Clinical Research Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert

Why Lancaster?

* Benefit from a unique programme of study that puts science and research at the heart of medicine and healthcare.

* Prepare for strategic and leadership roles, learning how to promote evidence-based healthcare using cutting-edge science.

* Explore the most effective ways to communicate research to doctors, healthcare professionals, patients, and the wider public – and make an impact.

Why Clinical Research?

Advances in treatments, therapies and healthcare are only possible with clinical research. Research is the gateway to possibility – transforming hypotheses and ideas into robust, tried and tested treatments that can be rolled out to communities with confidence.

Clinical research helps us understand what works and what doesn’t, identifying more effective and efficient treatments while highlighting important side effects and safety considerations.

Is Clinical Research for me?

If you want to be part of the team behind breakthroughs in medical science, drive progress and ultimately improve health outcomes and quality of life, boosting your clinical research skills is the right place to start.

Designed to fit around your working life, our Clinical Research PgCert is a 12-month part-time course, incorporating face-to-face teaching sessions with online learning, using our virtual learning environment.

The programme provides a solid introduction to clinical research methodology, setting you up to conduct research thoroughly, reliably and ethically. You’ll learn how to interpret research findings and build important communication and presentation skills so you can share your findings.

If you choose to progress to the PgDip, you’ll have the opportunity to focus on real-life application, how clinical research fits into your clinical context, and its potential to inform healthcare policy and practice more broadly.

What’s next?

With your research skills recharged, you’ll graduate from your PgCert ready to bring your new learning to your role, using clinical research to support decision making and improve services.

After successful completion of the PGCert, you’ll be eligible to progress to the PGDip if you want to get a more in-depth understanding of Clinical Research and its applications outside the lab. You might even have your sights set on a Clinical Research MSc, where you’ll have the opportunity to design and undertake a practice-based research project and receive a higher-level qualification.