Christine Miller describes herself as a detail-driven professional who thrives on organization, efficiency, and creating order from complexity. That focus ultimately guided her career into regulatory compliance, after studying business administration and management with a focus on entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After graduation, she spent several years working alongside small businesses throughout the Chicagoland area before a family relocation prompted a pivot.
Moving to North Carolina brought her to Catawba Valley Health System, where she was hired to help solve scheduling and system issues, and found her way to the intersection of regulatory compliance and patient safety. Her work involved managing the Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracers and surveys required to maintain hospital accreditation. Miller built a strong regulatory foundation in that role, which she’s grateful for to this day.
In May 2020, Miller joined Critical Path Institute (C-Path) during a period of rapid organizational expansion; C-Path doubled in size in Miller’s first five years. Due to her entrepreneurship background, she was able to scale quickly, holding four different titles over her six-year tenure. Today, Miller serves as the Associate Director in the Quantitative Medicine program.
When Miller learned that C-Path partnered with the University of Arizona to create a graduate certificate focused on regulatory science, the program felt like a natural extension of her daily work and interests. She enrolled to expand her understanding of the drug development landscape and broader regulatory environment.
The comprehensive curriculum covered topics such as the history of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, drug discovery, clinical development, and post-market safety monitoring. Miller entered the program without a formal background in biology or clinical trials, so the classes related to the early stages of drug development provided immediate value. The coursework provided a strong foundation for Miller to build off of, across her day-to-day duties. Miller was able to use concepts learned in class and apply them to current projects and new opportunities.
After completing the certificate, Miller proceeded with the Master of Legal Studies degree and graduated in mid-May 2026. When asked about the specific opportunities the academic path has unlocked, Miller says just wait and see. Just a couple months out from graduation, she notes those professional doors are only just beginning to open and she can’t wait to apply her new learnings to new opportunities.
Her advice for prospective students perfectly reflects Miller’s highly organized nature. She strongly recommends reading the course descriptions closely and mapping out the entire certificate timeline before starting. Because many classes are restricted to specific semesters, early planning ensures students can secure the exact courses that align with their distinct career goals.
The University of Arizona Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Science is a fully online, four-course program developed in collaboration with Critical Path Institute. The program has no entrance exam and can be completed in under a year. Find applications and course details at law.arizona.edu/graduate-certificate-regulatory-science.
