Clinical Research Career and Job Opportunities

In the field of clinical research, you’ll work with others to develop, test, and implement new breakthroughs in medicine. This could range from studying a new potential vaccine to testing ground-breaking treatments on patients to working with the FDA to bring products to market. If you’re interested in a clinical research career, there are a variety of routes you could take.

Types of Clinical Research Jobs

Clinical research jobs generally fall into three different categories. Depending on the size of your facility, you may be tasked with working in all three, or you may be part of a huge team where you’ll pay a very specific role. First, you can work in a laboratory setting. Clinical researchers in this type of job are often working with new drugs, tools, etc. in their infancy, with several years worth of work needed before the treatment or prevention can enter trials. Some labs test on animals, while others do not. The second role a clinical research may take is in running trials. Clinical trials test the effectiveness on a group of humans and study the results. Lastly, as a clinical researcher, you could work in administration, serving as a laboratory manager, as a team leader, or in another type of administrative role. Since all clinical researchers have to work under FDA guidelines, administrators often supervise experiments to ensure they are in compliance and deal with government paperwork.

Clinical research labs also hire people in support staff roles, so as you work on your degree, you may want to pursue a job as an assistant, secretary, or other lower-level role to get a feel for the lab environment.

Areas of Clinical Research

With a master’s degree in clinical research, you’ll likely want to specialize in one area of medicine, such as cancer research or mental health. In addition, you can consider become a clinical nurse specialist, which requires a master of science in nurse or a medical lab technologist/technician. You can also transition into a clinical research career from a related medical field, such as pharmacy.

Clinical Researcher Salary

The salary you can expect as a clinical research depends on the type of research you do, the size and location of your employer, and your experience in the field. The average salary for someone working in the field of clinical research is over $60,000 annually, and with your master’s degree, you can earn even more – many clinical researchers easily earn six figures annually.

Top Online Master Degrees in Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Nursing, and Psychology

Clinical research and clinical trials are experimental tests conducted to ensure safety for health interventions such as drugs, medical equipment, therapy protocols, and so forth. Earning a masters degree in clinical research will allow an individual to design and conduct such tests. Listed below are schools offering accredited online degree programs in clinical research, clinical trials, and similarly related programs.

MS in Clinical Research	Walden University. The Walden University MS in Clinical Research Administration program is taught using the most advanced texts, interactive media, and practical lesson plans. The curriculum teaches the methodologies behind administering a clinical research environment. Features a capstone course.
MS in Clinical Research Mgmt MSN: Clinical Trials	Drexel University. The MS in Nursing: Clinical Trials Research and MS in Clinical Research Organization & Management programs at Drexel University feature curriculums that ready graduates for the exciting field of clinical trials. Graduates work in community and private practices, pharmaceutical, and other scientific companies.
MS in Clinical Research	University of Liverpool. At the University of Liverpool, students interested in the combination of research methods, management, and the healthcare practice excel in the MS in Clinical Research Administration program. Courses include Good Clinical Practice, the design and conduct of the clinical protocol, data management, and biostatistics.
MA in Health Psychology	Northcentral University. At the Northcentral University MA in Psychology - Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine degree program, students experience a curriculum written to provide a targeted education for behavioral and health sciences professionals. The online program features an award winning faculty eager to assist you on your educational journey.
MS in Psychology	University of Phoenix. The Master's program in Psychology at the University of Phoenix provides students with an exciting course of study aimed at providing advanced concepts in the areas of psychological study. The curriculum features courses that examine a higher level of academic focus on general principles and research.
MSN: Clinical Nursing	University of Cincinnati. Accelerate your career at the University of Cincinnati by enrolling in the MSN - Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) degree program. Boosting one of the the most complete CNS programs in the nation, Cincinnati offers a curriculum that bridges hard science with teaching arts to educate the next generation of clinical nurse specialists.
MS in Clinical Psychology	Capella University. At Capella University, students are able to explore clinical psychology from a whole new vantage point in the Master's in Clinical Psychology degree program. The curriculum features theories and practices of clinical psychology in treating dysfunctional behavior, including clinical interviewing, testing, research methods, psychopathology, and diagnosis.
MS in Clinical Counseling	Bellvue University. The MS in Clinical Counseling from Bellevue University is a beneficial tool for any student interested in excelling in the clinical counseling world. The 60-credit Clinical Counseling program leads to a provisional LMHP or equivalent licensure in their state.
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