School of Biological Sciences

Clinical Research

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Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Research (PGDipClinRes)

The Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Research is a distance programme that  provides health researchers with the skills required for undertaking drug development and clinical trials.

The Victoria University diploma is taught mostly online by clinicians from District Health Boards (DHB), the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), and scientists from Victoria University of Wellington (VUW).

The PGDipClinRes draws on the research strengths of Victoria University (which also offers qualifications in the health-related sciences of biomedicine, nursing and psychology) with the clinical expertise of DHB's and MRINZ clinical staff.

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Potential Candidates

The Postgraduate Diploma is an ideal qualification for people from a variety of health and science backgrounds, including:

  • Biomedical scientists
  • Doctors
  • Nurses
  • Biostatisticians
  • Allied health professionals, and
  • Psychologists.

You do not need experience in a research setting, but you will need a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a health or related area.


Benefits of the Programme

The diploma delivers the high-level clinical research skills essential to the health and pharmaceutical sectors in New Zealand and the world.

The course is flexible to suit workloads, and health workers will be able to gain skills and knowledge in this important area by studying part-time, primarily by distance.

Graduates of the programme will:

  • Have current knowledge of key issues in clinical research and be able to evaluate literature critically

  • Understand qualitative and quantitative methods used to address clinical research questions

  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of the consultation process and its cultural and ethical concerns

  • Present research findings in both oral and written format

  • Understand the requirements to successfully undertake clinical research, including clinical trials

  • Be able to develop a fully formed application for a clinical research grant with accompanying ethics approval.

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Teaching Staff

The programme is taught primarily by CCDHB and MRINZ clinicians and nurses, with input from Victoria University academics.

Other key partners who contribute include the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and ESR (Environmental Science and Research).


Diploma Information

The programme was first offered in July 2010. New intakes each year commence in Trimester 1 i.e. 5th March. The course can normally be completed part-time within four years. Please contact the Administrator, Sandra Taylor, for more details.

The Postgraduate Diploma consists of 6 compulsory courses totalling 120 points:

  • CLNR 401, 402, 403, 404, 405
  • CLNR 580

The course is generally delivered by distance learning online, and  teleconference with some limited classroom face to face learning. For each course (CLNR 401-405), there is a requirement to attend a two-day week-end seminar at Victoria University. the first seminar for CLNR 401-402 and 580 will be during the weekend 10th-11th March 2012. The total programme (four-years part-time) is equivalent to about 1200 student workload hours.

Assessment of the course includes formal reports combined with presentations and/or essays. There is no formal examination.

Teleconferencing forums are normally held on a Thursday from 5:30pm to 7:00pm during the university trimester.


Enrol online using the VUW online enrolment system

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International Students

It is possible for international students to enrol; however, it should be pointed out that:

  • This course is only available part-time
  • There is a requirement to attend  a weekend seminar in Wellington once a semester (twice a year)
  • There is a requirement to participate in regular telephone conferences (up to eight per semester)
  • All of the above will be at your own expense, including international student fees.

Course List

CLNR 401 Introduction to Clinical Research and Clinical Trial Practice (15 points)
A broad framework for understanding clinical research including critical appraisal of the literature, clinical trials planning, preparation and implementation.


CLNR 402 Ethics and Research in Special Populations as Applied to Clinical Research (15 points) 
An understanding of the place of ethics in clinical research, common ethical issues that arise and how to analyse them and find solutions. The role of ethics committees, applications to ethics committees and good clinical practice will be covered. An in-depth consideration of obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi with special regard to ethics and community-based research. The development of an appropriate and inclusive approach to clinical research with special populations.


CLNR 403 Biostatistics and Informatics (15 points)                                         

Biostatistics relevant to clinical research with the focus on quantitative methods and applications for clinical trials. Informatics will be introduced with its application to clinical research including information gathering, processing and storage.


CLNR 404 Qualitative Methods in Clinical Research (15 points)                    
An understanding of the place of qualitative research in clinical research both as stand-alone and combined with quantitative research. This course will include interview techniques and will contrast advantages and disadvantages of different approaches and a range of other qualitative techniques.


CLNR 405 Advanced Clinical Research Design, Management and Analysis (30 points)
An understanding of the practices and processes of clinical research, including clinical trials, project management, regulatory reports and audits, requirements specific to industry-funded research and the preparation and submission of study reports for publication.


CLNR 580 Research Preparation (30 points)                                                      
Students bring together material from many of their other courses and write an original, full, research grant application describing a proposed clinical research project. This application will include sections on background and aims, clinical relevance, hypotheses to be tested, design and methods, analysis of results, dissemination of results, and a plan for project management. This plan will include staffing, budget, timeline and milestones for project delivery.  Quality management issues, consultation, an ethics committee application for the project and any other regulatory body applications required for grant submission will be included as well.


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Entry Requirements

A candidate for the diploma must have a relevant Bachelor's degree in health, medicine, neuroscience, behavioural psychology, biomedical science or biostatistics to an appropriate level.

In most cases, the approval of the Programme Director must be gained to proceed with the proposed course of study. This requirement may be waived for a candidate who has had extensive practical, professional or scholarly experience of an appropriate kind or completed a qualification at an overseas tertiary institution that provides an equivalent background.


Course Fees

Fees for 2012 will be between $2157 and $2478, and cover tuition fees, student service levy and Students' Association fee.


Scholarships and Awards

A scholarship may be offered to cover course fees; this is awarded retrospectively.

New Zealand Association of Clinical Research Scholarship: Further details

The John Miller award will go to a candidate who has successfully completed CLNR 405 with high academic standing.


Further Information

For more information about the diploma, please contact Sandra Taylor, Programme Administrator, Victoria University or by telephone at +64 4 463 5747.