Course summary

Our online courses allow you to study clinical research in the context of your work. We developed them with the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They are ideal for health professionals and clinical research support staff. They also suit education and industry professionals who aspire to become a clinical academic. The courses encourage you to plan, conduct, analyse and write up clinical research in the context of your professional role. You'll learn about and develop clinical research in your workplace. This is the most valuable way of consolidating the theory you'll learn on the course. To do this you will need to nominate a workplace mentor. They will provide professional and specialist advice and guidance. They'll also support your studies, maintaining academic and clinical links throughout the course. Our courses will equip you with the skills to perform to a high level in the clinical research world. Many of our students go on to publish in peer reviewed journals. An excellent example is physiotherapist Annie Ross, who studied for a MClinRes though distance learning, and recently published in the online Physiotherapy Journal. Our staff: Academics, researchers and NHS clinicians deliver the course. They all have active research programmes in ageing, cellular medicine and neuroscience. We also have tutors from NHS research and development teams and local clinical research networks: •Dr Jenny Yeo (Degree Programme Director, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer) •Dr Louise Hayes (Research Associate) •Dr Lisa Robinson (Honorary Senior Lecturer) •Dr Jennifer Wilkinson (Senior Trials Manager) •Alison Clapp (E-Learning Teaching Fellow) •Dr Ellen Tullo (Lecturer in Ageing and Education) •David McGeeney (Statistician) •Dr Peter Middleton (Lecturer). Delivery: Our modules are online, so you can choose to study any time, anywhere. This flexibility ensures that you can fit your studies around other commitments. You'll also develop your online literacy as a transferable skill. We offer a range of modules and pathways to choose from so that you can gain the research skills you require. We'll give you an email address and account on Blackboard, our managed learning environment. Blackboard is accessible across a variety of operating systems and browsers. Our course materials are also accessible across a variety of devices including: •desktop computers •laptops •tablets •mobile phones. You don't need to attend any classes on campus. Instead you'll need access to a computer, internet connection, webcam, headset and printer. Recommended specifications: •operating system: Windows 7 and above (32 and 64 bit) or Mac OSX 10.6 and above •processor: Intel Pentium, Intel Celeron, Intel i3, Intel i5, Intel i7, or recent AMD processor •RAM: At least 2GB •connectivity: broadband or mobile broadband •screen resolution: at least 1024 x 768 px. As part of the course you'll take part in ‘Good Clinical Practice’ training. This is mandatory for professionals who conduct clinical research. If you can prove that you've already completed this training you won't need to repeat it. Pathway: Our PGDip and MClinRes courses have two pathways leading to different awards in: •Clinical Research •Clinical Research (Ageing).