phd in clinical research boston university

Current Students

• Admitted Students
• Alumni & Friends

BC.EDU LINKS

• Boston College
• Campus Life
• Jesuit, Catholic
• Academic Calendar
• BC Magazine
• Directories
• Offices, Services, Resources
• Agora Portal
• Maps & Directions

Ph.D. Program

• Find Your Path
• Undergraduate Programs
• Master’s Program
• Doctor of Nursing Practice Program (D.N.P.)
• D.N.P. in Nurse Anesthesia
• Professional Development and Continuing Education

Preparing Nurse Science Leaders

Our Ph.D. program integrates science, theory, and research to educate the next generation of nurse scientists, educators, policy-makers, and practitioners. 

Application Deadline

January 15   

Financial Support

The Connell School fully funds every full-time Ph.D. student’s tuition, fees, and insurance for three years.

At a Glance

Most students take 21 courses (48 total credits). 

Students typically complete the program in 4 years. 

The program begins in the fall semester.

Three core areas of study:

Knowledge development in nursing.

Students build on their foundation in nursing science. Includes courses in philosophy of science, epistemology of nursing, and strategies for developing nursing knowledge.

Substantive nursing content

Challenges students to take what is currently known in nursing science and expand on it to address contemporary issues in health care. Includes courses in ethics, policy, and cognate courses in the student's area of focus. 

Research methods

Prepares students to begin their program of research. Includes courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, statistics, and research practica as well as dissertation advisement.

Students develop their research expertise through:

• Independent study
• Interdisciplinary colloquia
• Collaboration with a dissertation advisor
• Electives in research concentrations 
• Clinical research in top-tier health centers in the Boston area
• Access to other graduate courses within Boston College 
• Access to courses through a consortium with area research universities, including Tufts, Boston University, and Brandeis University.

Ph.D. Program Objectives

• Constructively critique and synthesize nursing and interdisciplinary knowledge within their area of inquiry relative to nursing science.
• Design, conduct, and disseminate innovative, rigorous, and ethically sound research that advances nursing science.
• Assume leadership roles and collaborate with other disciplines to address contemporary health care concerns.
• Use scholarly inquiry to generate and disseminate knowledge that facilitates humanization, advances the discipline, informs practice, and reshapes policy.
• Articulate the perspective of nursing in interdisciplinary dialogue for the common good of a diverse and global society.

Approved by Faculty Assembly, December 20, 2017

Download Ph.D. Curriculum

Fall Semester

Spring semester, each semester until graduation, featured faculty.

Andrew Dwyer, Ph.D., FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN

View Faculty Directory & Expertise

“ Throughout your CSON journey, you'll work with dedicated faculty who are committed to your success and will prepare you to impact health care and nursing science. ”

Our Students

CSON's Ph.D. Program attracts students from a variety of backgrounds and with an array of research interests.

CSON Doctoral Student Research

Our Ph.D. students regularly disseminate research findings in respected forums and receive prestigious awards, including being inducted into the American Academy of Nursing and named Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Scholars.

Learn about CSON Research

“ CSON provides an atmosphere of academic rigor. The faculty are incredibly supportive and have been wonderful mentors to me. It is inspiring to be surrounded by so many respected nurse scientists and educators. ”

Recent Dissertation Topics

Birth Center Decision-Making among Women and Birthing People in the United States

Health Patterning of Im/migrant and Asylum-Seeking Emerging Adults from Guatemala and Honduras

Multimethod Approach to Understanding the Biopsychosocial Underpinnings of Chronic Cancer-Related Pain in Cancer Survivors

Associations Between Reproductive Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence, and Adverse Birth Outcomes among Postpartum Women

The Meaning of Empathy in the Context of Clinical Nursing Practice Among Senior Baccalaureate Students 

Measuring Psychological Safety, HRO Perception and Safety Reporting Intentions Among Pediatric Nurses  

The Influence of #MeToo on Sexual Assault Survivors’ Decision Making and Health Behaviors: A Qualitative Inquiry 

Sexual Minority Adolescents: Understanding Disparities in Sex Education and Parent Communication About Sex  

Improving Healthcare for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness Across the Lifespan 

Nurse Educators' Description of Ethics from a Disciplinary Perspective  

Associations between reproductive coercion, intimate partner violence, and adverse birth outcomes among postpartum women 

A Multimethod Approach to Understanding the Biopsychosocial Underpinnings of Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors 

Life Patterning: Im/migrant and Asylum Seeking Emerging Adults from Guatemala and Honduras 

Fertility-Awareness Practices Among Women Seeking Pregnancy  

The Meaning of Being Considered a Sex Offender for a Person Who is Reintegrating into Society

Tongue-Tie: Prevalence, Significance, and its Contribution to Maternal Feeding Challenges and Problematic Infant Feeding

The Role of the Social Determinants of Health in Rural Health Equity

Measuring Diabetes Distress in Emerging Adulthood

Mental Health and Mental Health Treatment Experiences of Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons

The Meaning of the Transition to Retirement at Midlife from Active Duty Military Service in the United States

Intensive Care Unit Nurses’ Experience of Watson’s Theory of Human Caring Caritas Process Three: Cultivation of One’s Own Spiritual Practice and Transpersonal Self, Going Beyond Ego-Self

Occupational Health Across Generationally-Defined Age Groups in a Cohort of Hospital Nurses

Critical Care Nurse Intentions to Report to Work During an Influenza Pandemic

Caregivers’ Perception of Nurse-Led Discharge Education Interventions: Knowledge Needed for Adequate Care of a Technology-Dependent Infant in the Home Setting

The Experience of Older Adult Couples Living with Chronic Illness at Home

Factors Associated with Refeeding Hypophosphatemia in Adolescents and Young Adults Hospitalized with Anorexia Nervosa

Identification of Optimal Stool Donor Health and Intestinal Microbiome Characteristics for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

Level of Mindfulness in Persons with Anorexia Nervosa Entering Residential Treatment and the Relationship with Eating Disorder Symptomology and Clinical Indicators of Health

Understanding Patient Engagement in Breast Cancer Survivorship Care: A National Web-Based Survey

Nutrition Related Clinical Decision Making of Pediatric Oncology Nurses

The Experience of Young Women Living with Advanced Breast Cancer: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

The Development and Psychometric Validation of the Ethical Awareness Scale

News from the Connell School

• Health Equity for Women and Children
• Person- and Family-Oriented Aging
• Safety and Quality of Care

Opportunities at the Connell School

Graduate nurses’ association.

The GNA facilitates professional development opportunities and sponsors social events, connecting you to your fellow students and serving as a voice for the CSON graduate community.

Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing

The KILN program helps students maximize their leadership potential, prepares them to provide nursing care in an increasingly multicultural society, and nurtures their ability to create positive social change.

Global Trips

Participation in CSON's international programs can count toward nurse practitioner (NP) supervised hours for graduate students.

Program Eiligibility

• A master's degree from a nationally accredited university in nursing or a related field
• A completed course in statistics (AP credits cannot be accepted)
• A current RN license

Application & Deadlines

Preference will be given to applicants with the following qualifications:

• Minimum GPA of 3.5
• Research experience, written clarity in area of research, and match to faculty research or methodology as described by applicant and determined by Ph.D. committee
• Publications preferred, as listed on curriculum vitae
• Excellence in writing, sample essay of course paper, or manuscript submitted by applicant
• Leadership/leadership potential

Résumé or CV

To be uploaded to your online Application Form.

In addition to your academic history and relevant work experience, please include any licenses currently held, any social justice-related experience, any language skills other than English, and any research experience or publications.

Goal Statement & Writing Sample

1. Goal Statetment

Please submit a goal statement which will be used as a source of information about your educational objectives and as a sample of your writing ability. The goal statement should be typewritten (double-spaced) and no more than four pages in length.

Goal Statement Prompt & Guidelines

2. Evidence of Scholarly Writing

All applicants to this program are required to submit one piece of work that demonstrates graduate-level writing ability. This document may be an academic term paper, a published work in which you are the primary author, a training manual that you have created, a clinical case formulation, or another representative sample of your writing.

Letters of Recommendation

• A current or recent employer, preferably a nurse with a Ph.D. or a professional colleague
• A professor with whom you have had recent academic interaction who can assess your potential for doctoral study and performance in your desired area of study
• A person who is not a relative and who is well acquainted with your professional preparation and clinical practice
• Letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically. When you register your reference writers through the application system, they will immediately receive an email with the link to the electronic reference form. For this reason, we suggest that you contact your references prior to registering them through the online application.
• References will have the option to upload a supporting letter in Word or PDF format.
• If you would like your references to receive the electronic form before you have completed the online application, you may go directly to the "Recommendations" link on the application and register your references before filling out the rest of the form.
• You can log back into your application to check which letters have been received, as well as to send reminder emails to your references.

Transcripts

Official transcripts are preferred but not required upon application. If admitted, official transcripts will be required.

Official digital transcripts can be sent to csongrad@bc.edu.

All hard copy transcripts may be sent to the following mailing address:

Boston College Graduate Nursing Office Maloney Hall - 2nd Floor 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

*If the last name on your transcript does not match the application name, please contact  csongrad@bc.edu  after submitting the application. 

Standardized Tests

Official GRE scores are a preferred component of the application, but are not required to apply.

Institutional code 3062

*  Please allow 2-4 weeks for test scores to be received in order to meet application deadline

Supplemental Forms

Based on the answers you provide in your application, you may need one or more of the following forms to complete your application:

• Suspended or Revoked License Explanation Form  (if you indicated a suspended or revoked license on your application)
• Learning Disability Documentation Form  (if you indicated a learning disability on your application)
• Supplementary Information Form  (if you wish to submit any supplementary information in addition to the standard application)

International Students

• Official transcript(s) evaluation (by the  Commission on Graduate Foreign Nursing Schools  or  World Education Services ) from all post-secondary institutions at which you have studied
• CGFNS  examination results
• NCLEX-RN examination results/RN licensure
• You can get application forms and information about testing dates for the TOEFL from many U.S. consulates, USIA centers, and TOEFL centers overseas by writing to: TOEFL Registration, CN 6152, Princeton, New Jersey 08541 USA, or  www.toefl.org .
• The TOEFL score is not required if you meet both of the following criteria: You are a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Guyana, an anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean AND your native language is English.

Quick Links

Events & traditions, why bc nursing, diversity, inclusion, & belonging, facts & figures.

Kristin A. Long, PhD (Director)

Dr. Long was born and raised in Easton, PA. She graduated from Princeton University in 2003 with a degree in Psychology and a certificate in Neuroscience. She worked in the Marketing Department at Lutron Electronics for several years before returning to graduate school. Dr. Long earned her doctoral degree in Clinical and Bio-Health Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship training at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, RI. She joined the faculty at Boston University in July, 2014. Dr. Long’s research employs qualitative, quantitative, and community-based methods to examine developmental, cultural, and family influences on health. She has carried out her research primarily in the context of childhood cancer, asthma, autism, intellectual disability, and adolescent sexual risk. More recently, her research has expanded to consider family and cultural influences on development over the transition to adulthood. Dr. Long is a licensed clinical psychologist in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and has experience developing and delivering psychotherapy interventions for individuals, families, and groups across outpatient, inpatient, medical, school, and forensic settings. In her current position at Boston University, Dr. Long is involved in undergraduate and graduate training within the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and she is the Director of the Child and Family Health Lab.

[email protected]

http://www.bu.edu/psych/faculty/kalong/

Postdoctoral Fellows

Suma Suswaram, PhD

Dr. Suswaram (pronounced as: seuss-wuh-rum) is a postdoctoral associate at Boston University. She received her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Kansas, Master’s and Bachelor’s in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology from Bangalore University, India. Her research focuses on advancing health care equity in the context of Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She is also interested in understanding factors underlying academic and research success for students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds in higher education.   

Graduate Students

Jenna sandler eilenberg.

I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Boston University. I received a B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Public Health from Boston University. After graduation, I worked in Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, where I coordinated outcome assessment for a series of studies evaluating a depression prevention intervention for low-income, urban mothers. I then transitioned to the BU School of Public Health, where I worked as a project manager on a clinical trial aiming to improve early identification and service linkage for young children at risk for autism spectrum disorder. During graduate school, I am interested in researching the role of cultural and family factors in the transition from adolescence to adulthood for youth with autism.

Nicole Cardona

I am clinical doctoral student in the Transdiagnostic Treatment Lab. My interests are in emotions, minority stress, trauma, borderline personality disorder, and mental health in marginalized communities. My work with Dr. Long and the Child & Family Health Lab relate to stress and coping in family members of children with medical or developmental diagnoses (i.e., cancer diagnoses; false positive autism diagnoses). I received my B.A. in Psychology and Health: Science, Society, and Policy from Brandeis University in 2015, and have previously worked at Franciscan Children’s Hospital, the Boston Child Study Center, and within McLean Hospital’s adolescent DBT continuum.

Ariel Blakey

I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Boston University. I received a B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College, where I primarily conducted qualitative research on familial well-being through narratives in college-aged students. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I also conducted research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), identifying factors involved in parental decision-making and Children’s National Hospital, investigating factors impacting caregivers’ stress. While in graduate school, I am specifically interested in researching how social determinants of health and social support affect disease-management and overall quality of life amongst pediatric patients with a chronic illness, especially Sickle Cell Disease.

Kathryn Davis

I am a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at Boston University. I received a B.A. in Gender and Sexuality Studies from Brown University and an M.A. in Psychology from Brandeis, where I studied developmental antecedents of problematic sexual behaviors among juveniles who had sexually offended. I then joined the Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where I worked as a Research Coordinator on studies aimed at identifying new biological markers of childhood adversity exposure. In the Child and Family Health Lab, my research focuses on better incorporating siblings of children with cancer into family-centered psychosocial care. I am particularly interested in strategies to improve the design and implementation of family-focused psychosocial assessment and support in pediatric cancer care.

Mathena Abramson

Mikaela de Lemos

Ava Maurillo

I am pursuing my Master of Public Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. At the Child and Family Health Lab, I assist in research that focuses on adolescents with sickle cell disease and work to understand how social determinants of health impact access to healthcare and management of the disease.

Alix Paredes Molina (Lab Manager, He/Him)

I am the lab manager of the Child and Family Health Lab! I received my BA in Psychology from Boston University, where I was first introduced to this lab, engaged in research regarding service quality inequities for Latino families of children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).  Presently, I contribute to our research of the barriers and context surrounding social determinant of health screening in primary care settings.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Dara Oliveira

Shumin Guan

I am a fourth year undergraduate student completing a BS in Human Physiology and an MPH with an intended concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I have been involved in research projects that studied culturally-diverse families of youth on the autism spectrum. In an effort to amplify marginalized populations’ voices in research, I recently co-authored a division poster examining the relationship between culture, stigma, and discrimination, as well as how these factors may contribute to parents developing self-blame or self-reliance. I hope to combine my background in physiology with the experience and insights that I have gained through qualitative research, and pursue a career in healthcare that seeks to develop more inclusive and effective healthcare solutions. During my free time, I enjoy cooking, jogging, exploring new cafes, and spending time with family and friends!

I am a fourth-year undergraduate psychology major at Boston University. My involvement in this lab has been centered on studying support systems for siblings of youth with cancer, which has shaped my interest in psychosocial care, family systems, and the effects of stressors, such as chronic illnesses. Based on this interest, I am currently working on a project focused on family decision-making on sibling involvement in a child’s cancer treatment. In the future, I plan to pursue graduate education and stay involved in research to support family care. Beyond academics, I enjoy participating in intramural sports and various cultural clubs.

Illari Cazorla-Garcia

I am a third-year undergraduate Psychology major at Boston University. Currently, my work at the Child and Family Health Lab involves contributing to a project that aims to identify and comprehend barriers and disparities within social determinants of health screenings through an anti-racist perspective. A major career aspiration of mine is to actively contribute to destigmatizing conversations about mental health in disproportionately affected groups. After graduation, I plan to continue my studies with graduate education to further develop my research interests.

Sam Brayton

I am a fourth year undergraduate majoring in neuroscience and psychology with a minor in deaf studies. Currently, I work with our Families FORWARD project that focuses on helping families of autistic youth as well as autistic youth themselves in the often challenging transition to adulthood. I am passionate about contributing to the research focused on improving the well-being of autistic individuals and how to continue to pursue research/clinical endeavors, such as the one’s I have experienced in this lab, that take into account the full picture (e.g., family systems, cultural variability, etc.) of what we can do to help the autistic community.

Joshua Dela Cruz

I am a rising junior studying Psychology and Education at Boston University. I have some experiences working with children and research in developmental psychology. While I’m still exploring different research topics, I’m interested in pursuing more research and working with children after graduation. I’m excited to join the Child and Family Health Lab to explore more about research in clinical psychology, to learn about the qualitative research methods and research with people from different backgrounds.

Post-Docs Christina Amaro, PhD Elizabeth K. Schmidt, PhD

Doctoral Students Phoebe Brosnan, PhD Dana Bruck-Segal, PhD Lydia Chevalier, PhD Monica Gordillo, PhD Allie Keller, PhD Hyun “Monica” Kim, PhD Emily Pariseau, PhD

Graduate Students Quintana Carter Andrea Chu Wenyan Fang Charlotte Hood Phyllis Lun Aksheya Sridhar

Lab Managers Marcella Mazzenga, LCSW Anjali Oberoi, MD, MPH

Undergraduate Students Grace Alessi Sarah Bowman (Co-op) Taylor Cowser Pau Cuadrado Diego Davila Amelia Dudley Cory Griffin Trisha Katz Deniz Kizildag Michelle Leon Hannah Levin Carissa Mastrangelo (Co-op) Rachel Meyer Andrea Morante Alejandra Perez-Ramirez Jeannie Phan Marina Ritchie Pamela Ruiz Samantha Sims Olivia Sokol Dylan Tam Rachel Watson Huanrui Wei Maya Zegel Freya Zhu

Volunteers Esmeralda “Ezzy” Adolf

Request Info

• Admissions Overview
• Visit UMass Boston
• Financial Aid
• First-Year Students
• Transfer Students
• Graduate Students
• International Students
• Academics Overview
• Majors & Programs
• Online Learning
• Colleges & Schools
• Academic Calendar
• Healey Library
• Student Equity, Access & Success
• Global Programs
• Study Abroad
• Fellowships
• Campus Life Overview
• Student Groups & Activities
• Housing & Dining
• Health & Wellness
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Safety & Security
• Orientation & New Students
• Research Overview
• Community-Driven Research
• Recognizing Excellence
• Student Research
• Centers & Institutes
• Core Facilities
• Research & Sponsored Programs
• About Overview
• Leadership & Administration
• Mission & Vision
• Facts & Figures
• Accreditation & Rankings
• History of UMass Boston
• Student Consumer Information
• Athletics Overview
• Recreation at UMass Boston
• Current Students
• Parents & Families
• Faculty & Staff

UMass Boston

• Clinical Psychology PhD

Acquire the skills and training necessary to become a compassionate clinical psychologist.

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association since 1993, UMass Boston’s program in clinical psychology is based on a scientist-practitioner-activist model. The program prepares clinical psychologists who have an excellent foundation in psychological science and can translate their basic knowledge into practical applications to meet the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and adults from diverse sociocultural groups. Graduates of the program have the requisite skills to advance understanding of key human problems through research, scholarly activities, clinical practice, teaching, professional service, advocacy, and activism.

In this program, you will:

• Develop a solid foundation in clinical psychology theories and research methodologies, enabling you to provide effective treatments for a wide range of mental health concerns
• Acquire advanced clinical skills through supervised practicum and internship experiences
• Cultivate professional competence and ethical decision-making, integrating scientific knowledge, critical thinking, and empathy to promote the well-being and resilience of clients
• Contribute to the field of clinical psychology through research, advocacy, and leadership

Info Sessions

Join UMass Boston Clinical Psychology PhD faculty and staff for an informal one-hour, online info session! Meet the current program director, faculty and student representatives. Learn more about the Clinical Psychology PhD program and bring questions you may have about the programs and/or application process.

Attend an Info Session    --> Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to apply.

We review applications comprehensively—looking across all aspects of the application for each applicant rather than having specific cutoff criteria in any one particular area. We no longer accept GRE scores as part of our admissions criteria.

Applicants must meet   general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• Prerequisites. A minimum of 6 courses in psychology or a closely related social science field. A course in statistics is required before students enroll in our program, but it is not required at the time of application.
• Background. Highly qualified applicants who have a demonstrated commitment to a career serving the needs of minority and urban populations will be given priority. In keeping with the mission of the university and the particular emphases in the program, individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and minority backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Research Fit. An important criterion for admission to the clinical psychology program is the fit between student clinical and research interests and the interests of the program’s faculty. We require each applicant to list the faculty research mentors whose team(s) they want to be considered for based on shared research interests. The research mentor works closely with the student, helping to plan course work and select practicum opportunities as well as guiding the student’s research training.
• Describe your personal, academic, and professional experiences and strengths that have led to your interest in clinical psychology and have prepared you for the challenges of graduate school and a career in clinical psychology.
• Describe your interest in clinical psychology and how the UMass Boston Clinical Psychology Program, specifically, will contribute to advancing your academic, career, and personal goals.
• Describe the research that you are interested in pursuing as a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Program at UMass Boston.
• Curriculim Vitae (CV). Please provide as part of your application.
• Letters of Recommendation. You will also be asked to provide three letters of recommendation within the GradCAS portal.
• A list of all undergraduate psychology courses and any graduate psychology courses that you have taken at any time, the institutions at which you took them, and the grades you received for each course.
• A grade point average for your undergraduate psychology courses (and only these courses).
• Course name and grade of any statistics class that you have taken, as well as the institution, semester, and year you took it. (You will still be considered even if you have not taken a statistics class. This question is to help us track who will need to take a statistics class before matriculation.)
• A 2-3 sentence summary of your research and clinical interests.
• The name(s) of the faculty member(s) with whom you would like to work and a sentence or two describing your interest and match for the specific faculty member. Visit our faculty mentors page for an updated list of faculty mentors and their interests.
• Agreement with our ethics policy related to trainees who experience conflicts working with diverse clients (you must agree to our policy for your application to be reviewed further).
• Any notes or comments to the committee to expand or explain any aspect of your application that needs clarification.

Interview Policy

The Clinical Psychology Program receives approximately 600 applications a year. From this applicant pool, we undertake an extensive review of applications and invite approximately 40 finalists for a day-long campus visit and interviews.

The Admissions Committee schedules interviews for all finalists once all applications have been reviewed. Interviews are an important part of the application process. Interviews are usually held in February, and applicants are notified of an invitation to interview in late January or early February.

Unfortunately, due to the size of our applicant pool, our policy is that clinical faculty do not conduct interviews with applicants who have not undergone our review process and have not been invited for an interview. We appreciate your interest in our program.

Deadlines & Cost

Students are admitted to the Clinical Psychology Program to work toward the PhD degree only; the program does not offer a terminal master's degree. Applications are due in the Graduate Admissions Office by December 1 for enrollment the following September. There are no spring semester admissions in the Clinical Psychology Program. The program expects to admit six to eight students each year.

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: See Bursar's website . Traditionally, we have been able to waive tuition and provide a stipend for students through at least the first four years and, for most, the duration of their on-campus years.

Core Courses (33 Credits)

• PSYCLN 601 - Assessment and Testing I 4 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 610 - Culture and Mental Health ; 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 613 - Lifespan Psychopathology 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 620 - Intervention Strategies 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 641 - Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior: Life Span Development I 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 642 - Social and Cultural Bases of Behavior: Life Span Development II 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 650 - Clinical Psychology Proseminar I 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 651 - Clinical Psychology Proseminar II 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 660 - Physiological Psychology 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 670 - Advanced Statistics 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 675 - Research Methods and Ethics in Clinical Psychology 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 680 - History and Systems 3 Credit(s)

Required Practicum Courses (24 Credits)

• PSYCLN 785 - Practicum and Ethics I 6 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 786 - Practicum and Ethics II 6 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 787 - Practicum III& 6 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 788 - Practicum IV 6 Credit(s)

Elective Practicum Courses and Training (4 or More Credits)

• PSYCLN 690 - Introduction to Clinical Outreach and Intervention Practicum 2-3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 692 - Clinical Research Practicum II 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 781 - Assessment Practicum I 1-4 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 782 - Assessment Practicum II 1-4 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 783 - Advanced Clinical Research Practicum I 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 784 - Advanced Clinical Research Practicum II 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 791 - Advanced Clinical Outreach, Intervention, and Consultation Practicum I 1-4 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 792 - Advanced Clinical Outreach, Intervention, and Consultation Practicum II 1-4 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 893 - Advanced Community Practicum I 1 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 894 - Advanced Community Practicum II 1 Credit(s)

Master’s Research Courses (6 Credits)

• PSYCLN 698 - Master’s Research 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 699 - Master’s Research Seminar 3 Credit(s)

Teaching Seminar (3 Credits)

• PSYCLN 891 - Teaching Seminar 3 Credit(s)

Elective Distribution Courses (12 Credits)

Complete four courses.

One course from must be taken from each of the four groups below.

Students may also enroll in additional non-required courses offered through other UMass Boston departments (e.g. language, psychotherapy, statistics, etc.) that may enhance their professional development.

Group 1: Therapy Approaches

• PSYCLN 721 - Child Therapy 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 726 - Cognitive Behavioral Theory and Therapy 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 727 - Emotion-Focused Psychotherapy 3 Credit(s)

Group 2: Assessment

• PSYCLN 701 - Neuropsychological Assessment 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 710 - Child Assessment 3 Credit(s)

Group 3: Advanced Methods and Analysis

• PSYCLN 770 - Advanced Statistics II - Latent Variable Modeling 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 775 - Qualitative Methods in Clinical Psychology 3 Credit(s)

Group 4: Diversity

• PSYCLN 745- Psychology and Activism for Social Justice 3 Credit(s)
• PSYCLN 879 - Advanced Community Psychology 3 Credit(s)

Graduation Criteria

Complete a minimum of 82 credits from at least 22 courses including twelve core courses, four required practicum courses, four elective practicum credits, two Master’s research courses, one teaching seminar, and four elective distribution courses.

The program requires a minimum of five years of full-time graduate study that includes three years of residency at UMass Boston, and the completion of an APA accredited internship prior to awarding the doctoral degree. Students are required to complete all coursework and to have completed their dissertation proposal prior to applying for an APA accredited internship.

Doctoral candidacy: Passage of a written qualifying exam. Master’s thesis: Complete an empirical master’s thesis. May be waived if successfully completed at another university. Dissertation: Compose and defend an empirical dissertation. Teaching experience: Students must teach in their fourth year of study. Practica: Students must complete two year-long, part-time practica in their second and third year of study. Internship: Students must complete a one-year, full-time APA accredited internship.

Statute of limitations: Eight years.

Contact & Faculty Mentors

Assistant Director Brooke Craveiro [email protected] (617)287-6340

The Clinical Psychology PhD Program at UMass Boston uses a clinical research apprenticeship model. Each first-year graduate student apprentices with a clinical faculty member who will serve as research mentor and advisor to the graduate student. For more information, please reference our summary of Clinical Psychology PhD 2024-2025 Faculty Mentors .

Psychology Department

Learn more about UMass Boston's Psychology department, our research, and our faculty.

Explore the Clinical Psychology PhD Program

Mission statement.

(Revised Spring 2017)

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association since 1993, University of Massachusetts Boston’s (UMass Boston) program in clinical psychology is based on a scientist-practitioner-activist model. The program prepares clinical psychologists who have an excellent foundation in psychological science and can translate their basic knowledge into practical applications to meet the mental health needs of children, adolescents, and adults from diverse sociocultural groups. Graduates of the program have the requisite skills to advance understanding of key human problems through research, scholarly activities, clinical practice, teaching, professional service, advocacy, and activism.

Our clinical psychology training model is biopsychosocial in its scientific orientation, and places special emphasis on the roles of culture and context in understanding the complexities of multiple dimensions of human behavior and functioning. This emphasis includes, but is not limited to, bringing to the study of clinical psychology an understanding of social justice, equity, oppression, systems of privilege and marginalization, procedural and relational justice, and epistemological and methodological marginalization. This includes a commitment to training a diverse workforce of scientist-practitioner-activist clinical psychologists. Among the many skills students learn in our program, we aim to develop within them a lifelong commitment to using clinical psychology to serve the general population and to meet the needs of marginalized individuals and communities by being culturally humble and responsive researchers, mentors, clinicians, supervisors, teachers, leaders, advocates, activists, and community members. The training in our program results from an affirmative commitment by both faculty and students to engage in ongoing personal reflection and reflection upon the practices in our field—to increase our self-awareness and guide thoughtful psychological practice and relevant social justice actions.

Our educational mission is to train scientist-practitioner-activist clinical psychologists who will:

• Engage in social science research, critical scholarly inquiry, and educational activities including scholarly analysis that specifically address social and structural inequities affecting psychosocial health and functioning, including but not limited to inequities based on social class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, disability, age, language, citizenship, immigration status, and religion.
• Provide affirming and empowering evidence-based clinical services to people across sociocultural groups and statuses.
• Serve as leaders, role models, and change-makers to promote social justice within their organizations, the profession of psychology, and other contexts. We aim to foster students’ capacity to serve as advocates and activists.
• Apply their developed awareness of how the field of clinical psychology is socially situated, reflect critically on the practices and purposes of our field, and understand how it can privilege or marginalize certain identities and lived experiences, treatment and assessment practices, and epistemological and philosophical positions.

Learning Objectives

To achieve these long term goals for our graduates, we have the following Learning Objectives for their time within our program. Our Learning Objectives line up with the longer term goals for our graduates related to Research (1), Practice (2), and Activism (3) above. The fourth aim above reflects our overall approach to how we approach all aspects of our training. It focuses on applying a reflective practice in critical social justice theory across all aspects of the work. In this way, it does not have specific learning objectives associated with it, but rather it serves as the lens through which we view research, practice, and activism.

Goal 1: To produce graduates who engage in clinical psychology research, critical scholarly inquiry and analysis, and educational activities that specifically address social and structural inequities affecting psychosocial health and functioning.

Objectives for Goal 1:

To provide students with:

• 1.1 Foundational knowledge in the science of psychology with specific attention to training in addressing social and structural inequalities with appropriate conceptual, methodological, and culturally sensitive skills.
• 1.2 The basic skills necessary to become critical consumers of the existing research literature, identifying gaps in the literature and developing the skills to design and implement rigorous research projects.
• 1.3 The skills necessary to evaluate research critically in relation to issues of contextual and cultural diversity and to design and conduct research that helps advance the field in understanding and attending to these issues.

Goal 2: To produce graduates who are knowledgeable about and skilled at providing affirming and empowering evidence-based clinical services to people across sociocultural groups and statuses.

Objectives for Goal 2:

• 2.1. Didactic and clinical training needed to become proficient in testing and assessment theory and practice that is both informed by scientific knowledge and is culturally responsive.
• 2.2 Didactic and clinical training needed to become proficient in a continuum of intervention skills in a manner that is culturally informed and responsive, guided by scientific knowledge, and that considers individual assessment performance in the context of developmental and broader systemic factors.
• 2.3 Introductory level knowledge of competencies in supervision and consultation skills, through exposure to the literature on best practices supervision.
• 2.4 Didactic knowledge and skills to understand, recognize, and address the contextual factors, positionality, and power dynamics inherent in co-constructed therapeutic relationships and embedded in clinical settings.

Goal 3: To produce graduates who have the awareness, knowledge, and skills to serve as leaders, role models, and change-makers to promote social justice within their organizations, the profession of psychology, and other contexts. We aim to foster students’ capacity to serve as advocates and activists.

Objectives for Goal 3:

• 3.1 Didactic experiences to provide foundational awareness, knowledge, and skills to engage in activism within clinical practice and research activities.
• 3.2 Training aimed at fostering growth to apply activist-informed awareness, knowledge, and skills across professional contexts.

Program Description

Our program coursework and training experiences emphasize:

• A biopsychosocial approach. Students learn to conceptualize and treat problems in living by considering not only problem behavior and mental disorders but also by considering the person within their physical, psychological, developmental, and social contexts. Research training gives students skills for analyzing problems from a variety of theoretical perspectives.
• Assessment and psychotherapy skills. The program trains students in a broad range of assessment and intervention skills that enable them to promote healthy adaptation, prevent the development of individual and social problems, and treat problem behavior and mental disorders. We teach students to critically reflect upon our field's use of assessments and clinical approaches and guide students to utilize or create culturally responsive, equitable approaches to serve all their clients.
• Sociocultural context. Within a broad understanding of sociocultural factors, our coursework highlights systemic oppression and privilege, power dynamics, and social and cultural approaches to clinical psychology. We emphasize the ways in which these factors affect individual development across the lifespan, relational interactions, and social groups and dynamics for all people-with a particular emphasis on how marginalized and disadvantaged individuals and groups are impacted. As a foundation for developing this understanding, and the ability to apply it to psychological activities, students reflect upon their own personal cultural situations and positionalities to better understand the experiences of others. They examine and develop skills regarding how to best advocate for their professional values in diverse and complex settings.
• Developmental phenomena in typical and atypical pathways. In our program, students learn about the range of lifespan developmental trajectories from infancy through adulthood. This focus helps to elucidate the ways in which relationships and other environmental factors can support or hinder adaptive or maladaptive development, with the recognition that behaviors which are adaptive in one context may be maladaptive in another. Consistent with our biopsychosocial orientation, students embrace the complexity of developmental processes by taking into consideration the dynamic and transactional interplay of physiological, genetic, social, cognitive, emotional, and cultural influences across time.
• Skills toward practice. Students have the opportunity to take coursework and engage in supervised pre-doctoral clinical training experiences that can be used towards attaining licensure in Massachusetts and many other states.

Program Policies

Policy Statement for Clinical Training

Program Policies Related to Trainees Who Experience Conflicts Working with Diverse Clients (Adapted from the Sample APA Policy Recommendations) (see Handbook)

As articulated in our program policy statement, we are committed to a training process that ensures that graduate students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work effectively with members of the public who embody intersecting demographics, attitudes, beliefs, and values. In our Counseling Center practica and in the training we provide in our other on- and off-campus practicum courses we are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community. Consistent with this principle, the Counseling Center policy and our policy for on campus practicum experiences require that trainers and trainees do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status in the services provided at the training clinic or practicum site.

In some cases, tensions may arise for a student due to differences in beliefs or values with clients. Because the students will have to navigate these sorts of clinical situations in their future practice careers, the program has a responsibility to prepare students to do so in a safe and ethical manner. The program will respectfully work with students as they learn how to effectively practice with a broad range of clients. Thus, students should expect to be assigned clients that may present challenges for them at some point in training.

If trainees do not feel comfortable or capable of providing competent services to a client because it conflicts with the trainee's beliefs or values, it is the trainee's responsibility to bring this issue to the attention of his/her supervisor. Because client welfare and safety are always the first priority, decisions about client assignment and reassignment are the responsibility of the faculty/supervisors.

Other Policies

You may view our mental health policy as well as our other policies in the clinical handbook.

College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

Student Handbook

Download the Clinical Psychology PhD Handbook .

Student Admissions, Outcomes & Data

Download documentation on our student admissions, outcomes, and other data.

Accreditation Questions

Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation :

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 202.336.5979 [email protected]

Clinical and Translational Science MS and PhD Programs

The CTS Program offers two different degree options, a PhD program and an MS program. Descriptions of the requirements and courses for each program can be found in the  GSBS catalog .

PhD Program

Trainees typically enter the PhD Program following admission to the MS Program and completion of didactic work and a qualifying exam. Trainees who have a MS in Clinical Research or an equivalent degree may apply directly to the PhD program.

Trainees in the PhD program may select from three areas of concentration: Clinical Discovery and Investigation, Clinical Effectiveness Research, and Practice to Policy Research.  Other areas of strength are training in predictive modeling, translational and molecular epidemiology, decision analysis, and cost effectiveness studies. The diverse faculty exposes students in depth to each of these areas and allows them to pursue doctoral research that matches their clinical interests.

PhD graduates of the program are well-prepared for a career in academic medicine that involves significant research.

The Master's Program is a two year, full time program and also serves as the entry portal for the PhD Program in Clinical & Translational Science.

The MS Program offers students the option of choosing among three areas of concentration: Clinical Discovery and Investigation, Clinical Effectiveness Research, and Practice to Policy Research. Other areas of strength are training in predictive modeling, translational and molecular epidemiology, decision analysis, and cost effectiveness studies. The diverse CTS faculty has expertise across this spectrum.

Graduates of the MS program typically become academic physicians whose careers involve research as well as patient care.

• Program Finder
• Admissions Services
• Course Directory
• Academic Calendar
• Hybrid Campus
• Lecture Series
• Convocation
• Strategy and Development
• Implementation and Impact
• Integrity and Oversight
• In the School
• In the Field
• In Baltimore
• Resources for Practitioners
• Articles & News Releases
• In The News
• Statements & Announcements
• At a Glance
• Student Life
• Strategic Priorities
• Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE)
• What is Public Health?
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Investigation

Offered By: Graduate Training Programs in Clinical Investigation (GTPCI)

Onsite | Full-Time | 3 – 5 years

• MAS Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Master of Arts (MA) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Master of Arts and Master of Science in Public Health (MA/MSPH)
• Master of Arts in Public Health Biology (MAPHB)
• Master of Bioethics (MBE)
• MHA Frequently Asked Questions
• Mission, Vision, and Values
• MHA Executive in Residence and Alumni
• Student Experience
• Program Outcomes
• Bachelor's/MHA Program
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Epidemiology
• Alumni Update
• MHS Combined with a Certificate Program
• Master of Health Science (MHS) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Alumni Highlights
• Post-Baccalaureate Program in Environmental Health for Pre-Medicine Students
• Bachelor's/MHS in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• MHS HEOR Careers
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Master of Health Science (MHS)
• Concurrent School-Wide Master of Health Science Program in Biostatistics
• Master of Health Science - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Master of Health Science Online (MHS) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Careers in Health Economics
• Core Competencies
• Meet the Director
• What is Health Economics
• MPH Capstone Schedule
• Concentrations
• Online/Part-Time Format
• Requirements

Tuition and Funding

• Executive Board Faculty
• Master of Science (MS) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Independent Professional Project and Final Essay 
• Program Objectives and Outcomes
• Internships
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Biostatistics
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Epidemiology
• Master of Science (ScM) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• ScM Faculty Advisers
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) in Geography and Environmental Engineering
• Bachelor's/MSPH in Health Policy
• FAQ for MSPH in Health Policy
• Field Placement Experience
• MSPH Capstone
• MSPH Practicum
• Required and Elective Courses
• Student Timeline
• Career Opportunities
• 38-Week Dietetics Practicum
• Completion Requirements
• MSPH/RD Program FAQ
• Program Goals
• Master's Essay Titles
• Application Fee Waiver Requirements
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Biostatistics
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Epidemiology
• Program Goals and Expectations
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health
• Track in Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health
• Track in Exposure Sciences and Environmental Epidemiology
• Track in Health Security
• Track in Toxicology, Physiology and Molecular Mechanisms
• PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisers
• Recent Graduates and Dissertation Titles
• PhD Funding
• PhD TA Requirement
• Recent Dissertation Titles
• JHU-Tsinghua Doctor of Public Health
• Core Course Requirements
• Concentration in Women’s and Reproductive Health
• Custom Track
• Concentration in Environmental Health
• Concentration in Global Health: Policy and Evaluation
• Concentration in Health Equity and Social Justice
• Concentration in Health Policy and Management
• Concentration in Implementation Science
• Meet Current Students
• Combined Bachelor's / Master's Programs
• Concurrent MHS Option for BSPH Doctoral Students
• Concurrent MSPH Option for JHSPH Doctoral students
• Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD)
• Adolescent Health Certificate Program
• Bioethics Certificate Program
• Climate and Health Certificate Program
• Clinical Trials Certificate Program
• Community- Based Public Health Certificate Program
• Demographic Methods Certificate Program
• Environmental and Occupational Health Certificate Program
• Epidemiology for Public Health Professionals Certificate Program
• Evaluation: International Health Programs Certificate Program
• Food Systems, the Environment and Public Health Certificate Program
• Frequently Asked Questions for Certificate Programs
• Gender and Health Certificate Program
• Gerontology Certificate Program
• Global Digital Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Certificate Program
• Global Health Practice Certificate Program
• Health Communication Certificate Program
• Health Disparities and Health Inequality Certificate Program
• Health Education Certificate Program
• Health Finance and Management Certificate Program
• Health and Human Rights Certificate Program
• Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program
• Humane Sciences and Toxicology Policy Certificate Program
• Humanitarian Health Certificate Program
• Implementation Science and Research Practice Certificate Program
• Injury and Violence Prevention Certificate Program
• International Healthcare Management and Leadership Certificate Program
• Leadership for Public Health and Healthcare Certificate Program
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Public Health Certificate Program
• Maternal and Child Health Certificate Program
• Mental Health Policy, Economics and Services Certificate Program
• Non-Degree Students General Admissions Info
• Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Certificate Program
• Population Health Management Certificate Program
• Population and Health Certificate Program
• Product Stewardship for Sustainability Certificate Program
• Public Health Advocacy Certificate Program
• Public Health Economics Certificate Program
• Public Health Informatics Certificate Program
• Public Health Practice Certificate Program
• Declaration of Intent - Public Health Preparedness
• Public Health Training Certificate for American Indian Health Professionals
• Public Mental Health Research Certificate Program
• Quality, Patient Safety and Outcomes Research Certificate Program
• Quantitative Methods in Public Health Certificate Program
• Requirements for Successful Completion of a Certificate Program
• Rigor, Reproducibility, and Responsibility in Scientific Practice Certificate Program
• Risk Sciences and Public Policy Certificate Program
• Spatial Analysis for Public Health Certificate Program
• Training Certificate in Public Health
• Tropical Medicine Certificate Program
• Tuition for Certificate Programs
• Vaccine Science and Policy Certificate Program
• Online Student Experience
• Online Programs for Applied Learning
• Barcelona Information
• Fall Institute Housing Accommodations
• Participating Centers
• Registration, Tuition, and Fees
• Agency Scholarship Application
• General Scholarship Application
• UPF Scholarship Application
• Course Evaluations
• Online Courses
• Important Guidance for Onsite Students
• Registration
• General Institute Tuition Information
• International Students
• Directions to the Bloomberg School
• All Courses
• Important Guidance for ONSITE Students
• D.C. Courses
• Registration and Fees
• Cancellation and Closure Policies
• Application Procedures
• Career Search
• Current Activities
• Current Trainees
• Related Links
• Process for Appointing Postdoctoral Fellows
• Message from the Director
• Program Details
• Admissions FAQ
• Current Residents
• Elective Opportunities for Visiting Trainees
• What is Occupational and Environmental Medicine?
• Admissions Info
• Graduates by Year
• Compensation and Benefits
• How to Apply
• Academic Committee
• Course Details and Registration
• Tuition and Fees
• ONLINE SOCI PROGRAM
• Principal Faculty
• Johns Hopkins RAPID Psychological First Aid
• General Application
• JHHS Application
• Areas of Study
• Important Dates
• Our Faculty
• Welcome Letter
• Descripción los Cursos
• Programa en Epidemiología para Gestores de Salud, Basado en Internet
• Consultants
• Britt Dahlberg, PhD
• Joke Bradt, PhD, MT-BC
• Mark R. Luborsky, PhD
• Marsha Wittink, PhD
• Rebekka Lee, ScD
• Su Yeon Lee-Tauler, PhD
• Theresa Hoeft, PhD
• Vicki L. Plano Clark, PhD
• Program Retreat
• Mixed Methods Applications: Illustrations
• Announcements
• 2023 Call for Applications
• Jennifer I Manuel, PhD, MSW
• Joke Bradt, PhD
• Josiemer Mattei, PhD, MPH
• Justin Sanders, MD, MSc
• Linda Charmaran, PhD
• Nao Hagiwara, PhD
• Nynikka R. A. Palmer, DrPH, MPH
• Olayinka O. Shiyanbola, BPharm, PhD
• Sarah Ronis, MD, MPH
• Susan D. Brown, PhD
• Tara Lagu, MD, MPH
• Theresa Hoft, PhD
• Wynne E. Norton, PhD
• Yvonne Mensa-Wilmot, PhD, MPH
• A. Susana Ramírez, PhD, MPH
• Animesh Sabnis, MD, MSHS
• Autumn Kieber-Emmons, MD, MPH
• Benjamin Han, MD, MPH
• Brooke A. Levandowski, PhD, MPA
• Camille R. Quinn, PhD, AM, LCSW
• Justine Wu, MD, MPH
• Kelly Aschbrenner, PhD
• Kim N. Danforth, ScD, MPH
• Loreto Leiva, PhD
• Marie Brault, PhD
• Mary E. Cooley, PhD, RN, FAAN
• Meganne K. Masko, PhD, MT-BC/L
• PhuongThao D. Le, PhD, MPH
• Rebecca Lobb, ScD, MPH
• Allegra R. Gordon, ScD MPH
• Anita Misra-Hebert, MD MPH FACP
• Arden M. Morris, MD, MPH
• Caroline Silva, PhD
• Danielle Davidov, PhD
• Hans Oh, PhD
• J. Nicholas Dionne-Odom, PhD RN ACHPN
• Jacqueline Mogle, PhD
• Jammie Hopkins, DrPH, MS
• Joe Glass, PhD MSW
• Karen Whiteman, PhD MSW
• Katie Schultz, PhD MSW
• Rose Molina, MD
• Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, ScD MPA
• Andrew Riley, PhD
• Byron J. Powell, PhD, LCSW
• Carrie Nieman MD, MPH
• Charles R. Rogers, PhD, MPH, MS, CHES®
• Emily E. Haroz, PhD
• Jennifer Tsui, Ph.D., M.P.H.
• Jessica Magidson, PhD
• Katherine Sanchez, PhD, LCSW
• Kelly Doran, MD, MHS
• Kiara Alvarez, PhD
• LaPrincess C. Brewer, MD, MPH
• Melissa Radey, PhD, MA, MSSW
• Sophia L. Johnson, PharmD, MPH, PhD
• Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS
• Virginia McKay, PhD
• Andrew Cohen, MD, PhD
• Angela Chen, PhD, PMHNP-BC, RN
• Christopher Salas-Wright, PhD, MSW
• Eliza Park MD, MS
• Jaime M. Hughes, PhD, MPH, MSW
• Johanne Eliacin, PhD, HSPP
• Lingrui Liu ScD MS
• Meaghan Kennedy, MD
• Nicole Stadnick, PhD, MPH
• Paula Aristizabal, MD
• Radhika Sundararajan, MD
• Sara Mamo, AuD, PhD
• Tullika Garg, MD MPH FACS
• Allison Magnuson, DO
• Ariel Williamson PhD, DBSM
• Benita Bamgbade, PharmD, PhD
• Christopher Woodrell MD
• Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan, MD, MSHPM
• Jasmine Abrams, PhD
• Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, MD
• Karen Flórez, DrPH, MPH
• Lavanya Vasudevan, PhD, MPH, CPH
• Maria Garcia, MD, MPH
• Robert Brady, PhD
• Saria Hassan, MD
• Scherezade Mama, DrPH
• Yuan Lu, ScD
• 2021 Scholars
• Sign Up for Our Email List
• Workforce Training
• Cells-to-Society Courses
• Course/Section Numbers Explained
• The George G. Graham Lecture

About the PhD in Clinical Investigation Program

The program is targeted toward internal physician postdoctoral fellows in clinical departments of the School of Medicine. It involves one year of full-time academic classroom work, followed by at least two years of mentored training in clinical research. The combination of a year of instruction and a year of clinicals allows students the scientific grounding for subsequent original research. This research effort is jointly mentored by faculty from the program and a mentor from the student’s SOM department. After fulfilling all requirements, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Investigation is awarded by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Curriculum for the PhD in Clinical Investigation

Browse an overview of this program's requirements in the JHU  Academic Catalogue  and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School  Course Directory .

Prerequisites for the PhD Degree

• Satisfactory completion of 90 credit hours of course work, including one year of full-time in-residency course work
• Five additional courses to be taken in the second or third years
• Continuous registration for the Research Forum and registration for Thesis Research each term
• Completion of a Comprehensive Exam at the end of the didactic year
• Satisfaction of all university requirements for the PhD, including completion of a Preliminary Oral Examination, Thesis Preparation, and Thesis Defense

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the How to Apply page. For our PhD specific application requirements, please see our How to Apply page.

This specific program also requires:

Prior Graduate Degree

Advanced medical degree: e.g., MD, MBBS, PhD

Prior Work Experience

Work with human subjects in clinical investigation

Standardized Test Scores

Standardized test scores  are required  for this program. This program accepts the following standardized test scores: USMLE and GRE or MCAT.  Applications will be reviewed holistically based on all application components.

GTPCI is one of 60 national recipients of an NIH-sponsored CTSA KL2 Award to support institutional career development programs for physicians and dentists, encouraging them to become independent, patient-oriented clinical investigators. This Multi- disciplinary Clinical Research Career Development Program funds clinical research training for a broad group of physicians, dentists, and other scientists who have a doctorate in a health-related field, including pharmacy, nursing, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences. The Johns Hopkins KL2 program will provide career development support for junior faculty physicians or dentists from within Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Information regarding the cost of tuition and fees can be found on the Bloomberg School's Tuition and Fees page.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU  starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help.

Director Khalil Ghanem, MD, PhD

Academic Program Manager Cristina A. DeNardo, MEd 410-502-9734 [email protected]

Search Filters:

Phone Numbers

Routine and emergency care.

Companion Animal Hospital in Ithaca, NY for cats, dogs, exotics, and wildlife

Equine and Nemo Farm Animal Hospitals in Ithaca, NY for horses and farm animals

Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, on Long Island for every horse

Ambulatory and Production Medicine for service on farms within 30 miles of Ithaca, NY

Animal Health Diagnostic Center New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

General Information

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York 14853-6401

Dr. Sun A. Kim, DVM, MS, DACVB, PhD

Department of Clinical Sciences

Assistant professor, duffield institute for animal behavior.

Department of Clinical Sciences Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine 930 Campus Road Ithaca, NY 14853 Fax: 607.253.3271 Email: [email protected]

Clinical/Research Interest

• Animal behavior medicine • Pet-friendly medicine, Fear Free • Coaching and communication skills • English-Korean medical interpretation/translation

Education and Training

• 2017-2020     Residency, University of California Davis, California
• 2010-2023     Ph.D., Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
• 2008-2010     MS, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
• 1998-2005     DVM, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea

Publications

Awards and honors, professional/academic affiliations.

Clinical Research, Graduate Certificate

Quicklinks: Curriculum • Cost

Program at a Glance

• 16 Credits Required
• $925  Current Cost per Credit
• 8–12  months Completion Time

Clinical research is the fastest-growing discipline in the burgeoning medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Keeping pace with the ever-increasing body of knowledge and new regulatory procedures generated by advances in clinical research is critical to career success.

Boston University’s online Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research—designed and offered by BU’s School of Medicine—is an opportunity for clinical researchers, health professionals, and those interested in clinical research to gain an in-depth understanding of the scientific fundamentals of human research. Courses in the curriculum provide an in-depth look at a number of the key elements in clinical research, including: trial design and conduct, clinical research regulations, good clinical practices of research, and the critical evaluation of clinical research in the medical literature.

Upon completion, students will have developed essential skills and understanding involving the elements and importance of good clinical research design, implementation, and practices. Clinical and health professionals of all varieties—including physicians, research nurses study coordinators, managers in clinical research and site management, and professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries, as well as CRO and SMO organizations—will benefit from this opportunity to earn a graduate certificate from Boston University’s School of Medicine, a leading research institution.

Why Choose BU’s Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research?

• Earn a graduate certificate from Boston University’s School of Medicine, a leading research institution.
• Complete a valuable professional credential in just four full semesters of study.
• Increase skills and knowledge in clinical investigation.
• Qualify to sit for the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) Clinical Research Coordinator exam.

Boston University offers competitive tuition rates that meet the needs of part-time students seeking an affordable education. These rates are substantially lower than those of the traditional, full-time residential programs yet provide access to the same high-quality BU education. To learn more about current tuition rates, visit the  Tuition & Fees page .

Students can apply a portion of the credits earned in Boston University’s Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research program toward a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) . (Note: The MSCR program is comprised of campus-based courses and is not available in an online format.)

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research program include an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution and a completed application form.

GMSCI640 OL Regulatory and Compliance Issues

This course explains the regulatory requirements for health-care products, that is, drugs, biologics, and devices. It is intended for those interested in regulatory affairs or the clinical evaluation, development, manufacture, testing and/or commercialization of these products. Provides an in-depth review of pertinent FDA regulations and guidance and links these to the scientific and logistical activities involved in taking a medical product from research to market. Content and preparation of regulatory submissions, including an Investigational New Drug Application (IND), an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), a New Drug Application (NDA), a Biologic License Application (BLA), a Pre-Market Approval Application (PMA), and a 510K Pre- Market Notification are described. 4 cr, Fall sem. [4 credits]

GMSCI660 OL Good Clinical Practices in Clinical Research

This course introduces students to the regulatory responsibilities of sponsors, monitors, and investigators conducting clinical trials. Practical information and exercises are designed to demonstrate GCP compliance from an industry perspective as well as from an academic perspective. Topics Include: Human protection in clinical trials, institutional review boards, selecting and qualifying investigators, consenting subjects, initiating, monitoring and closing out sites successfully and safety monitoring in clinical trials. Group discussions and exercises help students learn practical skills. 4 cr, Fall sem. [4 credits]

GMSCI675 OL Designing Clinical Research Studies

This course covers important scientific and epidemiologic principles necessary for designing clinical research studies. Topics include bias, confounding, developing the research question, defining an appropriate study population, choosing outcome measures, clinical research ethics and regulation, sample size determination, and statistical analysis issues. Students will design and present a clinical research study during the course. 4 cr, Fall sem. [4 credits]

GMSCI789 OL Crit Evalmedlit

This course description is currently under construction. [4 credits]

Getting Started

To receive more information or to contact an enrollment advisor to start the application process, click the button below and tell us a little about yourself. Someone will be in touch to answer any questions you may have about the program and detail the next steps in earning your degree.

• Learn More from the School of Medicine

Skip to content

Initiatives and Committees

Plan your research, join a study, dean armstrong announces inaugural chief research information officer for cuimc- despina kontos, phd.

At the recommendation of a task force started in 2022 led by Muredach Reilly , MBBCh, Director of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Dean Katrina Armstrong has appointed Despina Kontos, PhD, to lead CUIMC's research computing and IT upgrades as the inaugural Chief Research Information Officer for CUIMC. Her appointment is effective immediately (March 19, 2024). 

Dr. Kontos  will oversee the strategic planning and direction of resources devoted to research informatics, technology, and computing (RITC) across the medical center and ultimately will implement an " academic and research-focused governance structure for future strategic planning, needs assessment, and prioritization, all with a culture of transparency and communication."

Read Dean Armstrong's full announcement here .

Two pediatricians awarded grants as part of ICTS’s Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program

Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) and The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital have awarded Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD, and Sarah Greene, MD, PhD, grants as part of the 17th annual Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP). This program is the largest internal grant funding program in the ICTS, requiring applicants to submit proposals for projects in three categories: clinical/translational, community-engaged research, and biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design.

Brian DeBosch, MD, PhD

Project title: “Predictors of Childhood Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease Through Early-Life Stool Virome and Metagenomics” Washington University School of Medicine: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

This project aims to identify predictors of obesity and its metabolic complications in otherwise healthy children using virome and metagenomic data from the first stools in life. If we are successful, the data will justify two key next steps. First we will have newly discovered information to then study how and why these virome or metagenomic agents might interact with the host to cause metabolic disease in children. Second, we will validate the predictive findings in subsequent patient cohorts. Our long term goal is to develop early life stool clinical biomarkers to predict obesity and its complications.

Sarah Greene, MD, PhD

Project title: Developing Diagnostics for Onchocerciasis Washington University School of Medicine: Department of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases

Onchocerciasis is the 2nd leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, with > 200 million people at risk of infection in Africa. The World Health Organization coordinates efforts to eliminate this infection, but improved diagnostic tests are needed to map infected areas and assess program success. We used a novel approach for protein analysis of parasite reproductive tissue isolated by laser capture from biopsies of infected patients to identify candidate biomarkers for diagnosis of active infections. We identified and will further evaluate 2 potential biomarkers. Further studies of these and additional biomarkers identified in this project may lead to new diagnostic tests needed for elimination of this disease.

Department of Emergency Medicine

• Support Emergency Medicine
• Current Physician Openings
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• Academic Program
• Clinical Sites
• Prehospital Care
• Current Residents
• Education Office Staff
• Applying to Our Program
• Medical Toxicology Fellowship
• EMS Fellowship
• T32 Fellowship in Emergency Care
• Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship
• Administration and Physician Leadership Fellowship
• Medical Student Rotations
• Visiting Medical Students
• Research Opportunities
• Student Shadowing
• Executive Leadership
• Vice Chairs
• Division and Site Chiefs
• Faculty - Secondary
• Faculty - Adjunct
• Education Division
• Emergency Medicine Division
• EMS Division
• Post Cardiac Arrest Division
• Medical Toxicology Division
• Ultrasound Division
• Urgent Care Division
• Emergency Medicine Advanced Practice Providers
• Urgent Care Advanced Practice Providers
• Visiting Scholars
• Ongoing Research
• Applied Physiology Laboratory
• Post-Cardiac Arrest Service (PCAS)
• Substance Use Disorders

Clinical Trials in Emergency Medicine

• Preclinical Research
• Archived COVID-19 Resources for EMS & Fire First Responders and Clinicians
• The EMS Shift Work Project
• Emergency Medicine
• About Medical Toxicology
• Inpatient & Consultation
• Outpatient Clinic
• Rotation& Education
• Hyperbaric Medicine
• What is Cardiac Arrest
• PCAS Special Care - information for providers
• Pittsburgh Cardiac Arrest Category (PCAC) Tool
• Cerebral Performance Categories - Extended (CPC-E)
• PCAS Educational Programs for providers
• STAT and STAT-MD

The Department of Emergency Medicine participates in multiple clinical trial networks and also conducts local investigator-initiated clinical trials.  Research specialists support enrollment in these trials in the emergency department and by coordinating with emergency medical services. 

SIREN (Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clincal Trial Network) is a jointly NINDS-NHLBI supported network dedicated to testing interventions for brain, heart, lung or blood emergencies.  SIREN is a continuation of both the Resusciation Outcomes Consortium (NHLBI) and the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trial network (NINDS).  Current and recent trials in include:

• BIO-BOOST is collecting biospecimens from traumatic brain injury patients
• ELECTRO-BOOST is collecting continuous EEG data from patients recovering from severe traumatic brain injury
• PRECICECAP is collecting high resolution EEG, imaging and other data from patients recovering from cardiac arrest to determine individual response to treatment
• C3PO (completed) tested whether COVID-19 onvalescent plasma administered in the ED prevented progression of COVID-19 in outpatients

PETAL (Prevention & Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury) is an NHLBI supported network dedicated to testing early treatments for acute lung injury.  Current trials include:

• CLOVERS (Crystalloid Liberal or Vasopressors Early Resuscitation in Sepsis) (completed) is testing two approaches to treatment of sepsis: early initiation of vaopressor drugs versus early large volume fluid resuscitation.
• ASTER is testing whether acetaminophen improves recovery in sepsis

LITES (Linking Investigations in Trauma and Emergency Services) is a Department of Defense supported network dedicated to testing emergency treatment for traumatic injury. Current trials include:

• Study of whole blood versus blood component therapy in resuscitation of severe trauma with hemorrhagic shock
• Fentanyl versus ketamine for pain control
• Supraglottic versus endotracheal tubes for airway support

Online Graduate Certificate Program

Clinical research is the fastest-growing discipline in the burgeoning medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Keeping pace with the ever-increasing body of knowledge and new regulatory procedures generated by advances in clinical research is critical to career success. To help researchers keep up to date, Graduate Medical Sciences at Boston University School of Medicine offers non-degree graduate certificate program in Clinical Research: the Online Graduate Certificate program .

Program Overview:

This non-degree program was developed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific fundamentals of human research. The curriculum provides an in-depth understanding of key, fundamental elements of clinical research, including:

• Clinical trial design and conduct
• Clinical research regulations
• Good clinical practices of research
• Critical evaluation of the medical, research literature

Who can benefit from this program?

Clinical and health professionals of all varieties, including:

• research nurses
• study coordinators
• managers in clinical research and site management
• professionals in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, as well as CRO and SMO organizations

Benefits of this program:

• Earn a graduate certificate from Boston University’s School of Medicine, a leading research institution
• Apply a portion of the credits earned toward BU’s Master of Science in Clinical Research   (note: The MSCR program is comprised of campus-based courses and is not available in an online format)
• Complete a valuable professional credential in just 2-4 full semesters of study while increasing your skills and knowledge in clinical research

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research, students are expected to: 1.      Demonstrate the ability to design and conduct clinical research, interpret results and answer a research question. 2.      Demonstrate the ability to read and critique the clinical research literature.

Learn more about our available certificate option:

• Online Graduate Certificate