Center for Bioethics, University of Minnesota, Suite N504 Boynton, 410 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-624-9440; fax: 612-624-9108)

The Center for Bioethics offers a master's degree and a graduate minor in bioethics. Although bioethics has deep roots in the discipline of philosophy and maintains strong ties to that discipline, it has grown to be an essentially interdisciplinary field. Similarly, over its 25-plus year history, the Center for Bioethics has become a well-established and internationally recognized interdisciplinary center. This truly interdisciplinary approach is endorsed by the University, since the center is a program that spans the Academic Health Center and interacts throughout the University. The center's faculty represents a broad array of fields, with backgrounds in philosophy, medicine, nursing, public health, health policy, law, education, family social science, and religious studies. The faculty has expertise in clinical ethics, research ethics, and ethics in health policy. The center embraces a robust mission of public engagement. Its faculty influences policy nationally and internationally on a number of issues including decision-making at end of life, research on human subjects, ethics and genetic technologies, and public health preparedness.

Transcripts of all postsecondary academic work, a personal statement, a writing sample (preferably on a topic in bioethics), a description of research or relevant work experience, a C.V. or résumé, and at least three letters of reference are required. Applicants may also submit a statement on "Extenuating Circumstances" and "Diversity." See program website for more details. Applications begin to be received on the first day of fall semester; with offers of admission being extended on a rolling basis. Preference will be given to early applicants. Application deadline is April 30. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis; students as early in the application timeline as possible. Students are admitted for matriculation in fall semester only. Students are encouraged to link their degree in bioethics to a degree in a related field (either before entering the bioethics M.A. program or at the same time). Given the fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of bioethics, prospective students are advised against viewing the bioethics M.A. as a stand-alone degree that prepares them for career placement. This model prompts students to acquire a firm disciplinary grounding as well as interdisciplinary bioethics expertise--a practice that best prepares students for bioethics-related career placement. Thus, the admissions process will give preference to students who have already earned or are in the process of earning an advanced degree in a related field, although this will not strictly be required for admission.

Students in this Plan A (thesis-based) master's degree program are required to take at least 20 credits of courses: 9 credits of required courses including one course fulfilling an area requirement, 5 credits of bioethics electives, and 6 credits of electives from a related field. Details about curriculum can be found at www.ahc.umn.edu/bioethics/education/gradprogram/degreq/home.html. Elective courses must be chosen in consultation with the DGS or student's adviser to ensure their appropriateness for the student's course of study. Students may elect a graduate minor to fulfill their elective credits in a related field. However, students may also elect to take courses from different programs, for example, a health policy course from the School of Public Health and a health law course from the Law School. Of the 20 total course credits required, at least one BTHX course and at least two courses total are to be taken at the 8xxx level. Thesis credits do not count toward this requirement.