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Dual Degree: BSHS/MSHS in Clinical Research Administration

Take a giant leap into your health care career.

Accelerate your career with the George Washington University’s (GW) Dual Degree: BSHS/MSHS in Clinical Research Administration program. Combine the work of earning your BSHS and MSHS and save time on your path to a career in health care.

With the skills you’ll gain in this online clinical research administration program, you’ll be ready to participate in clinical trial conduct that protects patients through addressing ethical and legal considerations in product development and contribute to innovative medical research.

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Quick Facts

87

total credits

100% online

3 years

average duration

Accreditation and Rankings

  • Fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
  • #66 Best National University*
  • #19 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs*

* U.S. News & World Report‘s 2021 Best Colleges Rankings

Program Highlights

  • 100% online, no campus visits are required
  • Both degrees are conferred sequentially
  • Transfer up to 60 total credits from a regionally accredited institution into the undergraduate portion of the program
  • Nine credits of the MSHS in Clinical Research Administration are completed in the undergraduate portion of the program and charged at the undergraduate per credit cost

Curriculum

This multi-level online dual-degree program offers academically qualified individuals a seamless and accelerated pathway for completing both the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) in Clinical Research Administration and the Master of Science in Health Sciences (MSHS) in Clinical Research Administration . Undergraduate and graduate degrees will be conferred sequentially, with the BSHS awarded upon completion of 120 credits (of which 60 credits must be taken at GW; nine of those credits will be graduate level courses that will be taken during the BSHS portion at the undergraduate tuition rate). The MSHS is awarded following completion of an additional 27 credits (9 courses) of graduate coursework.

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Program Outcomes

In the BSHS/MSHS in Clinical Research Administration program, you will learn how to:

  • Apply research design principles to meet clinical research and business requirements
  • Lead or be a productive member of interdisciplinary teams to ensure research success and patient safety
  • Design procedures to address ethical and cultural considerations for effective and compliant clinical trial conduct
  • Understand clinical, regulatory, and business dimensions of planning a successful clinical trial

Who Is the Ideal Student for This Program?

This program is designed for anyone interested in joining the thriving clinical trials industry or a seasoned professional who wants to move up the career ladder. If you’re interested in helping advance the development, investigation and approval of new medications, products, and therapeutic treatments, this program could be for you. To succeed, you should be self-disciplined, self-directed, and ready to collaborate with faculty and diverse, fellow learners in online formats.

Career Outlook

With the skills gained in our dual-degree program in clinical research administration, you will be ready to enter a variety of jobs throughout the clinical research industry:

  • Clinical Research Manager, $78,205 median salary1
  • Clinical Operations Manager, $83,155 median salary2 
  • Clinical Trial Manager, $99,251 median salary3

Admission Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

  • Completed application
  • 3.3 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal statement of 250-500 words that includes reasons for pursuing this degree, any qualifications, accomplishments or honors, and career goals
  • Two letters of recommendation from a previous instructor or employer

If you have an associate degree from a participating D.C., Maryland, 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.

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Tuition Details

The dual degree: BSHS/MSHS in Clinical Research Administration program at GW consists of 87 credit hours. 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. Please call at (844) 386-7323 for more information.

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Meet the Program Director

Kathleen Thoma, EdD, CCRP, CPH

Assistant Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership

Dr. Thoma is a full-time faculty member 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. In addition to clinical research, her interests include HIV/AIDS, health literacy, health disparities, the psycho-social determinants of health and health behavior, and patient-centered outcomes research.

Frequently Asked Questions

As you explore an online program at the George Washington University, our dedicated staff is here to support you. If you have a question we don’t cover here, request more information or call 844-386-7323.

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Sources:

  1. Payscale.com. (2020). Clinical research manager. Retrieved October 6, 2020 from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Clinical_Research_Manager/Salary  
  2. Payscale.com. (2020). Clinical operations manager. Retrieved October 6, 2020 from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Clinical_Operations_Manager/Salary  
  3. Payscale.com. (2020). Clinical trial manager. Retrieved October 6, 2020 from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Clinical_Trial_Manager/Salary