• Humans can be both the subject and the recipient of the benefits of clinical research.human image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com
  
  Clinical research is a diverse field. The National Institute of Health defines it as research affecting humans, individually or in groups. It can also be derived from using things such as human behavior or even tissues for research purposes. Online colleges and universities now offer various online programs and courses in clinical research or fields related to the discipline.
  
  

Drexel University

• Drexel University offers three separate online programs in clinical research. Two of these lead to a Master of Science degree, one in clinical research organization and management and the other in clinical research for health professionals. Drexel also offers a certificate of study in clinical research. The clinical research management program requires 36 credit hours. Courses are divided up among five broad categories: clinical research management and safety surveillance, new product research, business and strategic planning of new products, data management and biostatistics and regulatory compliance and the law. The clinical research program requires students to engage in ongoing research outside of coursework each semester. Courses that are required by the program include areas such as fundamentals of compliance and intro to clinical trials and pharmaceutical law. The certificate program requires the completion of five programs in areas of study derived from both of these programs.
  
  Drexel University
  3141 Chestnut St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19104
  800-237-3935
  drexel.edu
  
  

Arizona State University

• The College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University offers a Master of Science degree in clinical research management (CRM). This program, offered entirely online, is a 33-credit hour program that only requires students to be on campus for a three- to four-day span at the beginning of their studies. Although the program is designed mainly for healthcare professionals, it is designed in such a way that students who meet prerequisites can be admitted to the program. Courses of study in CRM include areas such as the financial aspects of clinical research, management of clinical drug trials, regulatory and ethical issues in CRM and medical and biological device trials.
  
  ASU Online
  Arizona State University
  1475 N. Scottsdale Road
  Scottsdale, AZ 85287
  877-395-2961
  asuonline.asu.edu
  
  

Walden University

• Walden University also offers a master of science in the field of clinical research administration. The program requires 36 credit hours for completion. Of these, 30 credit hours consist of core courses while the remaining six are received through a practicum and a capstone course. Areas of study within the program include courses in biostatistics, the pathophysiological basis of clinical research, information and data management, epidemiology, product development in the industries of pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology industries, design and conduct of the clinical protocol and health economics and financial management.
  
  Walden University
  155 Fifth Avenue South
  Minneapolis, MN 55401
  866-492-5336
  waldenu.edu