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Research Practice for Health Professionals

Certificate in Research Practice for Health Professionals

The Certificate in Research Practice for Health Professionals provides medical professionals and students with rigorous, foundational training in designing, conducting, and collaborating on health research and writing grant proposals competitive at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies.

Challenges to optimal health and well-being are increasingly multifaceted and require transdisciplinary research teams made up of health professionals who are not only highly skilled in the science and art of protecting and improving the health of communities through medical practice, but also highly skilled in conducting methodologically rigorous and effective research.

Program Highlights
  • This program is ideal for diverse audiences, including clinical practitioners, allied-health practitioners, medical students, and post-baccalaureate and baccalaureate pre-medical students interested in gaining ample expertise in health research and/or writing competitive grant proposals.
  • Apply courses in this certificate program toward completion of the Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Evaluation & Applied Research degrees. Grade must be B or better. Some courses are offered in online versions.
  • Work with faculty who have many years of demonstrated expertise in research design and execution, statistics and power analysis, large collaborative NIH projects and centers, and successful grant writing.
  • You are able to pursue this certificate in conjunction with another degree program. You earn a diploma/credential for each degree and “double count” some units from one program to the other to decrease your required total units.

Program At-a-glance

  • 16 units

    required units

  • Certificate in Research Practice for Health Professionals

    degree awarded

  • Online

    modality

  • Spring, Fall

    program start

  • 1 year | full time*

    estimated completion time

Faculty

  • Portrait of Jessica DeHart

    Jessica Clague DeHart

    Associate Professor of Community and Global Health

    Research Interests

    Epidemiology, chronic disease, cancer etiology, cancer survivorship, molecular and genetic epidemiology, lifestyle intervention trials, exercise, nutrition, quality of life, community-based interventions

  • Kendall Bronk

    Kendall Cotton Bronk

    Professor of Psychology

    Research Interests

    Purpose in Life, Adolescent Moral Development, Positive Youth Development, Qualitative Methods

  • Portrait of Darleen Peterson

    Darleen V. Peterson

    Professor of Practice, Community and Global Health
    Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
    Director of the Certificate and Master of Public Health (MPH) programs

    Research Interests

    Evaluation of Health Communication Campaigns, Effects of Pro- and Anti-Tobacco and Alcohol Marketing; Public Health Education Accreditation

  • Kim Reynolds

    Kim D. Reynolds

    Professor

    Research Interests

    Nutrition and physical activity, Health promotion and disease prevention, Diabetes and obesity

  • Jason Siegel

    Jason T. Siegel

    Professor of Psychology

    Research Interests

    Social Psychology, Health Psychology, Persuasion, Survey Research

  • Portrait of Alan Stacy

    Alan Stacy

    Professor
    Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

    Research Interests

    Application of theories and methods of human memory; Cognitive neuroscience and social cognition to health behavior: etiology, prevention, and media effects; Translation of basic research to field research, high-risk populations, and prevention; Validation issues in assessment

  • Portrait of Bin Xie

    Bin Xie

    Professor of Community and Global Health
    Director of the Applied Biostatistics (MS) program

    Research Interests

    Obesity prevention; Tobacco control; Diet, physical activity, body image in adolescents; Psychological adjustment to obesity; Diabetes and cancer; Application of statistical analysis in prevention research

Curriculum

Core Courses (12 units/3 courses)
Methods
Choose one course from:

  • Research Methods OR
  • Advanced Research Methods OR
  • Evaluation & Applied Research Methods: A Survey of Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches

Statistics
Choose one course from:

  • Biostatistics OR
  • Advanced Statistical Methods OR
  • Quantitative Analysis & Statistics for Evaluation & Applied Research

Proposal Development

  • Seminar in Grant Writing & Proposal Development

Elective Course (4 units/1 course)

  • Foundations of Health Promotion & Education
  • Epidemiology
  • Data Analysis using SAS
  • Emerging Chronic & Infectious Diseases Worldwide
  • Geospatial Epidemiology
  • Qualitative Analysis & Statistics for Evaluation & Applied Research
  • Mixed Methods in Evaluation & Applied Research
  • Global Health Evaluation & Applied Research

Professional Development Experience
In addition to required courses and one elective of your choosing, certificate students engage in one professional development experience: attending occasional seminars emphasizing applied research methods or participating in a research project with a CGU faculty or collaborator.

Waiving Statistics Course
With prior approval, the statistics course requirement can be waived for those providing evidence of sufficient previous education in statistics. In this case, an additional elective class should be chosen from the elective or methods class lists above.

Application Guidelines

University Requirements
Application Fee

$80 (fee is non-refundable)

Official Transcripts

Undergraduate/graduate

Applicants must submit a sealed, official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution that has granted the applicant a degree. Electronic transcripts sent to admissions@cgu.edu are also accepted. For undergraduate coursework, applicants are required to submit proof of a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for review purposes, but official copies will be required upon admission.

Applicants currently earning a degree that will be completed prior to attending CGU are required to submit a transcript showing work in progress for evaluation purposes. Once the degree has been granted, a final official transcript documenting the degree conferred must be submitted to CGU.

International applicants are advised to review the International Transcript Guidelines for additional information on submitting international transcripts.

English Proficiency Exam

Required (international applicants only)

A valid score on one of the following examinations TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson PTE, Duolingo English Test is required of all non-native English-speaking applicants. The examination is not required for the following applicants:

  • Citizens or permanent residents of countries where English is the sole official language of instruction, e.g., Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada (except Quebec), England, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad, Tobago, Uganda, and Wales (see the CGU Bulletin for a complete list of accepted countries).
  • Applicants who hold an undergraduate or advanced degree, or will have earned such a degree prior to enrolling at CGU, from an institution in the US or in countries where English is the sole official language of instruction (see above).
  • Applicants who have successfully completed an academic English pre-master’s or intensive graduate bridge program from a nationally recognized, regionally accredited four-year college or university in the United States in the last two years, with submitted evidence of successful completion, and subject to curriculum approval.
  • CGU allows for an English proficiency waiver if the applicant has received, or will receive prior to enrollment at CGU, an undergraduate or advanced degree from an institution where English is one of the primary languages of instruction for the majority of courses in the student’s program. To receive the waiver, documentation must be provided by the applicant to show that English is the language of instruction at their university/college.

CGU’s school code for the TOEFL exam is 4053.

International applicants are encouraged to visit our International Applicants page for more information, including score requirements.

Resume

Applicants must submit an up-to-date copy of their resume.

Program Requirements
Statement of Purpose

Please submit a 2-3 page statement of purpose that details your academic and/or professional achievements, your specific areas of research interest within your desired field of study, why you are a strong candidate for graduate studies at CGU, and your career goals.

Letter of Recommendation

3 letters required

When filling out the online application, please enter references acquainted with your potential for success who will submit a written recommendation on your behalf. In most academic departments, references from faculty members who can speak to your academic ability are preferred; applicants with substantial work experience may request professional references. Please do not enter family members as references.

You will be required to input information for your recommenders (whether they are submitting online or not) in the “Recommendations” section of the online application. Please follow the directions in this section carefully before clicking on “Recommendation Provider List” to input the names and contact information for each recommender. You will have an opportunity to indicate if the reference writer will be submitting online. These reference writers will receive an email from CGU with instructions on submitting an online recommendation.

Recommenders who are indicated as offline will not receive an email from CGU with instructions to submit. These reference writers can submit via traditional mail and should use the supplemental New Student Recommendation Form. Recommenders can also email their letter of recommendation to the Office of Admissions at admissions@cgu.edu.

Download the Recommendation Form

Key Dates & Deadlines

CGU operates on a priority deadline cycle. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit complete applications by the priority dates in order to assure maximum consideration for both admission and fellowships.

Once the priority deadlines have passed, the University will continue to review applications for qualified candidates on a competitive, space-available basis. The final deadlines listed are the last date the University can accept an application in order to allow sufficient time to complete the admissions, financial aid, and other enrollment processes.

Spring 2025
Priority Deadline – November 1, 2024
Final Deadline (International) – November 15, 2024
Final Deadline (Domestic) – December 1, 2024
Classes begin – January 21, 2025

Fall 2025
Priority Deadline – February 1, 2025
Final Deadline (International) – July 5, 2025
Final Deadline (Domestic) – August 1, 2025
Classes begin – August 25, 2025

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