Master of Clinical Research

University of Melbourne

Australia, Melbourne

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University of Melbourne

Australia , Melbourne

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Research

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

055848G

Campuses

Parkville

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesFebruary-2026

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 18 month(s)

Tuition Fee

AUD 40,000 / year

Next Intake February-2026

Master of Clinical Research

About

Overview

Help lead the future of clinical research

The Master of Clinical Research is the University of Melbourne’s premier course for medical and health professionals and researchers who want to build a career in clinical research.

Designed for professionals from a range of clinical disciplines, including biomedical, medical, nursing, allied health, health science and social science, this program caters to those looking to formalise their existing research skills or embark on a new career in clinical research.

You’ll develop skills to plan and implement a clinical research program, project manage and translate your research into clinical practice, and accelerate your career within clinical research or industry.

Located in the heart of the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct

The Clinical Research program will place you at the heart of a world-class medical and health precinct, Melbourne’s Biomedical Precinct, giving you the opportunity to learn from leading researchers and academics in the field and access to our extensive network of health and research institutes, and national and international industry partners.

Learn from the best

Delivered by leading research and education experts in the clinical research field and leveraging the extensive expertise within the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct network, this program stands at the cutting edge of clinical research training. Internship providers and research supervisors represent the breadth of roles in clinical research including researchers, clinical research professionals, project managers, ethics specialists, data managers and governance experts.

The pathway to clinical research excellence

The Master of Clinical Research is part of a highly flexible nested suite of courses, designed for you to study to the level that suits your learning and career goals. It’s easy to turn the one-year Graduate Certificate into the Masters, or to enrol in a Masters and leave with a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma.

Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research
Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research
Master of Clinical Research

The program is designed to be flexible and to provide you with real-life research or industry opportunities:

Research pathway

You have the opportunity to apply your advanced research skills and complete a research project at one of our world-class partners health and research institutions (Course Structure).

The Master of Clinical Research can be a pathway to your PhD – successful completion of the research stream satisfies the 25-point research credit to PhD admission.

Industry pathway

In the capstone pathway you will be placed with one of our industry partners either a leading research-focused institute or clinical research organisation. This hands-on experience within established clinical research programs allows you to put your skills to action to tackle real-world challenges, while building essential professional networks.

Master of Clinical Research Information Session

A/Prof Anita Horvath and Dr Monira Hussain present an information session. Hear from current and past students.

Click here to view the recording.

(Passcode: 6B=qwbPY)

Register your interest here

Looking for a shorter commitment? The Advanced Clinical Trial Design short course is a nine-day (over three teaching periods), assessment-free program. After successful completion of this short course, you will have the opportunity to progress to the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research, Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research or Master of Clinical Research. For more information see the Advanced Clinical Trial Design short course guide.

Consider also enrolling in a single subject study from our many offerings.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Minimum eligibility

You’re considered an international student based on your citizenship – even if you're studying in Australia.

To be eligible to apply for graduate research courses, you're normally required to have completed at least a four year Australian Bachelor course or overseas equivalent and achieved an overall average of greater than 75% in the final year of the course.

You're also normally required to have completed a research project/component that accounts for at least 25% of your year's work at 4th year undergraduate or masters level.

Some courses may have higher or additional entry requirements and a pre-application process. Check the course you're interested in to learn what these are.

Course-specific requirements

Requirements vary by course. Usually, to apply for a graduate research course, you first need to determine your research topic and find a supervisor. Some graduate schools advertise available projects. Visit Find a Course for the requirements of the course that interests you. You will need to be able to commit to the workload required by the course.

Finding a supervisor

Check with the course you're applying for to see if you need to find a supervisor for your course before applying.

If so, you want to make sure the supervisors you choose are right for your needs and can support you in your research. Support from supervisors does not guarantee admission, nor does it guarantee a scholarship or financial assistance.

For help finding a supervisor, visit Find an expert

Writing a research proposal

Some graduate schools also require a research proposal as part of your application.

To develop a successful proposal, you need to be familiar with current research in the area. Your proposal also needs to state your research question, your area of interest, and how you'll undertake your research.

Many graduate schools offering research courses will have their own pre-application process, entry requirements and application due dates. Check the entry requirements for the course you're applying for.

English Program Requirements

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you are from a non-English speaking background, the required standard of English for this degree is one of the following English proficiency test scores:

English language test score requirements

If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

IELTS

7.0

with no band less than 7.0

TOEFL

79+

with writing 21; speaking 18; reading 13; listening 13

PEARSON

72+

with written communicative skill of 75 and no other communicative skill below 72

CAMBRIDGE

185+

with no skill less than 185

*Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.

Career

The Master of Clinical Research is driven by industry needs and highly regarded by employers. The specialist knowledge developed through the course will expand your career prospects and put you at the heart of opportunities in healthcare.

The Master of Clinical Research can also be a pathway to your PhD - it satisfies the 25-point research credit to PhD admission.

Graduates of the Masters will have:

A comprehensive foundation in the methodologies of clinical research
A comprehensive understanding of clinical research and issues associated with good clinical practice, ethics and regulations, as well as analytical and project and team management techniques
High level analytic and problem-solving skills using techniques acquired during the course and independent critical thinking in your field of relevant clinical speciality
The ability to apply theoretical knowledge in the independent design and implementation of a significant research project
The ability to write scholarly papers and present their research findings, such as a specialist conference or seminar.