The NYU Center for Bioethics offers a dual MD/MA degree in bioethics in partnership with the NYU School of Medicine. The program educates students in the ethical issues that influence global health. It prepares them for careers as bioethicists in hospitals, medical schools, and other healthcare institutions; as public policy consultants; or as researchers in the field of bioethics.
As medicine has advanced, emerging diagnostic and therapeutic technologies have raised important ethical questions. The MD/MA in bioethics program explores the ethical implications of areas of science and healthcare such as the Human Genome Project, cloning, stem cell research, organ transplantation, and end-of-life care. As you earn your MD/MA in bioethics, you take courses in environmental studies, public health, public policy, and law that emphasize multidisciplinary approaches to ethical issues.
All students take two core courses—Advanced Introduction to Bioethics and Advanced Introduction to Environmental Ethics. You then personalize your coursework through various NYU graduate schools, including NYU’s College of Global Public Health, NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, NYU Silver School of Social Work, NYU School of Law, and NYU Robert P. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Students complete a master’s thesis project for the MA portion of the degree.
Timeline for Completing the MD/MA in Bioethics
The 32-credit MA in bioethics can be completed with the MD degree in four years. You take MD courses in the first two years and enroll in MA courses full time in the third year.
During your year dedicated to the MA, you begin work on your practicum, a hands-on thesis project 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.
In your fourth year, you resume medical training while completing your practicum, as well as any additional courses of interest in bioethics.
A portion of the credits you earn for completing the independent study requirement for the MA in bioethics can also be applied as elective credits or a scholarly concentration project that count toward your MD degree. Your bioethics research may also fulfill requirements needed for the MD student honors program.
MD/MA Program Application, Tuition, and Funding
You apply to the MD/MA in bioethics directly through NYU’s School of Global Public Health with a separate, program-specific application in the spring of your second year at NYU School of Medicine.
Students receive an NYU School of Medicine scholarship to cover the cost of tuition for the MD degree program, provided each student maintains satisfactory academic progress in accordance with NYU School of Medicine’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. For information about tuition rates, merit-based scholarships, and options for financing the MA in bioethics, contact the NYU Center for Bioethics at bioethics@nyu.edu.
Every year, one NYU medical student is selected for our competitive Arthur Zitrin Fellowship in Ethics and Medicine. This 50% tuition scholarship is awarded to applicants of the MD/MA program based on merit, demonstrated interest in the field of bioethics, and overall application strength.
Contact the Program
For questions about the MD/MA in bioethics admissions process, contact the NYU Center for Bioethics at bioethics@nyu.edu.
For information about the dual MD/master’s degree programs at NYU School of Medicine, contact Olivia Haines, Administrative Coordinator, Dual Degree Program, at oliviamargaret.haines@nyulangone.org.
