Master of Arts
Bioethics
An Introduction to Bioethics with S. Matthew Liao
Founded through NYU’s Center for Bioethics, the Master of Arts in Bioethics degree at GPH is one of the first programs in the world to promote a broad conception of bioethics encompassing both medical and environmental ethics. You’ll develop concepts and analytical skills that enable you to think critically about pressing challenges in the broad field of bioethics, and you’ll also have the opportunity to focus your studies through flexible curriculum options and the one-on-one guidance of your advisor.
Broad Areas of Study
Through a flexible curriculum that allows for the selection of five electives to hone your degree’s focus, you can choose from a number of broad subfields in the bioethics realm. Below are just a few examples of how you can direct your studies.
- Clinical Ethics
Doctor/patient relationships, conscientious objection, beginning and end of life care, fair allocation of scarce medical resources
- Research Ethics
The use of placebos, conflicts of interest and clinical trials, research on animals and vulnerable populations, research in developing countries
- Global and Population Ethics
Global disparities in health and public health, global pandemics, population growth, human rights to health and health care, foreign aid and its critics
- Ethics of New Technologies
Embryonic stem cells, cloning, assisted reproductive technology, genetic engineering, synthetic biology
- Neuroethics
Cognitive and mood enhancements, addiction and criminal responsibility, borderline consciousness, neuroscience of moral decision-making, brain imaging technologies and mental health
- Environmental & Animal Ethics
Climate change, species preservation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem services, the use and misuse of animals, ethics of agriculture and food production
Interdisciplinary Approach
Based in the College of Global Public Health, the MA in Bioethics program has its own full-time core faculty who have extensive experience in bioethics. Our interdisciplinary approach to the field also includes faculty affiliates from top-ranked departments across NYU, such as Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, and Environmental Medicine, as well as from the School of Medicine, the Wagner School of Public Service, and the School of Law.
Practicum
As a culminating project, you will complete a hands-on practicum at a health and environmental organizations either here in the greater New York area or farther afield. Students have worked at the President's Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, the American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, the Pan American Health Organization, and Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial Hospital.