Clinical Trials (MSc, Postgraduate Diploma, & Postgraduate Certificate)
Is this course for me?
"This [online] course is suitable for those who have general or specialist experience in clinical trials and aims to broaden their role in the design, management, analysis and reporting of clinical trials as well as for those wishing to gain an understanding of trials before moving into this increasingly important field."
Professor Diana Elbourne, Course Director.
Course summary
| You study | Study period | Cost (2012-2013) | |
| MSc | 11 modules | 2-5 years | £11,400 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 8 modules | 2-5 years | £9,010 |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 4 modules | 1-5 years | £6,610 |
| Individual modules | Studying individual modules is an ideal option if you wish to update your professional knowledge or sample the programme. The fee is £1,575 per module. | ||
Course aims
The course aims to develop:
- a theoretical and practical understanding of the issues involved in the design, conduct, analysis and interpretation of randomised controlled trials of health interventions.
- skills to scrutinize information, to critically analyse and carry out research, and to communicate effectively.
Prestige
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is the leading postgraduate medical institution in Europe in the subjects of public health and tropical medicine. Read about the Clinical Trials Unit at LSHTM [external link] being shortlisted for a prestigious BMJ Group Award for their role in Crash-2 clinical trial. This demonstrated the life-saving potential of a cheap drug and is up for BMJ Research Paper of the Year. Update, The Crash2 Research Paper won BMJ Research Paper of the Year 2011 [external link]
Excellent support
You are supported by an Online Learning Environment which includes 'try it yourself' questions with hints and feedback; animations; interactive diagrams and tables; vibrant graphics; and asynchronous discussion boards.
Summary of key dates
| Application deadline | 30 June | ||
| Registration deadline | 31 August | ||
| Course starts | October | ||
| Examinations take place | June | ||
MSc: 11 modules (4 compulsory core, 5 elective, one compulsory elective, plus integrating module)
Postgraduate Diploma: 8 (4 compulsory core plus four elective modules)
Postgraduate Certificate: 4 compulsory core modules
Plus elective modules (four for Postgraduate Diploma, 5 for MSc)
At least three modules must be taken from selection group CTM2. The remaining module(s) can be chosen from other CTM2 modules, or selection groups EPM3/PHM2
Four compulsory core modules
Plus one compulsory elective module (MSc only)
Plus compulsory integrating module (MSc only)
Elective modules from group CTM2
Elective modules from group EPM3
Elective modules from group IDM2
Elective modules from group IDM5
Elective modules from group PHM2
- Analytical models for decision making
- Economic analysis for management and policy
- Economic evaluation
- Environmental health policy
- Health care evaluation
- Financial management
- Globalisation and health
- Managing health services
- Medical anthropology in public health
- Organisational management
- Principles and practice of health promotion
Please note: If you are choosing to study elective modules from the Epidemiology course i.e. EPM3 modules, please note that the CD-ROMs provided for use with those modules are not compatible with Macs. •All CT modules successfully completed will be assigned 15 credits each; the integrating report will be assigned 30 credits. •For Postgraduate Diploma/MSc students, credit for one or two modules studied at LSHTM (blended learning study) may be allowed in place of one or two of the above elective modules, subject to module restrictions. An additional fee will be payable. •At the discretion of the Examiners, students who have been examined in and have passed three CTM1 modules (which must include CTM101) may be permitted to proceed to elective module studies. •Restrictions and prerequisites may apply to some of the modules.
How you study
You study independently, at a time and pace that suits you (subject to some course-specific deadlines), using the comprehensive study materials provided, with learning support from our academic staff.
We know that if you have a full-time job, family or other commitments, and wish to study at a distance, you will have many calls on your time. We therefore allow you between 1-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Certificate, and between 2-5 years in which to complete the Postgraduate Diploma or the MSc.
The study year runs from the beginning of October through to the June exams, during which time tutorial support is available. Students carrying out projects are assigned personal supervisors to support their project work throughout the summer.
Those writing the Clinical Trials integrating report will also continue to have tutorial support over the summer. Deadlines for submission of coursework vary per course but are usually in March, May, August and September.
The support you receive
- a web-based conferencing system allows you to pose questions and engage in academic discussions with tutors and fellow students
- teaching staff provide written, personalised feedback and advice on assignments
- you can communicate with other distance learning students, either individually or by setting up your own learning support groups.
Study materials
You receive your study materials after you register. Clinical Trials students receive details of how to use the online learning environment effectively. Study materials may include Subject guides, Readers, Textbooks, CD-ROMs/additional computer software (e.g. Stata), Past examination papers and Examiners’ reports, and Handbooks. You also have access to the school’s online library resources.
Fees
The fees given below refer to the 2011-2012 academic year and are subject to annual review. Fees may be paid in one of two ways:
Either
on registration, a single payment covering the registration fee and all module fees.
Or
pay the registration fee, plus the fee for each module you are taking in your first year. Then, in subsequent years, you pay the fee for each new module you take.
| 2012-2013 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | £ 1,050 | |
| Fee per core module | £ 1,390 | |
| Fee per elective module | £ 600 | |
| Fee for integrating module | £ 1,200 | |
| Fee per individual module | £ 1,655 | |
| Total Postgraduate Certificate | £ 6,610 | |
| Total Postgraduate Diploma | £ 9,010 | |
| Total MSc | £ 11,400 | |
|
ConvertGBP x 1 | ||
Note: the University reserves the right to amend previously announced fees, if necessary.
How you pay your fees
All fees must be paid in pounds sterling, which may be paid either by a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Electron or JCB) OR by banker's draft, cheque or UK postal order, made payable to 'The University of London' and crossed 'a/c payee'.
Other costs
Besides the fees payable to the University, you should also budget for the fee levied by your local examination centre to cover their costs (if you do not sit your exams in London).
Assessment
Assessment varies from module to module but will include a combination of unseen written papers and written assignments. Details are given in the module specifications.
Examinations take place once a year in June (please note: it is not possible to hold examinations
at other times of year). These are normally held in a student’s country of residence. We have examination centres in over 190 countries worldwide, for details please see our Assessment and examinations section.
They are arranged mainly through Ministries of Education or the British Council. Students taking examinations outside London will need to pay a fee to their local examination centre. Please note that if you fail an examination at the first entry you will be allowed one further attempt.
Academic Requirements
One of the following:
- A first or second class honours degree, or the equivalent, from a university or other institution acceptable to the University of London, in a subject appropriate to the course.
- An appropriate professional or technical qualification, together with at least three years’ relevant experience, which satisfies the University as a qualification equivalent to a second class honours degree. All applications in this category will be considered on an individual basis.
Other
Students who do not satisfy the above requirements may still be admitted at the discretion of the School on the basis of their academic qualifications, work experience and references.
Language Requirements
For awards at FHEQ level 7, students must provide satisfactory evidence showing that they have passed within the previous three years a test of proficiency in English at the following minimum level:
- IELTS with an overall grade of at least 6.5 with a minimum of 6 in each sub test; or
- TOEFL with a score of 600 of 250 on the computerised test plus a Test of Written English (TWE of at least 4.5); or
- a test of proficiency in English language from the prescribed list published by the University.
Where an applicant does not meet the prescribed English language proficiency requirements but believes that they can demonstrate the requisite proficiency for admission the University may, at its discretion, consider the application.
Note: Some programmes will require greater proficiency in English language; these requirements will be reflected in the relevant programme regulations.
Computer Requirements
Online access and general computer requirements
As one of our students you need to have regular access to a computer and the internet; this may be for accessing the Student Portal, downloading course materials from the Virtual Learning Environment, and accessing resources from the Online Library. You will also need to have access to appropriate software, for example, a PDF reader and suitable hardware capacity on your computer, e.g. for document storage. Additional requirements include that you have JavaScript and cookies enabled to access particular online systems, for example, the Student Portal.
Supported Browsers include:
Internet Explorer 7+
Firefox 5+
Chrome 13+
Screen resolution (recommended)
1024 x 768 or greater
Certain programmes may have their own specific requirements, please refer to the relevant Regulations.
Academic leaders
Professor Diana Elbourne
Diana Elbourne, Professor of Healthcare Evaluation in the Medical Statistics Department at LSHTM graduated in Social Administration from LSE before gaining an MSc (Stats) at Brunel University, where she also worked as a statistics lecturer. Her PhD at LSE was based on a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of women having access to their medical records.
From 1981-1996 Diana was at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit in Oxford, holding the roles of social statistician, trials statistician, and later Director of the Perinatal Trials Service. During this period she was involved in a large number of RCTs and systematic reviews. She continued this applied research after moving to LSHTM in 1997, broadening from the perinatal field to include trials in liver transplantation, intensive care, children with diabetes, and nutritional interventions for older people.
Her methodological research includes cluster RCTs, data monitoring committees, reporting of trials, and qualitative research on the views of people participating in trials. Between 2000-2005 Diana also worked part time as Professor of Evidence Informed Policy and Practice at the Institute of Education. Her main teaching interests are in clinical trials including the annual short course in clinical trials at LSHTM.
Jaran Eriksen
Jaran graduated as an MD from Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden) in 2001 and went on to study for a PhD in clinical pharmacology at the same university. He successfully defended his PhD thesis, "Managing Childhood Malaria in rural Tanzania - focusing on drug use and resistance", in 2006. The PhD was a collaborative project between the division of Clinical Pharmacology and the division of Global Health (IHCAR). Jaran’s research area spans from molecular markers (mutation in dhfr/dhps genes of malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum)), case management of patients and clinical trials, to policy adoption at society level. He spent two years doing research in Morogoro and Pwani regions in Tanzania and later worked in several research projects involving clinical trials of interventions in the fields of malaria, HIV/AIDS and maternal health in Tanzania, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Uganda. From 2008 to 2010 Jaran worked as an EPIET fellow (European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training) based at the Health Protection Agency’s Centre for Infections in London. He joined the clinical trials MSc team as a course director and tutor on the trials design module in January 2011. He also works part time as a research fellow at LSHTM.
Julia Langham
Julia Langham is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. Julia has been a Co-Course Director and tutor on the Clinical Trials Masters since 2009. Previous to this Julia was a tutor for the MSc Public Health and seminar leader for Basic Epidemiology on both in-house and DL courses between 2000-2008. Before joining the LSHTM, Julia coordinated a randomised controlled trial of complex interventions for the secondary prevention of heart disease in General Practice surgeries. She joined the LSHTM in 2000 to coordinate the National Study of Subarachnoid Haemorrhage on which her PhD thesis is based (2011) and then went on to coordinate The Verteporfin Photodynamic Therapy Cohort Study. Julia obtained the Masters in Epidemiology in from the LSHTM in 1998.
Apply online
- MSc Clinical Trials
- PG Diploma Clinical Trials
- PG Certificate Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trials (Short Courses)
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Alumni Inspiration: MSc Clinical Trials (UK)
Jane Walker is a doctor involved in developing new ways to improve the quality of life of people with chronic medical problems.
Academic Inspiration: Clinical Trials - Crash2
Ian Roberts, Professor of Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine provides an overview of the Crash2 randomised controlled trial. For more info visit: www.crash2.lshtm.ac.uk