LSUS offering clinical research certificate 07/09/02

LSU in Shreveport is now offering a certificate in Clinical Research Administration, a program not offered anywhere else in the mid-south region.

Clinical Research Administration coordinates the business and protocol aspects of pharmaceutical drug trials and treatment regimens. Students with a chemistry or biology background are prime candidates for this certificate program, although any student interested in medicine and the health care field who completes the requirements for this program will be awarded the certificate.

The certificate offering is in response to a survey conducted among LSUS students to gauge their interest in pursuing such a program. It is also in response to a survey conducted among local physicians to assess their interest in hiring graduates of the program.

Students interested in patient care research and the health care field are the ideal candidates for this program. After completion of the requirements for the certificate, graduates will be well-prepared to assist physicians in the clinical trials they conduct.

Physicians are interested in hiring trained personnel to manage and coordinate the clinical trials executed in their offices. Students will acquire the knowledge and skills required for accurate data reporting and precise recording of data on the pharmaceutical company data collection forms.

The first part of the clinical research administration course – CRA I – will offered in the fall 2002 semester, which begins Aug. 26. CRA II and the Good Clinical Practices seminar will both be offered in the spring 2003 semester, beginning Jan. 13.

Course requirements – a total of 24 credit hours – for students interested in pursuing the certificate in Clinical Research Administration are:

CRA I (3 hrs)
CRA II (3 hrs)
Good Clinical Practices (2 hrs)
CRA internship (3 hrs)
BIOS 190 – Health Sciences seminar (1 hr)
COMM 120 – Medical terminology (3 hrs)
ENGL 325 – Technical writing (3 hrs)
MADM 150 – Computer tools in business (3 hrs)
MATH 290 – Selected Topics In Bio-Statistics (3 hrs)

For more information and course dates, contact Dr. Kavita Moorti at 318-797-5355.