Certificate Program

Note:

As of the Fall 2021 semester, Brown stopped admitting new students to the CTR certificate program. The program will remain open until all enrolled students complete it.

The Certificate in Clinical and Translational Research (CTR) is designed primarily for physicians, doctorally-trained basic scientists, and students in doctoral programs or medical school. The Certificate Program is designed for trainees who need a more structured and intensive experience than can be obtained from taking one or two courses as a special student but do not need or are not in a position to pursue the full master’s degree.

Students in the Certificate Program in Clinical and Translational Research must complete four courses. This includes one course in research methods (PHP2120 or PHP2150 or PHP2300), a year-long, two-course sequence in Biostatistics/applied data analysis (PHP2507/PHP2508) and one approved elective. Students who have completed the equivalent of the required courses may request permission to substitute a more advanced course. Permission is required from the Director of the Certificate Program. The certificate requirements must be completed within a five-year period. Students must achieve a B average to receive the Certificate.

CTR Certificate Core Requirements

Students in the Clinical and Translational Research Certificate are required to complete the following core course requirements:

Research Methods

Students must successfully complete one of the following three courses:

  • Introduction to Methods in Epidemiologic Research (PHP2120) OR
  • Foundations in Epidemiologic Research Methods (PHP 2150) OR
  • Research Methods in Behavioral Science (PHP 2300) 

Biostatistics and Applied Data Analysis

Students must successfully complete both of the following two courses*:

  • Biostatistics and Data Analysis I (PHP 2507)
  • Biostatistics and Data Analysis II (PHP 2508)
     Prerequisites: understanding of basic math concepts and terms.  PHP2507 is offered in the fall and PHP2508 is offered in the spring.  The courses must be completed in the same academic year.

*There is another biostatistics course sequence offered by the Department of Biostatistics at Brown (PHP2510 and PHP2511).  If students are interested in that sequence they should discuss this well in advance with the CTR Academic Oversight Committee, as their permission is required prior to beginning the course.

Students must complete one additional course from the list of approved elective courses for the Certificate Program in Clinical and Translational Research. The list of currently approved courses is provided below. The Clinical and Translational Research Academic Oversight Committee will review the approved elective list on an annual basis and make changes as indicated. Students wishing to take an elective not on the approved list must receive permission from the Program Director prior to taking the course.

  • PHP1854, The Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases (Spring)​
  • PHP1920, Social Determinants of Health Epidemiology of Chronic Disease (Spring)​
  • PHP1964, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention​ (Fall)
  • PHP2019, Measurement Issues in Health Care (Spring)​
  • PHP2030, Clinical Trials Methodology (Fall)​
  • PHP2040, Survey Research Methods (Spring)​
  • PHP2060, Qualitative Methods in Health Research (Spring)​
  • PHP2090, Research Grant Writing for Public Health (Fall)​
  • PHP2180, Interpretation and Application of Epidemiology (Spring)
  • PHP2200, Intermediate Methods in Epidemiologic Research (Spring)​ ​
  • PHP2220B, Nutritional Epidemiology​ (Spring)
  • PHP2220F, Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology ​(Spring)
  • PHP2220H, The Epidemiology, Treatment and Prevention of HIV​ (Fall)
  • PHP2340, Behavioral and Social Science Theory for Health Promotion (Fall)​
  • PHP2410E, Medicare: A Data Based Policy Examination (Fall)​
  • PHP2415, Introduction to Evidenced Based Medicine (Spring)​
  • PHP2440, Introduction to Pharmacoepidemiology  (Spring)​
  • PHP2450, Measuring and Improving the Quality of Health Care (Fall)