The Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology trains physicians, health policy makers, research staff, and graduate students in allied disciplines who to need to understand, appraise, and use health research evidence.  The four courses of the diploma provide graduate level training in the fundamental concepts and methods of clinical epidemiology but without the research intensive focus of a complete MSc degree.  The diploma is completely online, offering maximum flexibility for working professionals, students or post-graduate trainees already enrolled in another program, from anywhere in the world.

The Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology (GDCE) builds on the strengths of the internationally respected Health Research Methods Graduate Programs in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University.  Like the HRM program, the courses are taught by faculty in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, a premier destination for graduate study and research in clinical epidemiology.  The four online courses comprising the program are recognized as equivalent to the core HRM courses, and are ideal for applicants with an interest in HRM training without the commitment of a entire MSc degree completed on site.

GDCE students complete coursework in Fundamentals of Health Research and Evaluation Methods, Introduction to Biostatistics, Introduction to Research Methods for Randomized Controlled Trials, and Systematic Review Methods.  Students learn to critically appraise the healthcare literature, apply the fundamentals of health-research designs, including randomized controlled trials, conduct and use research syntheses, and understand the application of biostatistics.  Graduates will gain foundational knowledge in the tenets of evidence-based medicine and a skill set applicable in clinical, policy, management, and research settings.   The graduate diploma is also an opportunity for qualified students to demonstrate their aptitude for training in the HRM MSc program.  The  GDCE courses are normally accepted for credit toward the requirements of the HRM MSc for students who successfully apply to HRM after completing the GDCE.