This program follows all School of Medicine policies in addition to the policies below.

Conversion of Status for Certificate and Degree

If a student enters CRTP as a certificate or degree candidate, they may convert their status to another designation later, if they choose. If a degree candidate decides to leave the program and they have met the certificate requirements, they may request to change their status and receive the certificate. Students who enter the program as a certificate candidate may also request to change their status and become a degree candidate. Once they have changed from certificate status to degree status, they are no longer eligible to receive the certificate. Students who have received the certificate may apply to reenter the program as a degree candidate later. Students who wish to change their status must contact Gail Ladd (gail.ladd@duke.edu) for specifics and timelines.

Attendance Policy

Class attendance and participation are essential to the learning process, both to the individual student and the class. Students are expected to attend live classes regularly on-site or remotely and complete assigned coursework in a timely fashion in accordance with the expectations of their instructors. CRTP course directors will clearly communicate course specific attendance policies and expectations in their course syllabi. If these policies are not clear, it is the responsibility of the student to ask the course director for clarification.

Students are expected to notify and negotiate excused absences from course activities with the course director in situations such as illness or health care appointments, attendance at scientific or professional meetings, personal or family emergency, or major life events. Course directors are responsible for making clear to students which portions of their courses require attendance and any limit on excused absences without negative consequence. These absences should be negotiated in writing (email or letter) as far in advance as possible and a plan established for completion of any activity or work missed. Absences announced on short notice due to illness or emergency may still be excused with proper notification of the course director and unannounced absences may be excused in cases of incapacitation to the point of inability to make these contacts.

Students are strongly encouraged to consult their schedules for the academic term and discuss any planned absences (particularly if multiple class sessions will be missed during the term), with their course director during the drop/add period to determine: (a) whether accommodation is possible; and (b) arrangements for completing assignments for absences. It is the responsibility of the course director to determine the arrangements (e.g., early submission of work, an alternative assignment, rescheduling an exam, etc.) to be followed when an absence is excused. If accommodation cannot be made, the student may consider whether to remain in the course or drop it in favor of another course that might more easily accommodate their schedule.

Registration and Drop/Add Policy

Registration in the Clinical Research Training Program is processed in accordance with instructions distributed by the Office of the Registrar of the School of Medicine prior to official registration periods. Students may drop courses for which they have registered earlier or add courses during each semester’s Drop/Add period.

Grades

Courses within the Clinical Research Training Program utilize a Pass/Fail grading scale. In addition, an I (incomplete) indicates that some portion of the student’s work is lacking for a reason acceptable to the instructor at the time grades are reported. Students will not be permitted to enroll in any course for which they have an unresolved Incomplete in a prerequisite course. A grade of Incomplete must be resolved no later than the end of the following academic semester unless the course director specifies an earlier date by which the student must make up the deficiency. In exceptional circumstances, an Incomplete that is not resolved within the designated period may be extended for a specified period with the written approval of the course director and the program director. If an incomplete is resolved within the approved period, then the grade of incomplete converts to a pass on the transcript. If an Incomplete is not resolved within the approved period, the grade of Incomplete becomes permanent on the transcript and no credit is conveyed.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory academic progress for students in the Clinical Research Training Program consists of the successful completion of all requirements necessary to advance toward completion of degree requirements within a ten-year time limitation, or for nondegree students, toward attainment of individual training goals, within the constraints imposed by course prerequisites. This includes meeting the requirements and standards for completion of the research project as described in student orientation sessions and program guidelines, whether print or web based. After the ten-year time limitation, no exceptions will be granted.

Academic Status—(Dismissal) Policy

For degree candidates, receiving a single final course grade of Fail (F) will initiate an academic review by the Program Director. If a degree candidate receives two final course grades of F, the Program Director will convene a faculty review committee consisting of the Program Director and at least two other faculty members. The student will be invited to attend part of the meeting if desired – for example, to present additional information – but is not required to attend. The committee’s recommendation will then be reviewed by the Program Director. What happens next depends on the nature of the recommendation. If the recommendation is for dismissal, it will be reviewed by the Vice Dean of Medical Education as per the School of Medicine review procedures. The Vice Dean of Medical Education makes the final decision and communicates that decision to the student. Any appeals of that decision follow the policies of the School of Medicine. On the other hand, if the decision does not involve dismissal, it will be conveyed to the student by the Program Director.

Examining Committee

Three faculty members constitute an examining committee to certify that the student has successfully completed the research project requirement for the degree. The committee must include a clinical investigator and a statistician, each of whom is a member of the faculty of the Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP). The third member of the committee should be a faculty member who has substantive knowledge in the area in which the research project is conducted; for clinical fellows, this committee member is often the fellow’s mentor. The chair of the committee must be a member of the CRTP faculty.

Time Limitations

A degree candidate is expected to complete all requirements within ten calendar years of matriculation. After the ten-year time limitation, no exceptions will be granted. Degree credit for a course expires ten years after the course is completed by the student; in this case, degree credit can be obtained only by retaking the course.

Withdrawal from a Course

A course may be dropped at the student’s discretion during the first two weeks of class; no grade is recorded, and all tuition is refunded. If a course is dropped later in the term, no tuition is refunded and the status of the student at the time of withdrawal is indicated on the permanent record as WP (Withdrew Passing) or WF (Withdrew Failing).

Withdrawal from Program

If a student withdraws from the program during the first two weeks of class, including involuntary withdrawal for academic reasons, all tuition is refunded. If a student withdraws from the program later in the term, no tuition is refunded and the status of the student at the time of withdrawal from the program is indicated on the permanent record as WP (withdrew passing) or WF (withdrew failing).

Voluntary withdrawal from the program is initiated at the request of the student. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the program coordinator. The program coordinator will notify the Office of the Registrar, the program director, and course faculty as appropriate given the student’s enrollment status at the time of withdrawal. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the bursar’s office regarding fulfillment of financial obligations to the university.

Reinstatement to the Program

Students who wish to re-enter the Program after withdrawing must provide the following:

a statement detailing the reason(s) for withdrawing from the program, including relevant history leading up to the decision;
- how the issues relating to those reasons have been addressed;
- a discussion as to why the student is requesting reinstatement to the program, including information concerning changes in situation and an explanation as to the chosen time for return;
an updated curriculum vitae;
a transcript of any academic courses taken since the withdrawal; and
a letter of reference from a person with whom the student worked during the withdrawal period.

The applicant will meet with the Program Director. After this meeting takes place, a committee composed of the program director and co-directors convenes to review the information submitted by the applicant, the student’s previous academic file, and determines if readmission is appropriate. The decision of the committee, which is final, is provided in writing to the applicant and to the financial aid and registrar’s offices.

Student Information Reported by CRTP

CRTP shares aggregate student data and FERPA directory information compliant types of biographical data (e.g., student name, degrees and awards received, dates of attendance, enrollment status) with stakeholder groups such as the National Institutes of Health, the Duke Office of Physician-Scientist Development (OPSD), and the Duke National Clinician Scholars Program.

Code of Professional Conduct

Students enrolled in the Clinical Research Training Program are expected to adhere to the Duke University School of Medicine Code of Professional conduct as detailed in the policies for all School of Medicine programs found elsewhere in this bulletin.

Graduation

Candidates for the master of health sciences in clinical research degree must apply to graduate through DukeHub in keeping with the instructions and deadlines announced by the Office of the Registrar in the School of Medicine. Failure to do so may delay conferral of the degree and issuance of the diploma, even if all degree requirements have been met.

Graduation exercises are held once a year in May when degrees are conferred, and diplomas are issued to those who have completed requirements by the end of the spring semester. Those who complete degree requirements at the end of the summer or fall terms receive diplomas dated September 1 or December 30, respectively.

In addition to completing the required course of study, degree candidates must submit to the program the required documentation demonstrating successful completion of the research project no later than April 15 for May graduation, July 31 for September graduation, and November 30 for December graduation.

A-CRP-MHS - Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research Training

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