Through this program, you’ll gain an enhanced capacity to address moral and ethical challenges in a variety of health care settings. You’ll be better equipped to navigate critical and complex conversations about clinical ethics and health care policy. 

“Faculty in the bioethics master’s program really invest in giving individual feedback to students. Even though it's completely online, there's a lot of chances for interaction through video conference and at times in-person, too.”

— Sarah Lux, PhD | Associate Director and Program Director, Graduate School

Ethical controversies in health care have recently become broader and more complex. Issues such as end-of-life care, pain and suffering, research ethics, and disparities in health care access are often in the news. You can meet the growing need for professionals who possess strong skills in health care ethics by earning your MS in Bioethics.

Through rigorous coursework and hands-on practicum experience, your thinking, writing and decision-making will improve. You will also learn to consider legal, ethical and social implications to best serve patients and families. As you complete your bioethics courses, you’ll have the support of expert faculty and peers from a wide range of professions—including physicians, nurses, chaplains, lawyers, hospice workers, hospital administrators, lab technicians, medical researchers, social workers and more.

A program tailored to your career goals and lifestyle

We know graduate school is a huge investment of your time and money, so we make sure your investment is a smart one—and one that you can fit in your busy schedule. This 33-credit program is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals and can be completed fully online in just over two years.

You’ll also learn about what matters to you. About half of your credits will be earned through electives, which tailors your degree to your interests. The bioethics program is housed in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, which means you’ll have a wide variety of subject areas to pursue, all of which are taught by expert faculty.

Your education will also be practical. As part of your Master of Science in Bioethics curriculum, you’ll participate in a practicum experience. During your practicum, you’ll develop a practical plan for responding to an ethical issue or problem that you’ll identify in collaboration with key individuals at your practicum site. The practicum experience is designed to help you integrate the knowledge you will gain throughout your coursework and apply it in a real-world setting.