Researcher wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope reviews results on a tablet with a colleague.

Clinical Trials MSc

Unlock your potential in the expanding field of clinical trials with UCL’s online MSc, designed to equip you with essential skills and industry knowledge for a successful career in healthcare research.

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Time investment: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Location: Online

Cost: £18,400

Language: English

About this degree

Kickstart your career in clinical trials with UCL

Clinical trials are crucial for discovering new healthcare interventions and improving patient outcomes. It’s an expanding and highly competitive field of research yet employers find it challenging to recruit people with the appropriate skills and knowledge. This online MSc in Clinical Trials from UCL will equip you with the critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills sought after in the industry.

Designed in consultation with leading employers from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and the NHS, this online MSc will provide a firm grounding if you’re new to the industry or will help enhance your expertise if you’re already in the field. With numerous exciting career opportunities and the potential for further doctoral study, this programme is your gateway to success in clinical trials.

Develop your knowledge of clinical trial design

You’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of the scientific, methodological, and practical aspects of clinical trial design. From trial setup to final reporting, you’ll explore opportunities in clinical trials, data management, regulation, and medical writing.

Through this exploration, you’ll learn about various trial types, from early to late phase, and from simple to complex interventions.

Discover the key attributes of successful clinical trialists

You’ll enhance your professional skills and boost your employability by understanding the key attributes of successful clinical trialists.

What’s more, you’ll benefit from the expertise of experienced clinical trialists and researchers, learning from real-world examples and the latest developments in the field. Equipped with this knowledge, you can become a vital team member in designing, conducting, analysing, and reporting high-quality clinical trials.

Gain transferable skills for your healthcare career

Developing expertise in trial leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, adaptability, and innovation, you’ll be prepared for diverse roles in the field. You’ll also take part in both individual and group activities to help enhance your communication skills.

Career options include academic trial units, the pharmaceutical industry, contract research organisations, hospitals, and government organisations.

Where you’ll be studying

Studying at UCL

UCL was founded in 1826. It was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, and the first to open up university education to those previously excluded from it.

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Learning outcomes

An understanding of the scientific, methodological, and practical issues involved in the design, conduct, analysis, and reporting of clinical trials.

The knowledge of different types of trials, from early to late phase trials, and from simple to complex interventions.

Communication skills you can transfer to any workplace.

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Additional information

This MSc is designed for graduates from healthcare, life sciences, or other related disciplines, as well as health professionals who are interested in a career in clinical trials. It will also be beneficial if you are already working in the field and wish to develop your knowledge and skills.

To be eligible for this MSc, you’ll normally need:

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree in a healthcare or life science-related subject (including pharmacy) or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Clinicians are required to have a degree (for example, an MBBS).

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2 To find out more about English-level requirements and to take a pre-master’s English course, head to UCL’s website.

This MSc is designed with flexibility in mind and to fit around your current commitments. You can study full-time in just a year, part-time in two years, or choose a more flexible five-year option.

The assessments on this MSc will help you develop key skills for your career or further study in the field. Assessments are based on real-world examples and activities you would perform or need to be aware of if you work in clinical trials.

You'll be assessed by a variety of methods:

Timed online exams
Oral presentations
Written assignments (for example, essays, abstracts, background section of a protocol, critical analysis of published work, practical problem solving, communicating appropriately with different audiences).

By the end, you’ll be able to critically challenge current research and have enhanced your academic writing and oral presentation skills.

An MSc in Clinical Trials equips you with specialist knowledge and skills that are essential for managing and conducting clinical research, which is critical for the development of new medical treatments and therapies.
The skills you’ll gain on this MSc will create exciting opportunities to work both in clinical trials and data management, as well as regulation of clinical trials and medical writing.

Here are some specific job titles along with their average salaries in the UK: