College Credit Research Project: Medicine
For anyone drawn to medicine, understanding how to investigate, question, and communicate findings is just as essential as clinical knowledge. Earn college credit from Georgetown University while exploring real patient cases that ground and inspire your own original research project. From crafting a research question to writing a full academic paper, you'll build the scholarly skills that support careers across medicine, research, and public health.
Program Dates
Multi-length courses available throughout the year
Eligibility
For students ages 18 and up
College Credit Course Fees
$3,995
Enrichment Course Fees
$1,895
What's the Difference Between Our College Credit and Enrichment Courses?
Both enrichment and college credit–bearing options feature engaging online lessons and instructional support. College credit–bearing courses include additional coursework and offer the opportunity to earn academic credit upon successful completion. Some course content overlaps across both options, so students are encouraged to choose the format that best aligns with their academic or professional goals.
College Credit Courses$3,995
Length of Course: Multi-length course options
Instruction & Activities: 128 hours
Grading: Letter grade
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours: ✔️
Certificate of Completion: Georgetown Transcript
Enrichment Courses$1,895
Length of Course: 1-, 2-, or 4-weeks
Instruction & Activities: 20-30 hours
Grading: Pass/Fail
On Your Own Schedule: ✔️
Academic Support: ✔️
Final Project: ✔️
College Credit Hours:❌
Certificate of Completion:✔️
Learning to Research Through the Science of Medicine
How Research and Medicine Work Together
Launch your research project by selecting a topic and shaping it into a focused, researchable question. Discover how healthcare teams collaborate through shared knowledge, medical language, and structured communication to deliver patient care.
Research Design Meets Clinical Practice
Design a formal research proposal covering methodology, source strategy, and ethical considerations for responsible inquiry. Follow a kidney transplant patient's care team to see how medical ethics mirrors the principles of research design.
Searching the Literature Through a Clinical Lens
Sharpen your academic search skills by locating and evaluating scholarly sources using databases and keyword strategies. Examine how diabetes and peripheral vascular disease shape treatment decisions in a complex patient case.
Literature Review Meets Oncology
Compile and annotate scholarly sources into a structured literature review, applying APA citation standards and reference management tools. Study a patient's oropharyngeal cancer treatment to see how evidence informs complex medical decisions.
Drafting Your Research Paper in a Medical Context
Produce a complete research paper integrating your proposal, sources, and analysis into a cohesive scholarly argument. Explore medical innovations like integrative medicine and genetic testing as potential research inspiration.
Your Research and the Future of Healthcare
Refine and submit your completed research paper while considering how your inquiry contributes to broader conversations in medicine and healthcare. Gain perspective on careers across medicine, research, public health, and beyond.
What You Gain From This Experience
- Perspective on career paths in medicine, public health, biomedical research, and related fields.
- A step-by-step foundation in academic research, from selecting a topic to writing and submitting a full scholarly paper.
- Experience in locating, evaluating, and annotating scholarly sources using academic databases and advanced search strategies.
- Insight into how healthcare teams collaborate to diagnose and treat patients across three real clinical cases.
- Understanding of core medical topics, including kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, cancer treatment, and medical innovation.
- The opportunity to earn official college credit from Georgetown University through graded coursework and projects.
What Sets This Program Apart
A Capstone Project With Real-World Relevance
- Produce a full-length academic research paper on a self-selected topic in health, medicine, or biomedical science.
- Demonstrate independent scholarly thinking through a structured argument that moves from research question to findings and conclusion.
Instructional Guidance And Mentorship
- Receive feedback from TAs as you shape your research question, build your literature review, and polish your final paper.
- Strengthen your ability to think and write like a scholar with expert guidance at every stage of the research process.
Flexible Learning With Clear Expectations
- Engage with online coursework designed to support steady progress and accountability.
- Complete assignments and skill-building exercises alongside academic, professional, or personal responsibilities.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Course Designed by Georgetown University Faculty
Ladislava Khailova, Ph.D.
Director, School of Continuing Studies Library
Dr. Ladislava Khailova brings a deep commitment to inclusive, interdisciplinary librarianship shaped by a multifaceted academic career. Before joining Georgetown, Dr. Khailova was a Professor at Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University, where she served as a subject specialist in the humanities and social sciences and coordinated library services for individuals with disabilities. She also taught American literature and English composition at both South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina. Her research spans information literacy, generative artificial intelligence, and the historical and cultural frameworks that inform representations of the social Other—across dimensions such as disability, national origin, race, ethnicity, and gender. She is the recipient of numerous grants for her scholarship, including the prestigious ALA Carnegie-Whitney Award.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here.
Answers to Your Questions HereScholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.