Course overview
- Description
This course is primarily designed for clinical and biomedical professionals who are interested in incorporating research into their clinical careers, or who are required to do research as part of their training. It is suitable for paraclinical graduates who are specifically interested in clinical science, population or translational research. The course enables students to develop skills in preparing ethics applications, planning and conducting high quality research, analysis and dissemination of research findings. Health professionals completing the course further develop their ability to incorporate evidence-based medicine into clinical practice.
The course structure allows students to exit the course with a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Science after the first year (part-time) on completion of 24 credit points.
- Course title
- Master of Clinical Science (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
- Award abbreviation
- MClinSci
- Course code
- 90740
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Medical School
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Part-time only
- Credit points required
- 48
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 2 years part-time
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Multi-mode
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP; or postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- No
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Associate Professor Sunalene Devadason
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
SP-CHSCCR Child Health Research
SP-CLSCCR Clinical Research
SP-CLSCCT Clinical Science Training
SP-EMMER Emergency Medicine Research
SP-SURRE Surgical Research
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
1. Students take all core units (12 points).
2. Students in the course by coursework only, take all core units in Clinical Science Training Specialisation (12 points) and 24 points from Group A.
3. Students in the course by coursework and dissertation, take all core units in one of the Research Specialisations (Child Health Research, Clinical Research, Emergency Medicine Research OR Surgical Research) and take 6 points from Group A or B.
Take all units from this group (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | MEDC5805 | Principles of Research Methods in Medicine | None | Predominantly online course, approximately 8 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | MEDC5806 | Principles of Evidence-Based Practice | None | Predominantly online course, approximately 8 hours per week |
GROUP A
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | AHEA5801 | Aboriginal Health Research and Ethics | None | lectures/seminars: 3 hours per week |
| S1, S2 | PUBH4403 | Epidemiology I | None | lectures: 60-70 minutes recorded lectures per week; online tutorial worksheets: ~ 2-3 hours per week |
| S2 | PUBH5752 | Health Systems and Economics | None | lectures/tutorials: 3 hours per week |
| N/A | PUBH5757 | Clinical Epidemiology | None | offered intensively |
| S2 | PUBH5769 | Biostatistics II |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 1.5 hours per week |
| NS | PUBH5785 | Analysis of Linked Health Data | None | offered intensively (1 week full-time) |
| S2 | PUBH5805 | Qualitative Research Methods in Health | None | seminar: 3 hours per week |
GROUP B
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PAED4401 | Research Conduct and Ethics |
| online modules only |
| S1, S2 | PUBH4401 | Biostatistics I |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 1.5 hours per week |
Coursework Only
Clinical Science Training specialisation
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | PAED4401 | Research Conduct and Ethics |
| online modules only |
| S1, S2 | PUBH4401 | Biostatistics I |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; tutorials: 1.5 hours per week |
Research Specialisations
Take units to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MEDC5801 | Development and Communication of Research | None | over the semester: 18 hours of on-line content, 16 hours of lectures, 2 to 4 hours individual statistics workshop, 8 hours presentations |
| S1, S2 | SCOM4402 | Synthesising Research Literature: Reviewing, Analysing, and Reporting |
| online workshop: 2 hours per week |
Child Health Research specialisation
Take all units (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | PAED5505 | Child Health Research Project Part I (12 points) | supervised research | |
| NS | PAED5506 | Child Health Research Project Part II (12 points) | supervised research: 16 hours per week |
Clinical Research specialisation
Take all units (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | MEDC5803 | Clinical Research Project Part I (12 points) | supervised research | |
| NS | MEDC5804 | Clinical Research Project Part II (12 points) | supervised research: 16 hours per week |
Emergency Medicine Research specialisation
Take all units (24 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | EMED5504 | Emergency Medicine Research Project Part I (12 points) | supervised research | |
| NS | EMED5505 | Emergency Medicine Research Project Part II (12 points) | supervised research: 16 hours per week |
Surgical Research specialisation
Take all units (24 points):
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a bachelor's degree in a relevant clinical or biomedical discipline, or a relevant clinical professional postgraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA
AND EITHER
(b) (i) the equivalent of a UWA course weighted average mark of at least 60 per cent
OR
(b) (ii) Two years of relevant professional work experience in health or medical sciences
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:
- 90250 Graduate Certificate in Clinical Science (24 points)
- 90740 Master of Clinical Science (48 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Clinical Science course before completing it, but after fulfilling the requirements of a lesser award in the above sequence, may apply for the relevant award.
(3) Units completed in the Graduate Certificate will only be credited towards a 48-point Masters course if the Graduate Certificate is not conferred.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 48 points which must include course core units and specialisation units. The course comprises the following specialisations:
- SP-CHSCCR Child Health Research
- SP-CLSCCR Clinical Research
- SP-CLSCCT Clinical Science Training
- SP-EMMER Emergency Medicine Research
- SP-SURRE Surgical Research
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).