Why study Clinical Health Science?

The health sector is complex and many-sided. Requirements for documentation and evidence are increasing, while developments in diagnostics, technology and pharmaceuticals keep expanding the realm of treatment. However, the health service has little latitude in its activities due to financial and organizational framework conditions. These are also undergoing continual change and increasingly impact the day-to-day work in the health sector. These development trends constitute the point of departure for the two-year master's degree programme in clinical health science at NTNU. Through this programme of students will acquire competence that can be translated into more knowledge-based clinical practice.

The Master's Programme in Clinical Health Science is a two-year, full-time interdisciplinary programme of study which gives 120 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System).There is admission once a year, with start mid-August. Admission deadline is April 15.

The first semester includes four courses, totaling 30 ECTS. These courses are compulsory for both the specialisation in Obesity and Health and the specialisation in Pain and Palliative Care In addition to the common courses, there are two parts specific for each specialisation:

• Specialisation courses – taken during the second semester, totaling 30 ECTS.
• The Master's Thesis – written during the third and fourth semester, totaling 60 ECTS.

About the programme of study

The first part of the study is designed around a part assigned to research methology that focus on building competence in three main fields. This part is compulsory for both specialisations.

The first field deals with the structure, organization and funding of the health services. It is important to understand the principles and assessments underlying the structure of the health services as this will help us to understand the possibilities and limitations of the clinic, and to deal with the changes that are taking place in the sector's and the clinic's framework conditions. Importance is also attached to understanding the factors that help us to understand the progress of patients as they make their way through the health service.

The second field aims to give insight into the origin, scope and frequency of diseases. Epidemiological concepts, approaches and methods are necessary if we are to understand current and future needs, and be able to assess effects of various interventions in the health service. Particular emphasis is given to clinical epidemiology, which includes knowledge-based practice focusing on diagnostics, choice of treatment and prognostics. Finally, attention is given to understanding the principles of preventive activities and for screening of diseases and risk factors.

The third field concerns understanding, developing, implementing and evaluating applied research. Knowledge-based practice demands the ability to interpret and present knowledge generated by others. Another aim is that the candidates will be able to participate in development and implementation of experiments in their own organization.

A common factor for all three fields is that they require knowledge on research methodology and design and analysis of experiments. Method subjects will therefore have a key position throughout the studies programme.