Yes. In order to be admitted to the Applied Clinical Research program, you must have:

1. - Equivalent academic experience, such as a university degree and/or college diploma with relevant coursework in science, health science, nursing or other relevant education with a minimum cumulative GPA or C- or better;


2. - Be a mature student as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar of McMaster University, or;


3. - Be deemed an exceptional case. Please contact cceacr@mcmaster.ca to discuss your experience with the Program Manager.

Refer to the Admission Requirements page for more information.

Yes. The Applied Clinical Research program is an open enrolment program, meaning there is no formal admission procedure. Simply enroll online at least 3 weeks in advance to ensure you secure a spot. Students must have:

1. - Equivalent academic experience, such as a university degree and/or college diploma with relevant coursework in science, health science, nursing or other relevant education with a minimum cumulative GPA or C- or better;


2. - Be a mature student as defined in the Undergraduate Calendar of McMaster University, or;


3. - Be deemed an exceptional case. Please contact cceacr@mcmaster.ca to discuss your experience with the Program Manager.

Refer to the Admission Requirements page for more information.

The Applied Clinical Research program is available every Fall (September start), Winter (January start and Spring (May start) terms. Refer to our Schedule & Fees page for specific dates.

Enrol online using our Course Search tool. Use the drop-down menu under “Program” to select “Applied Clinical Research”, then use the drop-down menu under “Program Plan” to select “Applied Clinical Research CERT” and click “Go”.

From there you will see the list of courses populate for each available term. Once your course is selected it will bring you to a check out page.

At the check-out page, ensure you are enrolling in the correct course and click “Select” to add to your shopping cart. When you’re ready to enroll, click “Checkout”.

Students must complete all five courses in order to qualify for the Certificate in Applied Clinical Research. Courses are:

1. - ACR 101 Principles of Clinical Research
2. - ACR 102 Research Ethics
3. - ACR 103 Clinical Trial Design
4. - ACR 104 Clinical Trials Management
5. - ACR 105 Clinical Research Capstone (a capstone course is intended to simulate real-world experience that offers an applied synthesis of learning)

Learn more by visiting the Course Descriptions page.

No. The Applied Clinical Research program does not allow transfer of credits from any program. Please refer to our Transfer Credit page for more information.

For information on tuition, please refer to our Schedule & Fees page.

The program can be completed on your own schedule online. Each course takes six to eight hours per week to complete over the span of 12-13 weeks. Depending on your desired workload, you can finish the program in a year (over three terms) if you take ACR 101/102 during term one, ACR 103 in term two, and ACR 104/105 in term three. If you want a less heavy schedule, you can finish in a year and eight months (five terms) by taking one course per term.

The program is taught entirely online to provide a work/life balance. Online format requires you to interact with your instructors and classmates each week. You’re expected to complete discussions, quizzes, assignments, case studies, presentations, individual or group projects, etc. You do not need to login at a specific time and can complete the work when it suits your schedule so long as you meet deadlines.

McMaster University Continuing Education ensures to hire experienced instructors who are knowledgeable in their field, accessible and transparent. We have a variety of instructors for the Applied Clinical Research program. Please refer to our Instructors page to learn more.

By completing the Applied Clinical Research program, you will receive a certificate from McMaster University Continuing Education. In addition to this, students can qualify for the SOCRA certification under Category 3 as long as they meet all requirements. Please refer to Professional Associations page to learn more.

Career opportunities available for those who complete the Certificate in Applied Clinical Research include:

1. - Research Associate
2. - Clinical Research Associate
3. - Clinical Research Project Manager
4. - Senior Clinical Research Associate
5. - Clinical Research Coordinator
6. - Research Associate in a specific discipline/specialty (i.e. Oncology Research Associate)
7. - Clinical Trial Supervisor
8. - Clinical Trial Coordinator
9. ​

According to Glassdoor, the national average salary for a Clinical Research Coordinator or a Clinical Research Associate is between $61K and $63K in Canada. Salaries can vary depending on the organization you are applying to and the experience/credentials that you have.

You can visit the Applied Clinical Research program website or watch the recorded Applied Clinical Research Program Preview Webinar at the bottom of the program page which outlines all of the program details in a short video.