Certificate

The certificate track of the Human Investigations Program includes required course modules usually taken over two years, plus a choice of an elective course and a mentored capstone experience resulting in an academic product such as a research proposal or publishable manuscript. Students completing this track will receive graduate level academic credit and a Certificate in Human Investigations.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must have acquired an MD, MD/PhD, DO, DDS, DMD, DC, PharmD, OD, or an ND; have a Ph.D. with clinical responsibilities or interest in patient-oriented research; or be a doctorally-trained nurse. Graduate students already enrolled in doctoral programs at OHSU (PhD, MD, DMD) may apply with approval from student's program director.
  • Applicants should be faculty or staff at OHSU,  Portland VA Medical Center or at other health care facilities or institutions of higher education in Oregon or the Northwest.

Requirements for Certificate Completion

For the Certificate in Human Investigations, at least 24 credit hours are required:

  • 16.5 credits for required courses
  • 6 credits for capstone project
  • 1.5 credits or more for one elective

Learn more about registration, course descriptions and class schedules

Required courses in the HIP curriculum (16.5 credits total)

Year One Core Course Sequence
Fall Term:
  • HIP Orientation (half-day seminar)
  • HIP 510 Intro to Clinical Research (online, 1 cr)
  • HIP 511 Clinical Research Design I (9 wks, 2 cr)
  • HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 sessions, 1 cr) - Please note, you must commit to enroll all 3 terms and be enrolled in Clinical Research Design I, II and III. This course requires intensive work in order to keep on schedule to write a research proposal.

Winter Term:

  • HIP 512 Clinical Research Design II  (9 wks, 2 cr)
  • HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 sessions, 1 cr) - continued
Spring Term:
  • HIP 513 Clinical Research Design III (9 wks, 2 cr)
  • HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 sessions, 1 cr) - continued

Year Two Core Course Sequence
Fall Term:
  • HIP 514 Molecular and Cellular Approaches to Disease (7 wks, 2 cr)
  • HIP 516 Protection of Human Subjects (4 wks, 1 cr) 
Winter Term:
  • HIP 517 Scientific Writing (6 wks, 1.5 cr)
  • HIP 507A Evidence-based Medicine (8 wks, 2 cr) 
Mentored capstone project (6 credits)
  • Provides an intensive, practical and supportive training leading to an academic product to be completed by the end of the 2nd year.
  • Choice of doing either a clinical research study designed, implemented, and analyzed by the student resulting in a publishable manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal; OR writing a NIH-compatible grant application.
  • Planned with the candidate's mentor and the approval of the program directors.
  • Total of 6 academic credits typically divided between two or three terms in Year Two, but the expectation is that trainees are working on this throughout the two years in the HIP Program.
Choice of elective (at least 1.5 credits) -  Typically taken in summer after 1st year or in spring of 2nd year.
  • HIP 512A Biostatistics Lab (1 cr) - tuition-free
  • HIP 520 Medical Informatics (2 cr)
  • HIP 522 Fundamentals of RCTs (1.5 cr) - tuition-free
  • HIP 523 Computerized Data Management (1.5 cr) - tuition-free
  • HIP 527 Systematic Reviews (2 cr)
  • HIP 528 Applied Biostatistics I (3 cr)
  • HIP 529 Applied Biostatistics II (3 cr)
  • HIP 530 Leadership Skills In Team Science (2 cr)
  • HIP 531 Project Management (2 cr)
  • HIP 532 Understanding and Managing Academic Organizations (2 cr)
  • HIP 533 Community Based Research (2 cr)
  • HIP 534 Health Disparities Research (1 cr)
  • HIP 535 Patient-Centered Outcomes and Comparative Effectiveness Research Principles (2 cr)
  • HIP 509 Systematic Review Practicum (1-6 cr)
Learn more about scheduling of classes and time commitment to complete program

Typical Two-Year Course Sequence 

*An intense, accelerated curriculum or an extended curriculum may be an option for some. Contract HIP Program for more information.
Year One Sequence Year Two Sequence
Fall and Winter Terms:
 Fall Term:
HIP Orientation (half-day seminar)
HIP 510 Intro to Clinical Research (online, 1 cr)
HIP 511 Clinical Research Design I (9 wks, 2 cr)
HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)
HIP 514 Molecular and Cellular Approaches to Disease (7 wks, 2 cr)
HIP 516 Protection of Human Subjects (4 wks, 1 cr)
 Winter Term:  Winter Term:
HIP 512 Clinical Research Design II (9 wks, 2 cr)
HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)
HIP 517 Scientific Writing (6 wks, 1.5 cr)
HIP 507A Evidence-based Medicine (8 wks, 2 cr)
Spring Term:
 Spring Term:
HIP 513 Clinical Research Design III (9 wks, 2 cr)
HIP 511A Proposal Development (2 wks, 1 cr)
 Choice of Elective (usually 6 wks, at least 1.5 cr)
 Summer Term: 
Choice of Elective (usually 6 weeks, at least 1.5 cr)
Optional for summer, may also take elective in spring of 2nd year		 
Mentored capstone project (6 cr)
  • Provides an intensive, practical and supportive training leading to an academic product to be completed by the end of the 2nd year.
  • Choice of doing either a clinical research study designed, implemented, and analyzed by the student resulting in a publishable manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal; OR writing a NIH-compatible grant application.
  • Planned with the candidate's mentor and the approval of the program directors.
  • Total of 6 academic credits typically divided between two or three terms in Year Two, but the expectation is that trainees are working on this throughout the two years in the HIP Program.