Center for Bioethics and Health Law

The Center for Bioethics & Health Law provides interdisciplinary graduate education leading to the Master of Arts in Bioethics, which is designed for those wanting to incorporate attention to bioethical issues into their academic or professional careers or into their research in the humanities or the health or social sciences. Joint JD/MA and MD/MA programs with the Schools of Law and Medicine permit students to earn the MA along with their professional degrees in less time than would be required to pursue the degrees separately. Faculty of the Center pursue empirical and scholarly research on a range of ethical issues in clinical care, public health, and research. The Center provides extra-curricular educational programming in bioethics and medical humanities throughout the University and continuing education across the region. Its programs are described at http://bioethics.pitt.edu.

Contact Information

Program Director: Lisa S. Parker, PhD
Program Administrator: Beth Ann Pischke
Main Office: 519 Barco Law Building
412-648-7007
Fax: 412-648-2649
bioethics@pitt.edu

Admissions

Applicants for admission must submit digital scans of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts (official transcripts are not required during the application process - applicants who are accepted will be required to submit certified transcripts when they accept the offer of admission and matriculate), three letters of recommendation, a personal statement explaining interest in the program (including plans to use this degree in further professional or graduate education or a career), a sample of written work, and Graduate Record Examination scores (or an applicable substitute for those applying to joint degree programs, e.g., MCAT or LSAT scores). If submitting GRE scores, use the University Code 2927 and the Department Code for Interdisciplinary Programs 5101. International applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit TOEFL scores. Applications for admission to the Bioethics Program in the fall term must be submitted no later than March 31; after that date, interested applicants should contact the program administrator. Joint program students must be admitted by both the Dietrich School and the relevant professional school.

Financial Assistance

Applicants may qualify to receive a Dean’s Tuition Scholarship to defray part of the cost of tuition and fees. Applicants may apply for student loans.

Faculty

Faculty of the Center for Bioethics & Health Law, and its affiliated faculty, teach in the MA Program in Bioethics, serve on thesis committees, and provide clinical and research mentorship. These faculty are listed on the Center’s website at http://bioethics.pitt.edu/people. They conduct research-empirical and theoretical-on issues across the lifespan, professional issues like conscientious objection, and issues in research including mental health and genomic research. Research by Center faculty is described at http://bioethics.pitt.edu/research.

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Faculty

Programs

Master’s

Master of Arts in Bioethics

Courses

Bioethics

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