What Is a Clinical Degree?

A clinical degree refers to any degree program that leads to a clinical job. The degree could be related to clinical administration and management, clinical laboratory science, clinical research organization and management or clinical psychology. If you want to pursue an academic degree that would eventually lead to a job in a clinic, you have several options to choose from, depending on your current area of study and interest.

A degree program in clinical administration can be at a bachelor’s level or master’s level. According to the Education-Portal.com website, some clinical administration programs are for students who already have some experience in a clinical area and want to combine their previous studies with this degree program. To obtain this degree, you will take courses such as clinical systems management and health care laws. After completing this program, you would be eligible for a job such as clinical manager, health care manager or medical records director.

An associate or bachelor's degree in Clinical Laboratory would help you prepare for a job as a medical laboratory technician. You would be eligible for jobs in clinics and private doctors’ officers. This degree program typically covers courses such as basic lab skills, medical terminology, lab mathematics, urinalysis, immunology concepts, coagulation, blood bank system, advanced hematology, clinical chemistry, clinic microbiology and clinical experience.

A clinical psychology Ph.D. program covers courses such as multicultural issues in clinical psychology, measurement and assessment, research, sexuality, clinical seminar and statistics, according to the Degree Directory website. A clinical psychologist can specialize in a number of areas such as counseling psychology, developmental psychology, neuropsychology or health psychology. After completing the degree, you can start your own clinic that caters to those who need psychological help.

A clinical research program is usually a certificate program designed for clinical research managers, fellows and residents who want to pursue a career in medicinal research. The program aims at teaching research methods, biostatistics, protocol development, federal guidelines, data collection and ethical research conduct, according to Penn Medicine School.