Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Bioethics and Medical Humanities (MA)

Program Information

The Bioethics and Medical Humanities concentration is a special track within the UofL interdisciplinary master's program. It is overseen by the Department of Philosophy and the College of Arts & Sciences.

Bioethics is an inherently interdisciplinary field, located principally at the intersection of philosophy, the law, and the health care professions, such as clinical medicine and nursing, but drawing as well from social science disciplines as diverse as sociology, clinical psychology, and social work. The aim of the program is to provide students with the skills necessary to work in their chosen field from an enriched ethical knowledge base. Students will be exposed to the philosophical underpinnings of health care ethics as well as real-time clinical moral decision-making. This program examines concepts of race, gender, and culture as well to incorporate an ethically sound appreciation of difference and diversity.

The master's degree in Bioethics and Medical Humanities provides professional enhancement and resources for the following groups of students:

• Current healthcare and bioscience practitioners or faculty
• Current or future members of ethics committees
• Seminary faculty or students with an interest in healthcare chaplaincy
• Dual-Degree students who wish to distinguish themselves with expertise in bioethics for their future professional, educational, and scholarly pursuits in medicine, dentistry, law, nursing, social work, or other fields
• Post-Baccalaureate students during their transition from undergraduate to professional or PhD programs

Admission Requirements

• Application (online version preferred since it allows students to upload all other required materials)
• Application fee
• Transcripts from all previous academic work
• Standardized test scores: GRE, MCAT or LSAT preferred. Other scores may be accepted with prior approval. Applicants who have completed Master's or Doctoral level degrees are exempt from this requirement.
• Two recent letters of recommendation
• The should come from those familiar with the applicant's academic work or life long learning and speak to your ability to complete graduate level education. Discursive letters preferred.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
• Personal statement
• Your personal statement should address the question: "Why have you decided to pursue a concentration in Bioethics or Medical Humanities?" and should be between 2–4 double-spaced pages (500 - 1000 words).

Additionally, we reserve the right to request additional materials as required. For example, current employees of the university are expected to provide a letter of support from their direct supervisor.

Individuals who can't use the online application or need to send supplemental materials can email Graduate Admissions or mail materials (marked with applicant name, date of birth and either your university issued ID number or your social security ID number) to:

Program Requirements

The Bioethics and Medical Humanities concentration is a 33-credit hour MA program, consisting of seven required core courses and four electives. The core courses provide essential grounding in ethical theory and the foundations of bioethics, current controversies in health care ethics, and the social and political context of health care decision-making; participation in hospital rounds emphasizes the practical realities of clinical ethics, and a capstone seminar integrates program courses with each other and with students' experience in the health care professions. Electives from the Schools of Law, Medicine, Public Health, and Social Work, as well as from the Arts and Sciences departments of History, Pan-African Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Sociology, and Women's and Gender Studies diversify and allow customization of the program.

For more details about courses or electives please refer to the posted curriculum at louisville.edu/bioethicsma/curriculum.

Coursework

The degree requires 21 credit hours (7 classes) of core courses and 12 credit hours (4 classes) of electives:

Elective Courses

In addition to the core classes, 12 credit hours of electives (typically, four classes) are required for the MA. Courses must be at the 500- or 600-level. Of these four electives, one must address Social Context, one Health Care Policy and Law and the remaining two must be relevant to the degree but are not otherwise restricted. Students are encouraged to browse the entire university catalog for elective courses relevant to the degree and their interests.

All electives with prerequisites require permission of instructor to enroll. Other courses may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Students are encouraged to find interesting electives and submit the class information for approval.

Other courses may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. We encourage our students to find interesting electives and submit the class information for approval.

Most students will complete the degree requirements after two years of full-time coursework, though motivated students are welcome to complete the hours in four consecutive semesters instead. Additionally, the program has the flexibility to allow for part-time students to take up to six years to complete the degree. And for those who are pursuing a Bioethics concentration in their bachelor's work, there is an accelerated option that allows them to complete up to 9 credit hours towards the master's degree while an undergraduate.

For sample schedules please refer to our curriculum plans at louisville.edu/bioethicsma/curriculum-1/sample-curriculum-plans

Two-Year Schedule