Postgraduate - Course2311 - Master of Clinical Research Methods

Students who commenced study in 2012 should refer to this course entry for direction on the requirements; to check which units are currently available for enrolment, refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course.

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This course entry should be read in conjunction with information provided in the 'Faculty information' section of this Handbook by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Managing faculty	Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Abbreviated title	MClinResMeth
CRICOS code	072000D
Total credit points required	72
Standard duration of study (years)	1.5 years FT, 3 years PT
Study mode and location	On-campus (Alfred Hospital) Off-campus (Alfred Hospital)
Admission, fee and application details	http://www.monash.edu/study/coursefinder/course/2311
Contact details	Postgraduate office: telephone +61 3 9903 0563; email pgradenq@monash.edu or visit http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/prad/
Course coordinator	Dr Allen Cheng

Notes

Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the handbook are not available for study in the current year.
+ International students - this course is only available in on-campus mode + Off-campus students must attend a number of units on-site in day block mode.

Description

This course, offered by the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, assists health professionals make rational evidence-based decisions in clinical practice and undertake small clinical research projects.

Clinical epidemiology draws on epidemiological methods to answer clinical questions relevant to the daily practice of health care and to improve patient care. It focuses on individuals or groups of patients in clinical settings.

Outcomes

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

demonstrate a detailed understanding of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics
become familiar with clinical research methodology, including randomised controlled trials
demonstrate an ability to critically appraise the quantitative epidemiological literature
appreciate the contribution of systematic reviews to evidence-based practice
demonstrate an ability to apply the principles of clinical epidemiology to clinical practice
display a working knowledge of other applications of epidemiology
develop a research protocol and undertake an epidemiological research project with a clinical focus.

Assessment

Assessment includes written assignments, examinations, class participation, web-based tasks, and optional supervised research project.

Structure

This course comprises nine core units, plus either three electives or one elective and a minor research project.

Requirements

Core units

MPH1040 Introductory epidemiology
MPH1041 Introductory biostatistics
MPH2000 Regression methods for epidemiology
MPH2002 Clinical epidemiology
MPH2013 Research methods
MPH2036 Clinical trials
MPH2037 Clinical measurement
MPH2039 Meta analysis and systematics reviews
MPH2083 Ethics, good research practice and practical research skills

Elective options

Students complete one of the following

minor research project (8,000 - 10,000 words)
two electives from the list below

Elective units

MPH2018 Infectious diseases: Epidemiology and prevention
MPH2056 Injury epidemiology and prevention
MPH2060 Health policy and prevention in a global world
MPH2070 Advanced statistical methods for clinical research
MPH2077 Data management and computing

Progression to further studies

Students who complete this course and achieve a distinction (70 per cent) average may qualify for admission into higher degrees by research (HDR) including course 3438 Master of Philosophy and 0047 Doctor of Philosophy, among others.

Alternative exit(s)

Students may exit this course with a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research Methods or Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research Methods providing all requirements of that award have been met.

Award(s)

Master of Clinical Epidemiology