Post job

Director of preclinical research education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of preclinical research. Directors of preclinical research usually study biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, medical assisting services, or microbiology. 45% of directors of preclinical research hold a bachelor's degree, and 41% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 25 real director of preclinical research resumes to see exactly what director of preclinical research education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of preclinical research are the The University of Texas Medical Branch and the The University of Texas Medical Branch.

There are also many online director of preclinical research courses to help get the education required to be a director of preclinical research.

What education do you need to become a director of preclinical research?

What degree do you need to be a director of preclinical research?

The most common degree for directors of preclinical research is bachelor's degree, with 45% of directors of preclinical research earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 41% and doctoral degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Doctorate, 41%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Associate, 5%

What should I major in to become a director of preclinical research?

You should major in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology to become a director of preclinical research. 23% of directors of preclinical research major in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology. Other common majors for a director of preclinical research include medical assisting services and microbiology.

Most common colleges for directors of preclinical research

Directors of preclinical research often get their degrees at The University of Texas Medical Branch, Cornell University, and University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Here are the most common colleges for directors of preclinical research in the US based on their resumes.
Director of preclinical research common collegePercentages
The University of Texas Medical Branch7.69%
Cornell University7.69%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas7.69%
Indiana University South Bend7.69%
North Carolina State University7.69%

Best majors for directors of preclinical research

Best colleges for directors of preclinical research

The best colleges for directors of preclinical research are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

A director of preclinical research with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of preclinical research. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors of preclinical research.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for directors of preclinical research

Advertising disclosure

1. Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics

coursera

If you’ve ever skipped over the results section of a medical paper because terms like “confidence interval” or “p-value” go over your head, then you’re in the right place. You may be a clinical practitioner reading research articles to keep up-to-date with developments in your field or a medical student wondering how to approach your own research. Greater confidence in understanding statistical analysis and the results can benefit both working professionals and those undertaking research...

2. Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials

coursera

In this course, you’ll learn how to design and carry out clinical trials. Each design choice has implications for the quality and validity of your results. This course provides you and your team with essential skills to evaluate options, make good design choices, and implement them within your trial. You’ll learn to control for bias, randomize participants, mask treatments and outcomes, identify errors, develop and test hypotheses, and define appropriate outcomes. Finally, a trial without...

3. The Beginners Course for Clinical Research

udemy
4.5
(650)

The Essentials of Clinical Trials - Clinical Research for Beginners...

4. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)

udemy
4
(302)

A Clinical Research Course-ICH-GCP E6(R2), Clinical Trials, Essential Documents, Sponsor, Investigator, Pharmaceuticals...

5. Clinical Trials Operations

coursera

This specialization is designed for individuals and teams that will be running or interacting with clinical trials. In four courses, learners will develop insights and build the skills they need to design, manage, and monitor clinical trials as well as analyze, document, and communicate the results. Learners will also learn best practices regarding ethics, safety, participant recruitment, regulatory compliance, and reporting standards. The core principles and skills of the specialization will...

6. Foundations of Health Equity Research

coursera

Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...

7. Good Clinical Practice ICH GCP for Clinical Research

udemy
4.5
(710)

Certification on ICH GCP E6 R2 Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research The Only Complete Course You Can Find Online...

8. Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Research Professionals

udemy
4.5
(537)

The Complete, Certified ICH GCP (R2 & R3) Course for Investigators, Study Coordinators, Sponsors, Monitors and Study staff...

9. Clinical Trials Analysis, Monitoring, and Presentation

coursera

In this course, you’ll learn more advanced operational skills that you and your team need to run a successful clinical trial. You’ll learn about the computation of sample size and how to develop a sample size calculation that’s suitable for your trial design and outcome measures. You’ll also learn to use statistical methods to monitor your trial for safety, integrity, and efficacy. Next, you’ll learn how to report the results from your clinical trials through both journal articles and data...

10. Clinical Trials Data Management and Quality Assurance

coursera

In this course, you’ll learn to collect and care for the data gathered during your trial and how to prevent mistakes and errors through quality assurance practices. Clinical trials generate an enormous amount of data, so you and your team must plan carefully by choosing the right collection instruments, systems, and measures to protect the integrity of your trial data. You’ll learn how to assemble, clean, and de-identify your datasets. Finally, you’ll learn to find and correct deficiencies...

11. Clinical Research for beginners

udemy
4.2
(462)

The Art of Publishing - Master Pub Med, Study design, Biostatistics, Journal choice, Manuscript writing & Referencing...

12. Basic of Clinical Data Management

udemy
4.5
(341)

Clinical Data Management...

13. The Simplest Guide to Clinical Trials Data Analysis with SAS

udemy
4.4
(1,044)

Step into the world of Pharmaceutical industry Clinical Trials Clinical Research Biostatistics Clinical SAS SAS...

14. Research Methodology: Complete Research Project Blueprint

udemy
4.6
(857)

Research Methodology From A-Z. A Step-by-Step Guide Through Research Design, Data Collection, Analysis, & Interpretation...

15. Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

udemy
4.2
(313)

Key features of the GCP guideline, roles and responsibilities involved and the requirements of essential documentation...

16. Research Methodology

udemy
4.5
(621)

Academic Research Business Research Thesis & Dissertation Report Research Paper / Journal...

17. Market Research: Dekker's Complete Marketing Research Course

udemy
4.4
(452)

Competitor Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Consumer Analytics, Conversion Rate Optimization...

18. How to conduct market research in startups and small firms?

udemy
4.2
(598)

A-Z guide how to conduct market research, analyze your competitors as well as customers...

19. Market Research: A-Z Fundamentals with Case Studies

udemy
4.5
(379)

Learn Market Sizing & Forecasting, Survey Design, Customer & Competitor Analysis to become a PRO Market Research Analyst...

20. Research Methods For Business Students

udemy
4.5
(881)

A-Z guide to writing a rockstar Research Paper with a bulletproof Research Methodology!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of preclinical research

The most affordable schools for directors of preclinical research are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for directors of preclinical research are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors of preclinical research.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of preclinical research

The hardest universities for directors of preclinical research to get into are Duke University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for directors of preclinical research are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors of preclinical research based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,488

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of preclinical research

The easiest schools for directors of preclinical research to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, university of the incarnate word, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of preclinical research without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors of preclinical research.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

Average director of preclinical research salary by education level

According to our data, directors of preclinical research with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $111,645 annually. Directors of preclinical research with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $104,449.
Director of preclinical research education levelDirector of preclinical research salary
Master's Degree$104,449
High School Diploma or Less$74,118
Bachelor's Degree$93,275
Doctorate Degree$111,645
Some College/ Associate Degree$78,035

Director of preclinical research education FAQs

Search for director of preclinical research jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs