Program Structure

• Curriculum
• Sample Course Plans
• Course Descriptions

Curriculum

The didactic program will consist of core coursework (21 semester hours) in the following areas: quantitative methods, epidemiology, research ethics, research design, and grant writing. Students, with guidance from the program director and advisor, will select electives from a broad array of relevant courses (11 semester hours). This combination of core and elective coursework will provide students with the skills and knowledge they will need to conduct high quality clinical and translational research.

In addition to the didactic coursework, students will attend seminars to provide them with exposure to the broad range of clinical and translational research. The program has initiated a monthly Translational Research Seminar Series to provide a venue in which experienced basic and applied researchers explore a given topic. Other seminar series with different relevant focus areas may be developed as well in response to programmatic needs. Students will also attend a Professional Development Workshop Series.

The MS will culminate in a mentored research project in which the student will work closely with one or more senior researchers. The mentored research project will give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they have acquired in classes and seminars/workshops. The degree of mentoring will depend on the needs of individual students, some of whom may already have extensive research experience, whereas others may have extremely limited research experience.

Program Requirements

Upon admission, the student and his or her faculty advisor develop a goal-oriented program of study that includes:

1. Required courses, limited to:
• BSTT 400 - Biostatistics I
• BSTT 401 - Biostatistics II
• MHPE 512 - Ethics in Clinical Research
• EPID 403 - Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods
• BHIS 509- Informatics for the Clinical Investigator
• HPA 522- Public Health Research Design and Methods
• HPA 591 - Grant Writing for New Investigators
2. Eleven credits of elective courses selected from across disciplines at UIC. With input from their advisor and mentor, students will choose appropriate electives that are tailored to their unique backgrounds, skill levels, areas of interest, research focus, and future goals. Students will be able to select from a broad list of elective courses because of the enormous range in prior research experience and educational programs, as well as in career objectives. All students will have to select electives to fulfill the Graduate College requirement to have completed at least nine (9) credit hours of 500-level courses excluding thesis or research hours. Click here for a list of sample electives.


3. Sixteen credits of mentored research (IPHS 598-Research) must be completed in two to three semesters of full time work leading to the completion of a publishable paper and a research proposal. The research must be completed under the supervision of an approved clinical investigator and with the approval of a mentorship committee designed specifically for each student.

Minimum Semester Hour Requirements

Required Courses		21 Sem Hrs
Electives		11 Sem Hrs
Research		16 Sem Hrs
Total*		48 Sem Hrs

At least 9 sh of coursework across requirements and electives must be at the 500-level.

Final Oral Examination

The final oral examination consists of a presentation of the student's research findings at an open meeting of students and faculty and a separate oral examination in the academic division by the student's Thesis Examining Committee. The presentation should be based on the publishable paper and research proposal products of the student's clinical research project.

Back to the Top

The MS CTS Degree Program is usually completed on a part-time basis.  An example of a sample Course Plan is provided below. Click the following link to open or download the Sample Course Plan.

 

Sample Course Plan

. Sample Course Plan (Example) YEAR ONE Fall Semester BSTT 400 Biostatistics I 4 sh MHPE 512 Ethics in Clinical Research 1 sh Translational Research Seminar Series (4th Tues each month, 12:00-1:00 PM) 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations (Variable days/times) 0 sh 5 sh Spring Semester BSTT 401 Biostatistics II 4 sh EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiological Methods 3 sh Translational Research Seminar Series (4th Tues each month, 12:00-1:00 PM) 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations (Variable days/times) 0 sh Professional Development Workshop Series (1st Tues each month, 12:00–1:00pm) 0 sh   7 sh Summer Semester BHIS 509 Informatics for the Clinical Investigator 3 sh   3 sh   YEAR TWO Fall Semester HPA 522 Public Health Research Design & Methods 3 sh Translational Research Seminar Series 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations 0 sh   3sh Spring Semester Elective (400/500 level) 3 sh Elective (400/500 level) 3 sh Translational Research Seminar Series 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations 0 sh Professional Development Workshop Series 0 sh   6 sh   Summer Semester Elective (400/500 level) 2 sh IPHS 598 Research in Public Health Sciences - MS 4 sh   6 sh   YEAR THREE Fall Semester Elective (400/500 level) 3 sh IPHS 598 Research in Public Health Sciences - MS 4 sh Translational Research Seminar Series 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations 0 sh   7 sh Spring Semester IPHS 598 Research in Public Health Sciences - MS 4 sh HPA 591 Grant Writing for New Investigators 3 sh Translational Research Seminar Series 0 sh Works in Progress Seminar Series: Initial Research Presentations 0 sh Professional Development Workshop Series 0 sh   7 sh   Summer Semester IPHS 598 Research in Public Health Sciences - MS 4 sh   4 sh * NOTE: At least 9 semester hours must be at the 500-level (not including research hours). Core courses may be substituted with the approval of Jack Zwanziger, MS CTS Program Advisor.

Back to the Top

 

Course Descriptions

NOTE: This MS program includes coursework across various colleges, including the School of Public Health, College of Medicine, and College of Pharmacy. See the detailed course schedule at http://imso.admin.uillinois.edu/class_schedule/searchclasses.asp for building and room number location.

Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS)

BHIS 509 Informatics for the Clinical Investigator (3 hours)
This course provides the foundation of requisite knowledge of computer and healthcare information sciences for the clinical investigator. Extensive computer use required. Taught only online; UIC netid is required.

Prerequisite: Graduate or professional standing; approval of the department.
College: Applied Health Sciences

 

Biostatistics (BSTT)

BSTT 400 Biostatistics I ( 4 hours)
Descriptive statistics, basic probability concepts, one- and two-sample statistical inference, analysis of variance, and simple linear regression. Introduction to a statistical computer package such as Minitab or SAS. Enrollment restricted to public health students; other graduate, professional and advanced undergraduate students admitted by consent as space permits. To obtain consent, see the SPH registrar.

College:  School of Public Health

BSTT 401 Biostatistics II ( 4 hours)
Simple and multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, multifactor analysis of variance and covariance, non-parametric methods, logistic regression, analysis of categorical data; extensive use of computer software. Prerequisite(s): BSTT 400.

College:  School of Public Health

 

Epidemiology (EPID)

EPID 403 Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods ( 3 hours)
Introduction to descriptive and analytic epidemiology, and determinants of health and disease in populations. Measures of occurrence, association and statistical testing will be addressed, along with study designs, bias and confounding. May be repeated. Prerequisite(s): Credit or concurrent registration in BSTT 400 and graduate or professional standing; or consent of the instructor.

College:  School of Public Health

Health Policy and Administration (HPA)

HPA 522 Public Health Research Design and Methods (3 hours)
Graduate level quantitative research methods course. Utilizes social science research methods with an emphasis on experimental and quasi-experimental research designs in the study of methodologically sound public health research investigations.

Prerequisite(s): BSTT 400.
College:  School of Public Health

HPA 591 Grant Writing for New Investigators ( 3 hours)
The course fosters grant writing skills, learn the mechanics of an NIH grant application, particularly K awards, and learn how to peer review applications.

Prerequisite(s):  MS CTS students are expected to have completed the required coursework for the program and to have made significant progress in their research project; consent of the instructor.
College:  School of Public Health

Interdisciplinary Public Health (IPHS)

IPHS 598 Research in Public Health Sciences - M.S. ( 0 to 16 hours)
Individual research in public health directed by a faculty member. Directed toward the thesis requirements for the Master of Science degree. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Consent of the instructor.

College:  School of Public Health

 

Medical Education (MHPE)

MHPE 512  Ethics in Clinical Research ( 1 hour) 
A survey of key ethical issues involved in conducting research with human subjects, including informed consent, confidentiality, access and equity.  Course Information:  Extensive computer use required. This course requires completion of an online course in human subjects research, to be supplemented by classroom discussion of the topics raised in that course and others.  Prerequisites:  Approval of the department.

College:  College of Medicine

 

Elective Course Descriptions

Students will work with their advisors and research mentors to tailor a program of study that meets their unique research interests and career goals.

Click here for a list of sample elective courses.

Back to the Top

Back to MS in CTS