Updated On - January 11th, 2019

Pranjal Singhal

Content Curator

Master of Science in Clinical Research Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary 

M.Sc. in Clinical Research is a 2-year postgraduate course in medicine. Clinical Research is the investigation aimed at determining the safety and efficacy of new medical products including drugs, vaccines, devices, diagnostic agents, and treatment regimens intended for maintaining and regaining human health. These may be used for prevention, treatment, diagnosis, or for relieving symptoms of a disease. Clinical Research essentially involves:

• Any investigation carried out on healthy and diseased human volunteers to generate information.
• Such data which can be used in the treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and curtailment   of diseases and their symptoms.
• Clinical health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, dentists or pharmacists, who research, develop, and test new applications in medical science.
• Development of new applications including new vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical procedures as tested in clinical trials.

The minimum eligibility needed for applying to the course is the successful completion of graduation from a recognized university in any of:

• Life Sciences (Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Botany or Zoology)
• Doctors (M.B.B.S./ B.D.S./ B.A.M.S./ B.H.M.S./ B.U.M.S./ B.V.Sc./ B.S.S.M.)
• Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Pharmacists (B.Pharm., M.Pharm.)
• Nursing

Such postgraduates are hired in capacities such as:

• Programmer- Clinical Research
• Clinical Research Associate
• Project Manager- Clinical Research
• Clinical Research Physician
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Analyst
• Biostatistician
• Project Manager- Clinical Research, etc.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 5000 and 2 Lacs for a span of 2 years. The average annual salary offered to successful postgraduates of the course varies between INR 20,000 and 45,00, increasing with experience and expertise in the field.

M.Sc. in Clinical Research: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

M.Sc. in Clinical Research: What is it About?

Clinical Research involves diverse researches and experiments conducted in clinics, particularly with living organisms. Major components of the course include:

• organic activities performed in the clinic.
• study of drugs and medicine management.
• manufacture of medicine and drugs
• determination of the appropriate quantity of drugs for the body, and their impact on it.
• study of related disciplines such as Epidemiology, Transplantation, and such.
• An advanced study of the sub-specialties of research design, data management, epidemiology, and biostatistics.

Candidates enrolled to the course have the option of choosing one specific area of research, from among:

• Translational research
• Genetics
• Epidemiology
• Patient-specific research.

Clinical research deals with researching medical equipment and medicines based on the parameters of safety and performance. It is an important industry, cardinal to the development of the healthcare domain.

Top Institutes offering M.Sc. in Clinical Research

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course.

Eligibility for M.Sc. in Clinical Research

Candidates wishing to apply for the course need to fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Graduation completed from a recognized university.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the level of graduation.
• Graduation needs to have been completed in any of:
• Life Sciences (Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Botany, or Zoology)
• M.B.B.S./ B.D.S./ B.A.M.S./ B.H.M.S./ B.U.M.S./ B.V.Sc./ B.S.S.M.
• Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Pharmacists (B.Pharm., M.Pharm.), Nursing
• Candidates awaiting their graduation-level examination’s results are also eligible to apply on provisional basis.

M.Sc. in Clinical Research: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant entrance test. Some institutes also admit students based on the candidate’s obtained merit at the level of graduation, while some conduct their own entrance tests for offering admission. Admission process generally varies across colleges.

Some such entrance tests held in the country for admission to the course are:

• Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (Karnataka PGCET)
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test (IPU CET)
• Manipal University Online Entrance Test (MU OET)
• Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET)
• Mahatma Gandhi University - Common Admission Test (MGU CAT)
• Bharati Vidyapeeth Common Entrance Test (BVP CET)
• Indian Statistical Institute Admission Test (Isi Admission Test)
• Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET)
• Indian Institute of Technology Joint Admission Test (IIT JAM)
• National Entrance Screening Test (Nest)
• Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Entrance Exam (KIITEE)
• Integral University Entrance Test (IUET)
• Gitam Science Admission Test (GSAT)
• Acharya Nagarjuna University Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (ANUPGCET)
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science Admission Test (BITSAT)
• AIIMS M.Sc. Entrance Examination (AIIMS)
• Tata Institute of Social Sciences National Entrance Test (TISSNET)

M.Sc. in Clinical Research: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated here.

M.Sc. in Clinical Research: Career Prospects

As Clinical Research Coordinators, such postgraduates perform the following duties:

• selecting suitable candidates for clinical trials
• helping conduct testing
• monitoring patients throughout testing processes.

As Clinical Research Managers, they:

• oversee the clinical trial process
• ensure that the staff follows proper research protocols and abides by Food and Drug Administration regulations.

As Medical Assistants, such professionals work in hospitals, clinics, or doctors' offices, performing roles such as:

• discussing and recording patients’ medical history
• measuring vital signs
• administering medicine
• conferring with doctors.

As Health Services Managers, such professionals are in charge of a variety of administrative and executive tasks in hospitals/ clinics.

Pharmaceutical companies, the National Institutes of Health, research hospitals and medical laboratories are some of the areas that hire Clinical Researchers. They monitor patients involved in clinical trials.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful postgraduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.