Master of Arts in Bioethics
*We are now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 academic year*
Application Deadline: February 1st
General Information
The MA in Bioethics is a joint degree of the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Faculty are drawn primarily from Law, Medicine, Nursing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Business. Each student will have a core faculty advisor to guide program planning and course selection.
Administration
Margaret Mohrmann, M.D., Ph.D., Kornfeld Professor and Director of the Programs for Biomedical Ethics, Center for Biomedical Ethics & Humanities is the director of the MA degree program. Walter S. Davis, M.D., Director of Education at the Programs for Biomedical Ethics is Assistant Director. Carrie Gumm is the Program Administrator.
Intended Audience
This MA program is not, in and of itself, intended as preparation for a career in bioethics. Therefore, admission preference will be given to those for whom this program would be related to their concurrent or subsequent pursuit of a terminal degree (e.g., MD, MSN, JD, or PhD), or those who intend to return to an established position. Exceptions may be made for highly qualified applicants.
Application Procedure
Students admitted to the University of Virginia Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Law, may apply to this program concurrent with their degree program. Applicants should: a) request that their other school (e.g., the School of Law) send a copy of their application to the GSAS Admissions Office. Along with the GSAS application, all applicants should enclose: a) a personal statement of 500 words about their motivation to pursue this degree and plans for the future use of the required knowledge and skills; and b) a writing sample from a course on bioethics or applied ethics or write and submit a 500-word essay on the relationship between autonomy and beneficence in contemporary bioethics.
Any other interested person may apply by clicking here. In addition to the written materials described above, an applicant's scores from the Graduate Record Examination (within 5 years) are required. An applicant may petition to substitute other national test scores (e.g., the LSATs or MCATs, if taken within 5 years) for the GRE. Applications must be received no later than February 1st and applicants will be notified of the admissions committees decision by April 1st.
Degree Requirements
24 credit hours plus a thesis (6 credit hours) prepared so as to be publishable after editing, or 30 credit hours of courses.
Required Courses
The MA in Bioethics requires 15 credit hours in "Foundations of Bioethics," "Clinical Ethics" (which should be taken in the fall-spring sequence), and 3 Group I courses.
1. "Foundations of Bioethics." All students must take "Foundations of Bioethics" (3 hours Mohrmann and Staff), which introduces the central problems and issues addressed by the field and the major concepts, methods, and ethical perspectives that bioethics brings to bear on these problems and issues.
2. "Clinical Ethics." All students must take "Clinical Ethics" (3 hours Davis and Staff), which introduces the central ethical problems and issues that arise in the clinical setting.
3. Group I Courses. All students must take at least 3 Group I courses on specific problems and issues addressed by the field of bioethics. These course are listed below. Selection of these 3 hour courses will be guided by the student's area of concentration and discipline.
Biology Requirement
Students needing more background in human biology and medicine must pass Human Biology 121 (non-credit) and/or pass a required study course and examination in basic pathophysiology and anatomy. These decisions will be made in the admission and advising process.
Electives
The remainder of credits for the MA in Bioethics may be taken from any of the remaining Group I courses or other courses offered at the University with the approval of the program director.
Program Location
The program is physically located in the Center for Biomedical Ethics & Humanities in the School of Medicine and is administered by the Center for Biomedical Ethics & Humanities.
The Steering Committee reports to the Deans of the Schools of Medicine, Law, and Nursing and to the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
All information about the MA in Bioethics is listed here. If you cannot find the information you need, please write or call:
Carrie Gumm, Program Administrator
Center for Biomedical Ethics & Humanities
PO Box 800758
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Telephone: 434.924.5695 Fax: 434.982.3971 E-mail: cg2b@virginia.edu