College of Medicine Launches Master of Science Program in Clinical Research

By: Khalid Al-Saad

In a qualitative step in postgraduate studies, the College of Medicine recently announced the launch of the Master of Science program in Clinical Research, aimed at preparing advanced research cadres, training students in the critical appraisal of published research, equipping them with practical writing skills and grant proposal preparation, enhancing their ethical, regulatory, and economic understanding related to medical scientific research, and supporting the integration between basic and clinical sciences in what is known as translational medicine.

For his part, the Dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. Bandar bin Nasser Al-Jafan, stated that the college was keen to launch this distinguished program in order to boost scientific research output at the university and support advanced research centers. The program is designed to strengthen collaboration among departments and establish a joint research platform, which in turn prepares medical professionals capable of improving the quality of healthcare and formulating evidence-based health policies. This contributes to achieving the college’s strategic goals of excellence in education, advanced research, and community service, while supporting the university’s vision of becoming a regional and global hub for health research.

Dr. Ali Basi, Chair of the Founding Committee of the Master of Science in Clinical Research program, explained that this is the first new academic research program of its kind, as it is jointly offered by eight departments. It combines coursework and a scientific thesis within 32 credit hours over two academic years. The program offers advanced training in medical research, biostatistics, clinical trials, translational medicine, laboratory techniques, academic writing, and research management. He emphasized that the program was launched to bridge the gap between basic sciences and clinical and applied research, and to raise the level of medical research within the university. It is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 through the production of impactful scientific research that benefits community health, the health sector, and scientific advancement. He added that admissions for the 2026 academic year will begin in the first week of December through the Graduate Studies Deanship website.

It is noteworthy that the program is supervised by a distinguished group of faculty members from various health specialties within the College of Medicine.