Earn a Doctor of Medicine and a Master of Arts in Bioethics from NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU School of Global Public Health. This dual degree program integrates clinical training with in-depth bioethical analysis, preparing future physicians to navigate complex ethical challenges in modern medicine and global healthcare.
Why Pursue a Dual Degree MD/MA in Bioethics?
The MD/MA in Bioethics program offers a comprehensive education in the ethical, legal, and policy issues that shape today's rapidly evolving medical landscape. As healthcare technologies such as genetic testing, cloning, stem cell research, and organ transplantation continue to advance, so do the ethical questions surrounding them.
This innovative program is ideal for students interested in careers as:
- Bioethicists in hospitals, academic medical centers, and research institutions
- Public policy consultants specializing in healthcare ethics
- Medical school faculty and ethics educators
- Clinical researchers focused on ethical inquiry in healthcare and biomedical science
Interdisciplinary Curriculum with a Focus on Ethics in Healthcare
Students in the MD/MA in Bioethics program take courses that blend medicine, public health, environmental studies, law, and public policy. The curriculum emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to ethical decision-making in both clinical and global contexts.
Core coursework in the 32-credit MA in Bioethics program includes Advanced Introduction to Bioethics and Advanced Introduction to Environmental Ethics. Students then customize their degree by choosing electives across various NYU graduate schools, including the School of Global Public Health, Graduate School of Arts and Science, Silver School of Social Work, School of Law, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Additionally, students must complete a master’s thesis, practicum experience, or hypothesis-driven research project. These options allow students to engage in real-world ethical issues under the guidance of faculty mentors and bioethics experts.
Research topics may address end-of-life care ethics, global health disparities, ethical frameworks in precision medicine, regulatory issues in human subjects research and more.
Four-Year Timeline for Completion
The dual MD/MA in Bioethics can be completed within four years:
- Years 1–2: Students complete the foundational MD curriculum.
- Year 3: Students enroll full time in MA in Bioethics courses and independent study.
- Year 4: Students return to clinical training while completing any remaining MA coursework or practicum.
Independent study credits from the MA program may also fulfill elective requirements, scholarly concentration projects, or the MD student honors program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
MD/MA in Bioethics Schedule
| Year | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| 1 | Medical School Pre Clerkship Curriculum | Summer Research Fellowship | |
| 2 | Medical School Clerkship Curriculum | USMLE | |
| 3 | MA in Bioethics Curriculum | Medical School Curriculum | |
| 4 | Medical School Curriculum & MA in Bioethics Curriculum-Independent Study | ||
How to Apply
This program is only open to students who have already been accepted to, and matriculated in, NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Students apply to the MA in Bioethics at NYU School of Global Public Health in their second year of medical school.
Applicants must apply separately and be admitted to both the MD and MA in Bioethics programs: MD program application and instructions and MA program application and instructions.
MD/MA in Bioethics Tuition and Funding
MD degree: Students receive a NYU Grossman School of Medicine scholarship to cover the cost of tuition for the MD degree program in accordance with NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
MA degree: For information about tuition rates, merit-based scholarships, and options for financing the MA in Bioethics, contact NYU School of Global Public Health Office of Admissions and Enrollment Admissions at gph.admissions@nyu.edu.
Contact the Program
- NYU School of Global Public Health Office of Admissions and Enrollment at gph.admissions@nyu.edu
- Bioethics Assistant Professor, Daniel Fogal at Daniel.Fogal@nyu.edu
- Bioethics Program Manager, Amber Celedonio at amc1125@nyu.edu
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine Dual Degree Advisor, Emily Wolschlag at Emily.Wolschlag@NYULangone.org