The culmination of your MA in Bioethics in your final semester is a hands-on practicum in a health or environmental organization outside the NYU community, in which you will study and report on ethical issues that may be addressed or overlooked, such as:
- Shadowing a hospital palliative care physician to examine moral and epistemic issues involving patient care
- Investigating environmental health responsibilities around a green‐roof promotion project in a city neighborhood
- Working with public health advocates to develop educational and policy responses to confusion about vaccines
You may choose to work 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.
Note: The Practicum work experience must be at least 40 hours, typically done over the course of one semester.
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 site list, as well as 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 your practicum site is finalized, you should complete a practicum prospectus form and submit it to your advisor.
Note: Students are allowed to participate in paid practicum positions provided that the practicum is approved by their program advisors and not within New York University.
For More Information
For more detailed information about practicum requirements and expectations, please consult the Bioethics Practicum Information Sheet below. If you still have questions after reviewing this information, feel free to contact us at bioethics@nyu.edu.
Practicum Form
Students seeking to be registered for their practicum must complete the form below and submit it to bioethics@nyu.edu.
Practicum Google Form
Students must also fill out this Google Form once they’re ready to be enrolled in the course after acquiring approval and permission from their advisor.
