion to teach others and a deep appreciation for how the human body maintains homeostasis. She loves learning and applying her knowledge on human physiologic functions as they relate to preventative health measures, public health, and the translational research field.
Sources
- Payscale.com (2023). Average clinical data coordinator/manager salary. Retrieved October 10, 2023
- Payscale.com (2023). Average clinical research associate salary. Retrieved October 10, 2023
- Payscale.com (2023). Average clinical research coordinator salary. Retrieved October 10, 2023
- Payscale.com (2023). Average Clinical Research Manager Salary. Retrieved October 10, 2023
- Payscale.com (2023). Average Clinical Trial Assistant Salary. Retrieved October 10, 2023
*The total number of credits and program duration depend on the number of transferred credits.