About MSCI

This two-year program is open to individuals planning to be clinical and translational investigators. The program is intended for students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty engaged in clinical and translational research at NYU Langone Health or its affiliates. Physician applicants are expected to be board-eligible or -certified in a clinical specialty, and licensed to practice medicine in New York State.

Our teaching faculty come from all branches of the university, with extensive experience in various forms of research. An even larger pool of mentoring faculty is selected for their experience in mentoring and career development, as well as their own deep knowledge of the MSCI program.

All students are provided with a team of “meta-mentors” who meet with each student and their principal investigator at least twice yearly to confirm that the student is meeting course requirements, that their research is going smoothly, and that they are on track to meet milestone expectations. All members of our teaching and mentoring faculty are committed to supporting the career success of our trainees.

Students also derive extensive benefit from being in a community of learners who share experience and resources. Peer-to-peer mentoring occurs in weekly integrative seminars, and we frequently receive feedback that this is one of the most valuable experiences in the program.

MSCI Core Programs and Concentrations

All students in the MSCI program participate in a common core of classes to develop foundational skills of clinical and translational research. Students in all concentrations must complete the following courses:

  • Clinical Research Methods
  • Introduction to Biostatistical Analysis
  • Scientific Integrity and the Responsible Conduct of Research
  • Integrative Seminar
  • Grant Writing
  • Introduction to Health Informatics
  • Independent Mentored Research

In addition to required courses, students in specific concentrations may have the option to enroll in courses from other concentrations on an elective basis at the discretion of course and program directors. See requirements specific to each concentration.

Students can browse more detailed MSCI course descriptions, including information about the number of credits and the instructor for each class. In addition to this core program, students choose one of several concentrations that provide focused training that is tailored to their research interests.

MSCI concentrations include the following:

Students in all concentrations are required to complete a mentored translational research project and meet specific research program milestones to graduate.

How to Apply to the MSCI Program

Applicants to the MSCI program who wish to specialize in translational research or health innovations and therapeutics apply to NYU Langone’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Applicants must complete the appropriate concentration-specific online application and upload the following documents:

  • your CV 
  • a personal statement that addresses your career goals and plans beyond the master’s program
  • a research plan
  • three letters of recommendation
  • a recent photograph

Access the online applications for either concentration—translational research or health innovation and therapeutics application. An MSCI application checklist is available to help you organize required materials. Incomplete applications are not accepted. 

For more information, contact us at MSCIProgram@NYULangone.org. 

Translational Research Concentration

The aim of the translational research concentration is to advance basic science discoveries more quickly and efficiently into practice. With a concentration in translational research, you develop skills and methodologies that help you design, develop, and assess research questions at the interface of science and clinical medicine, while simultaneously learning by doing in a supervised research project.

Students in the translational research concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Epidemiology or Drug Development in a New Era
  • Biomolecular Medicine or Health Services Research
  • Clinical Trials Design

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the translational research concentration.

Biomedical Informatics for Clinical Investigators Concentration

The biomedical informatics for clinical investigators concentration provides you with skills to assist in using informatics for studying large clinical datasets, examining complex basic biological information, and related approaches. This concentration is distinct from NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s pre-existing MS in Biomedical Informatics, which is focused on training full-time informaticists. Instead, this concentration is focused on skill building for clinical investigators, who anticipate working with datasets themselves or collaborating closely with informaticists.

Students in the biomedical informatics for clinical investigators concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Epidemiology or Drug Development in a New Era
  • Advanced Biostatistical Analysis
  • Health Services Research or Biomolecular Medicine
  • Machine Learning
  • Programming for Data Analysis

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the biomedical informatics for clinical investigators concentration.

Comparative Effectiveness and Implementation Research Concentration

The concentration in comparative effectiveness and implementation research trains researchers to identify the best choices for improving population health through course training and hands-on experience in comparative effectiveness research and the rapidly growing field of implementation science.

Students in the comparative effectiveness and implementation research concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Epidemiology
  • Advanced Biostatistical Analysis
  • Advanced Methods in Observational Data Analysis
  • Economic Evaluation in Health and Medicine
  • Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews
  • Health Services Research or Introduction to Dissemination and Implementation Science

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the comparative effectiveness and implementation research concentration.

Health Disparities and Health Equity Research Concentration

The health disparities and health equity research concentration prepares you for research careers focused on health disparities and health equity. You develop a strong background in methodology, ethical conduct, biostatistics, epidemiology, and writing, and develop an expertise in health disparities and health equity, population health, community engagement, and healthcare delivery science research. After completion of this track, you gain the knowledge and research tools needed to conduct and develop translational and transdisciplinary research and interventions to eliminate health disparities.

Students in the health disparities and health equity research concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Epidemiology
  • Advanced Biostatistical Analysis
  • Healthcare Delivery Science
  • Health Disparities and Health Equity in Community Health
  • Health Services Research
  • Principles of Population Health Science

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the health disparities and health equity research concentration.

Health Innovations and Therapeutics Concentration

The Health Innovations and Therapeutics concentration focuses on the means by which discoveries become treatments available to the public. If you pursue a concentration in health innovations and therapeutics, you take three additional courses geared towards innovation and dissemination. These include two courses on drug development at the preclinical and clinical levels and a business course that focuses on bringing innovations to the marketplace.

Throughout the program, you receive mentoring from distinguished faculty and a primary investigator and conduct independent research—ideally in the form of drug or device testing or development.

Students in the health innovations and therapeutics concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Biomolecular Medicine
  • Biotechnology Industry, Structure, and Strategy or Introduction to Biomedical Entrepreneurship
  • Clinical Trials Design
  • Drug Development in a New Era
  • Molecular Signaling and Drug Development or Translating Cancer Discovery into Clinical Practice

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the health innovations and therapeutics concentration.

Healthcare Delivery Science Concentration

With a concentration in healthcare delivery science, you develop, test, and disseminate strategies to improve the delivery of healthcare. You learn about the unique methods and areas of focus of healthcare delivery science include implementation science, quality of care improvement, patient safety, change management, and institutional health policy. You are prepared to provide expertise in these methods and approaches to close the gap between what we know works and what actually gets done in healthcare delivery.

Students in the healthcare delivery science concentration must complete the following courses:

  • Advanced Epidemiology
  • Advanced Biostatistical Analysis
  • Analytic Techniques for Healthcare Delivery Science
  • Healthcare Delivery Science
  • Health Services Research
  • Introduction to Dissemination and Implementation Science

For detailed information, view a sample schedule for the healthcare delivery science concentration.

Explore Research Projects

View research project titles from current MSCI candidates that may help you think creatively about possible research topics and identify possible mentors.

View Projects