The culmination of your MA in Bioethics degree in your final semester is a hands-on practicum in a health or environmental organization, studying and reporting on the ethical issues that are addressed or overlooked, such as:
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Shadowing a hospital palliative care physician to examine moral and epistemic issues involving patient care
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Investigating environmental health responsibilities around a green roof promotion project in a city neighborhood
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Working with public health advocates to develop educational and policy responses to confusion about vaccines
You may choose to work in the field right here in the greater New York area, or you may choose to put your skills to work at another location across the globe. By the end of your experience, you’ll have applied experience in real-life ethical issues in medical and environmental settings, making you stand out to potential employers.
Practicum Sites
You’ll have the resources and assistance of your advisors and members of the Center for Bioethics to connect with appropriate institutions to arrange a practicum that suits your interests. Previous sites have included Doctors Without Borders, Mount Sinai Hospital, and The President's Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
When you begin looking for practicum opportunities, we strongly advise you to periodically consult the practicum list, as well as check our student research blog for various paid and unpaid opportunities that satisfy the practicum requirements. All sites must be approved by the practicum advisor before you can commit yourself to the work. Once the practicum site is finalized, you should complete a practicum prospectus form and submit it to their advisor.
Note: Students are allowed to participate in paid practicum positions provided that the practicum is approved by their program advisors and not within NYU.
For More Information
For more detailed information about practicum requirements, expectations, assignments, seminar, etc., please consult the Bioethics Practicum Information Sheet. If you still have questions after reviewing this information, feel free to contact us at bioethics@nyu.edu.
Practicum Been Approved?
If you’re practicum site has been finalized, please complete a practicum prospectus form and submit it to your advisor.
The Center for Bioethics
The foundation of the MA in Bioethics degree is the NYU Center for Bioethics, launched in September 2007 with a Chair endowed by Dr. Arthur Zitrin, who for over 40 years was a prime mover in ethics education at the NYU Medical Center.