Master of Science in Clinical Research (MS)

School of Pharmacy

Location: Boston, Online
Start Term: Fall, Spring

Gain the broad range of skills and connections you need to help bring breakthroughs in academic and industry laboratories to the world.

Equip Yourself to Guide Pioneering Research Toward Real-World Applications

In this flexible program, you can choose to study part-time or full-time at our Boston campus or online. In as little as two years, you’ll build a complete toolkit for developing, conducting, and monitoring clinical trials on either a patient-based clinical research track or an industry-related track. Your face-to-face coursework will feature executives with experience in drugs, devices, biologics, healthcare, and policy, and you’ll graduate into a substantial network of industry alumni you can call on as you build your career. The program starts in the fall and the spring.

Your 30-Credit Journey

Our research-and-development focused curriculum prepares you to help carry scientific breakthroughs through the arduous process of product development, clinical trials, and regulatory management. Clinical research topics range from bioethics, regulations, product development, and biostatistics to research methodologies, protocol design, proposal development, clinical trial management, and regulatory affairs. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop specialized knowledge from dozens of elective courses.

Breakthroughs that Improve Outcomes

As a clinical research coordinator, you’ll oversee the complex process of translating fundamental research breakthroughs into real-world solutions.

Pharmaceutics students contribute to award-winning research 

Terrick Andey collaborated with Pharmaceutics master’s and PhD students to develop a novel nanoparticle delivery platform. Read Andey’s story.

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$94k average salary

Clinical research scientist compensation reported by Salary.com in 2022.

MCPHS: A healthcare think tank

Learning health sciences at a university dedicated to the advancement of healthcare means that you are surrounded by peers who share your commitment to making a healthier world. Watch students talk about their MCPHS experience. 

Watch Video

A Global Hub for Clinical Research

Hear why the Boston campus of MCPHS is one of the best places in the world to study clinical research.
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Students Publish with Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor

Professor Swati Betharia, PhD in Pharmacology ’11, led a research team of undergraduate and graduate students to a key finding on neuroprotection against metal toxicity.

Graduate Degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences 

As well as the MS in Clinical Research, we offer five additional opportunities for graduate study at the master’s, doctoral, and certificate levels.

Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry

Two-year, full-time program on the Boston campus.

Master of Science in Pharmaceutics

Two-year, full-time program on the Boston and Worcester campuses.

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research

Flexible three-course program on the Boston campus and online.

Doctor of Philosophy in Medicinal Chemistry

Three-year, full-time program on the Boston campus.

Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutics

50-credit, full-time program on the Boston and Worcester campuses.