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M.S. in Clinical Investigation & Translational Science Degree Requirements

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Successful completion of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program requires the satisfactory completion of all required coursework, completion of an Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies approved research project, and a COGS approved submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed publication. (Note: The manuscript must be related to the student’s approved research project and approved by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science COGS in order to satisfy the manuscript requirement of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program.)  

Research Project

A supervising professor, research supervising committee, and written research proposal must be approved by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies. (Note: Details and requirements are in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Handbook).  

Manuscript

Upon satisfactory completion of all required courses, students must submit a manuscript to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies for review for their eligibility of candidacy for the degree. (Note: Details and requirements are provided in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Handbook.)

Coursework

Thirty (30) semester credit hours (SCH) total is required to obtain the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science degree. This will be composed of 18 SCH of required coursework and 12 SCH of elective coursework.

Supervising Professor, Research Supervising Committee, Research Project and Student/Supervising Professor Compact

Students are expected to submit their research project proposal and the Compact Between Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science student and supervising professor to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies for approval by the end of their first year in the program. The research project proposal packet will identify the students’ supervising professor and research supervising committee.

Students who seek to register for research course credit (TSCI 6097 – Mentored Research in Clinical Investigation) are required to have obtained Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies approval of their supervising professor, research supervising committee, research project proposal.  

Supervising Professor

The supervising professor will oversee all aspects of the student research project and must be a member of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Graduate Faculty. In the event that a student identifies a supervising professor who is not a member of the MSCI-TS Graduate Faculty, the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies will separately assess the qualifications of that individual for recommendation to the GSBS for appointment to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Graduate Faculty. Requests for consideration of appointment to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Graduate Faculty may be considered concomitantly with the evaluation of an individual to serve as a student’s supervising professor. No supervising professor may have more than five Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science students at a given point in time; exception to this limit requires special consideration by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies.  

The proposed supervising professor must submit a letter of commitment to be included in the student’s research project proposal packet forwarded to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies through the academic program coordinator. The letter of commitment must include the following:

  • A brief overview of the planned research project that has been reviewed and approved by the student’s research supervising committee.  

  • Explicit description of the student’s role/activities in the research project.  

  • Statement of commitment to the student’s education and training throughout the interval of the student in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program.  

  • If the student is a foreign national on a J-1, H-1B, or F-1 visa, the supervising professor must submit a letter with a statement of commitment to the student’s education and training biannually prior to the beginning of each semester.  

Research Supervising Committee

The student, with the help of his/her supervising professor, will choose a research supervising committee. The research supervising committee shall consist of the supervising professor (chair), a member of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies, a member of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science approval of their supervising professor, research supervising committee, research project proposal. Graduate Faculty; and an external expertise specific member to provide specific expertise in the planned area of study. The research supervising committee must be comprised of four separate members, including the external expertise specific member, as members of the student’s research supervising committee cannot serve in multiple roles within the committee.

Research Project

The first duty of the research supervising committee will be to assist the student in (1) planning his/her research project proposal, and (2) approving the research proposal for review by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies. It is anticipated that the research project proposal will be the student’s work. The written proposal should not exceed six double-spaced typewritten pages and should include the following sections:  

  • Hypothesis  

  • Specific Aims  

  • Significance (with background, references, and rationale for the proposed studies)  

  • Experimental Design (including the number of planned subjects/observations and statistical analyses)  

  • Reference (not included in the 6-page limit)  

Once the written research project proposal has been approved by the research supervising committee, the proposal shall be forwarded to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies for review and approval action. The research proposal must be accompanied by a completed Research Supervising Committee List and Signature Approval of Research Project Form, the Supervising Professor’s letter of commitment and curriculum vitae, and the Student/Supervising Professor Compact. After Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies approval, the student will begin participating in mentored research activities under the direction of the Supervising Professor and register to receive research course credit (TSCI 6097 – Mentored Research in Clinical Investigation).  

Manuscript Requirements  

A basic tenet of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program is the expectation that students should make a significant contribution to the peer-reviewed literature. Thus, upon satisfactory completion of all required courses, and with the approval of the supervising professor and research supervising committee, each student is required to submit a manuscript to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies for review and approval towards their eligibility for candidacy for the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science degree.  

  • The manuscript must have already been submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal – it may have been submitted, in a press, or published during the interval that the student was enrolled in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program.  

  • Manuscripts unrelated to the approved research project, such as case reports or book chapters, are not acceptable for completion of the manuscript requirement of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science degree.  

  • Students are not required to be the first author on the manuscript but must be a primary author. It is the general consensus of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science COGS members that the primary author is demonstrated as the 1st or 2nd author on a peer-reviewed publication. It is expected that students will be (or will share the position of) the primary author and that the manuscript will address the research project that has been approved by the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies. In the event that either of these is not the case, a detailed written explanation must be provided by the Supervising Professor.  

  • The manuscript should be provided to the research supervising committee for review and approval at least 2 weeks prior to submission to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies. When submitted to the research supervising committee:  

  • The manuscript must be accompanied by a letter from the supervising professor that details the extent of the student’s participation in each and every stage of the research as well as their involvement/role in the development and preparation of the manuscript.  

  • It is anticipated that the manuscript will be evaluated by the research supervising committee prior to submission for publication.  

  • After approval by the research supervising committee, the Manuscript Approval Form (see Appendix) should be completed and signed/dated by all members of the Supervising Committee.

  • The manuscript can be submitted to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies at any time, however, in cases with impending graduation deadlines, the approved manuscript should be provided to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies at least one month prior to the regularly-scheduled graduation date established by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. When the manuscript is submitted to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Committee on Graduate Studies, it should be accompanied by:

  • A copy of the letter from the supervising professor (described above)  

  1. A dated notice (letter or email) from the publisher that indicates manuscript submission/acceptance
  2. The completed Manuscript Approval Form (see Appendix)

  • In keeping with the responsible conduct of research, all manuscripts must comply with the specific requirements of the journal (e.g., responsibilities of the corresponding author). There will be no exception to this requirement.  

  • The manuscript requirement applies to all students who seek to complete the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation and Translational Science Program.