Never before has the bench/bedside interface been more exciting and productive, and never Before have clinical trials been more promising as new products of the genetic revolution flow from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The conquest of cancer, heart disease, blood, kidney, neurological and psychiatric disorders and infectious disease requires a strong partnership between academic health centers and the clinical research industry. A key success factor for both academia and industry is a core of highly trained clinical research professionals who are able to develop, execute, monitor and analyze sophisticated clinical trials, which can translate discovery to therapy. However, very few professionals in both academia and industry have had formal coursework in the design of clinical research projects, hypothesis development, biostatistics, epidemiology and the legal and ethical issues related to clinical research. Currently, there is no executive degree-granting clinical research program in the U.S., which would permit a fully employed professional to acquire the expertise so sorely needed in this high-paced competitive marketplace. The Tulane Executive Masters Degree in Clinical Research Program is a newly developed, twenty-four month graduate training program in clinical research that is a joint educational enterprise of the Tulane Schools of Medicine and Public Health and Tropical Medicine. It has been developed to target the needs of clinical research leadership in the 21st century. Tulane's Executive MPH in Clinical Research Program will enroll its inaugural class in the fall of 2002. The curriculum will provide a relevant and up-to-date program for physicians, pharmacologists, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals, leading to competitive advantage for both the individual student and his or her academic or corporate employer.

The Tulane Executive Masters Degree in Clinical Research Program is built on the structure that has proven successful in Tulane University's Executive Masters Degree programs in Occupational Medicine, Health Systems Management and Business Administration. In-depth coursework and a mentored research project will take advantage of on-site and distance learning to economize the student's time and expense. The Tulane Executive Masters Degree in Clinical Research Program will attract professionals who are working in either private or public clinical research, who already have a basic knowledge of the field and for whom further study is needed for career advancement. The program is designed to allow participants to continue their career while pursuing advanced study at Tulane. The curriculum is offered in 8 weekend sessions lasting one and one-half days each (Saturday-Sunday afternoon), in addition to distance learning over 24 months. The core curriculum is 33 credit hours and includes courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical trial design, mechanisms of human disease, genetics of complex disorders and therapeutic responsiveness, plus a 4-credit mentored clinical research project. Off-site mentored research training will be certified on an individual basis by the program directors.

The program will enable students to continue their professional employment while acquiring the information and skills needed to become leaders in clinical research design and implementation. Preference for admission to the MPH program is given to applicants with clearly identified career goals that are consistent with the training offered. Graduates of doctoral professional programs such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, biomedical engineering or graduates of baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate programs in such fields as nursing who are currently working in academic medical centers, pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations, federal and state government agencies and other organizations involved in clinical research are encouraged to apply.