Master of Clinical and Translational Science (MCTS)
Curriculum (36 semester hours)
Note: The MCTS curriculum consists of the CCTS curriculum plus an additional required course in systematic review of the clinical research literature, 2 additional hours of clinical and translational science seminars, 5 additional hours of mentored research, and 6 hours of elective courses. Any of the following courses may be elected by MCTS trainees with Advisory Committee approval to satisfy the 6-hour electives requirement.
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Approved Electives
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Sample Course Sequence for the Masters of Clinical and Translational Science
YEAR ONE
Summer Semester (6 hrs)
- STAT 7040 - Biomedical Statistics (3 hrs)
- STAT 8130 - Introduction to Epidemiology (3 hrs)
Fall Semester (8 hrs)
- STAT 8240 - Introduction to Clinical Trials (3 hrs)
- STAT 8390 - Seminar in Clinical and Translational Science (1 hr)
- STAT 8400 - Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science
(1 hr)
- SGSS 8011 - Responsible Conduct of Research (1 hr)
- SGSS 8012 - Scientific Communications (1 hr)
- SGSS 8130 - Scientific Grant Writing (1 hr)
Spring Semester (6 hrs)
- STAT 8260 - Design and Analysis of Observational Studies (3 hrs)
- STAT 8390 - Seminar in Clinical and Translational Science (1 hr)
- STAT 8400 - Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science
(2 hrs)
YEAR TWO
Summer Semester (4 hrs)
- STAT 8360 - Systematic Reviews (3 hrs)
- STAT 8400 - Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science
(1 hr)
Fall Semester (6 hrs)
- STAT 8390 - Seminar in Clinical and Translational Science (1 hr)
- STAT 8400 - Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science
(2 hrs)
- Elective *
Spring Semester (6 hrs)
- STAT 8390 - Seminar in Clinical and Translational Science (1 hr)
- STAT 8400 - Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science
(2 hrs)
- Elective *
* MCTS trainees must take a total of at least 6 hours of approved electives in the program. Elective courses can be taken in any combination during the summer, fall and spring semesters, as long as the total credit hour requirement of 6 hours is satisfied. It is recommended that MCTS trainees take their electives in the 2nd year of the program and that they take no more than 8 credit hours in any semester.
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Course Descriptions for MCTS Program
Required Courses
STAT 7040 Biomedical Statistics (3 Credit Hours)
This course offers an introduction to the majority of statistical techniques used to analyze and interpret data in the biomedical sciences and related fields. Emphasis is on applications of these methods, with the following topics covered: graphical methods, probability, discrete and continuous distributions, inferential statistics (estimation and hypothesis testing for the one and two-sample case) for numeric and categorical data, non-parametric methods, one-way ANOVA, simple linear regression, correlation, factorial ANOVA (fixed and random effects), multiple linear regression and correlation, ANCOVA, logistic regression, longitudinal data analysis, and survival analysis.
STAT 8130 Introduction to Epidemiology (3 Credit Hours)
This course serves as an introduction to epidemiology. Topics include basic concepts, types of studies, description and analysis of epidemiologic data, and epidemiology in disease control.
STAT 8240 Introduction to Clinical Trials (3 Credit Hours)
This introductory course will address basic statistical techniques used in clinical trials. Material presented will include the principles underlying the planning, management and implementation of clinical trials, the application of basic statistical methods used in the analysis of data from clinical trials, and the interpretation of results.
STAT 8260 Design and Analysis of Observational Studies (3 Credit Hours)
Advantages and disadvantages of prospective and retrospective study designs; design and analysis issues in both cohort and case-control studies, including proper selection of study subjects, data quality, sources and types of bias, controlling for confounding, maximizing participation and minimizing loss to follow-up in prospective studies, power and sample size; statistical methods including chi-square, log-linear models, logistic regression, Cox regression; use of statistical packages such as SAS and StatXact for analysis. Review and discussion of current representative studies.
STAT 8360 Systematic Reviews (3 Credit Hours)
This course covers systematic reviews of the literature for controlled clinical trails and observational studies. Statistical methods and computer software are reviewed and how to use systematic reviews in practice is detailed. Topics to be covered are Introduction to systematic reviews and meta analysis, systematic reviews of controlled clinical trails, investigating variability between studies, systematic reviews of observational studies, statistical methods and computer software, using systematic reviews in practice, the Cochrane collaboration, an other evidence-based medicine topics.
STAT 8390 Seminar in Clinical and Translational Science (1 Credit Hour)
This course consists of clinical and translational research seminars by MCG faculty members and visiting researchers. Students will have an opportunity to talk to each speaker informally and to serve as hosts to visiting scientists.
STAT 8400 Mentored Research in Clinical and Translational Science (1 - 12 Credit Hours)
The student works closely with his/her faculty mentors and Advisory Committee on an in-depth study of a research question of interest to both student and mentors. The course may be repeated as necessary until the student completes the research.
SGSS 8011 Responsible Conduct of Research (1 Credit Hour)
This course will provide an overview, via lecture and discussion, of critical issues related to the responsible conduct of research. In addition, it will fulfill the requirements established by the Office of Research Integrity and the Public Health Service for ensuring that PHS-supported researchers are provided adequate instruction in conducting responsible research and ensuring integrity of the research record.
SGSS 8012 Scientific Communication (1 Credit Hour)
This course focuses on writing and presentation skills needed for a career in biomedical sciences. It provides basic instruction in writing abstracts, curriculum vitae, and grant applications as well as how to organize and give oral scientific presentations. Also covered are basic aspects related to teaching skills needed in the biomedical classroom and laboratory.
SGSS 8130 Scientific Grant Writing (1 Credit Hour)
Practical course on grant writing. Specific steps in writing a grant Application, from the hypothesis and Specific steps in writing a grant Application, from the hypothesis and Specific Aims through the final product, are presented and discussed as the student writes an application that will be submitted to a granting agency.
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Elective Courses
GNMD 8050 Computational Methods in Genomics and Genetics (4 Credit Hours)
This course covers computational methods applied to genomics and genetics. The course will cover Bayesian statistics, nonparametric inference, phylogenetic trees, sequence analysis, microarray analysis, networks, multivariate methods, linkage analysis, and association genetics. The focus of the course will be to understand the basic concepts underlying the various analyses used in modern genomic and genetic research, and to understand how to use software that is available for basic analyses. A large component of the course will be to provide students with hands-on experience with analysis of datasets.
GNMD 8051 Translational Genomics and Proteomics (3 Credit Hours)
The purpose of this course is to ‘translate’ basic scientific discoveries directly into useful clinical tools and information for physicians, genetic counselors, clinical researchers and ultimately, patients. The course will cover high throughput SNP discovery and genotyping, biomarker discovery for disease prediction and prognosis, tissue microarray, RNA1 microarray and drug discovery (pharmacogenomics).
GNMD 8052 Functional Genomics and Proteomics using Animal Models (3 Credit Hours)
The purpose of this course is to show how animal models of human diseases can be analyzed using genomic and proteomic technologies. The course will overview high throughput methods of generating disease models in mouse and describe ongoing efforts in this field. The focus of the course will be on mouse models of diseases affecting immune, cardiovascular and nervous system. Attempts to identify molecular mechanisms of the disease will be presented with particular emphasis on drug target discovery.
IMPH 8001 Public Health Informatics (3 Credit Hours)
An overview of the field of public health informatics, integrating themes from information sciences, public health, computer science and medical science. Topics include: utilization of health information services, organization and management of online collections, automation of information technology, and public health professional knowledge as a component of evidence-based practice.
IMPH 8100 Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards (3 Credit Hours)
Healthcare information standards are addressed with emphasis on current healthcare regulations and standards. The effective use of networks to share health care data is explored; emphasis is placed on developing the expertise to apply standards effectively in a health care facility to achieve full integration of organizational health information systems.
IMPH 8400 Health Data Management and Knowledge Discovery (3 Credit Hours)
This course focuses on the acquisition and use of patient level data to support population, administrative and clinical decision-making in health care organizations. Course emphasis is in data mining and knowledge discovery techniques including the advanced treatment of statistical analysis and methods of communicating the outcomes of health interventions.
IMPH 8600 Fundamentals of Health Promotion (3 Credit Hours)
An overview of theories and principles of social and behavior determinants of health, the social-ecological approach to public health, an overview of health promotion and disease prevention models of success, and the challenges of Healthy People 2010 objectives and health promotion informatics.
IMPH 8700 Introduction to Environmental Health (3 Credit Hours)
Major environmental health problems, including water quality, wastewater, and occupational health, trace elements in the environment, municipal, hazardous, and medical waste, food protection, vector control, and air quality are discussed. Introduction to the concept of environmental health informatics.
IMPH 8800 Health Decision Support Systems (3 Credit Hours)
This course presents an overview of automated decision systems used in clinical care, health administration and public health. The intensive format of the course allows for topic discussion, on-site observation of clinical, managerial, and population-based decision support systems.
NURS 8650 Qualitative Design and Analysis (3 Credit Hours)
This course will focus on a critical analysis of the epistemological basis of the qualitative paradigms. Emphasis includes research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
NURS 8860 Critical Analysis of Health Behavior Theories for Research (3 Credit Hrs)
This course will focus on critically analyzing behavioral theories for their application in conducting research. The analysis will include examining the historical development, underlaying assumptions, concepts, and relational statements as they have been applied in research in a variety of scientific domains. Health behavior theories will be examined to determine their internal consistency and external application to a variety of health and health care areas. Specific areas of research that were based on the theoretical perspectives will be examined and critiqued.
NURS 8870 Theory and Research in Health Disparities (3 Credit Hours)
Disparities in health and quality of life between those who do and those who do not have access to resources have become more pronounced in their effect over time. These long-term effects pose challenge to health scientists to conduct research on health disparities in their local, national, and global communities. Such community-driven research requires researchers to understand the history, attribution of cause, and theoretical approaches to the study of health disparities. Such research also requires modification of philosophical and methodological approaches used in more traditional research. In this course, the student will learn philosophical, conceptual and methodological approaches to health disparities and will design a research proposal that has the potential for describing and/or intervening in an aspect of a health problem in a selected vulnerable population.
NURS 8880 Clinical Outcomes Research (3 Credit Hours)
This doctoral course provides an opportunity for concentrated study of clinical outcomes research in nursing and related disciplines with an emphasis on clinical trial design in the testing of theory-driven interventions. The use of conceptual models in models in intervention research to guide the formulation of interventions and selection of appropriate clinical outcomes is addressed. Major topics in the course include the selection and evaluation of various clinical outcome measures, and analysis of outcome data. Feasibility issues related to the conduct of clinical research in formal clinical settings and informal community settings will be analyzed. Alternatives to traditional clinical trial design for clinical research will also be considered.
SGSS 8092 Fundamentals of Genomic Medicine (4 Credit Hours)
Course will provide a theoretical framework for understanding the fundamental concepts of mammalian genetics, functional genomics and bioinformatics as well as advanced technical and biological tools used in today's biomedical research environment. The course will provide lectures on a wide range of classical and modern topics such as classical genetics, linkage analysis, genetic mapping, positional cloning, genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics. The focus of the course will be to understand the experimental identification of genes responsible for disease and modern applications of genomics and proteomics to understanding biological processes as well as their impact on modern medicine.
STAT 8270 Categorical Data Analysis (3 Credit Hours)
This course focuses on statistical methods for analyzing categorical data; topics include inference for a single proportion; inference for two-way contingency tables; models for categorical response variables, including logistic and loglinear models; analysis of matched-pairs data; power and sample size considerations. Emphasis will be placed on methods and models most useful in health-related research.
STAT 8350 Epidemic Modeling (3 Credit Hours)
This course serves as an introduction to types of epidemiological studies and covers modeling of various types of epidemics.
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