Issues concerning the ethical, legal and social implications of advances in biotechnology and biomedicine are increasingly arising both in the United States and abroad. From stem cell research to health care reform, these topics involve critical dilemmas at the intersections of law, society, culture, public policy, philosophy, religion, economics, and history.

Scientists, healthcare providers and policy-makers confront the challenge of how to approach these complex questions, yet scientific and technological advances have far out-paced our ability to understand or make key decisions about these issues.

The M.S. in Bioethics provides students with the training to work professionally on these issues, and grounds them in historical, philosophical, legal, and social-scientific approaches and models for addressing bioethics. The program prepares students to work in various capacities within this new and ever-growing field, and includes a concentration in global bioethics – the first of its kind in the United States.

The program enables students to study with faculty from across the University, and to draw on the extraordinary resources of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the schools of Law, Journalism, Nursing and International and Public Affairs, and the Arts and Sciences.

Who Should Apply

The Bioethics program is appropriate for students who are interested in working in various capacities in biomedical and health-related areas. The program includes and benefits four types of students:

  • Recent undergraduates who plan to work in the healthcare professions and are interested in bioethical issues. Students will have a diverse range of backgrounds, and may have majored in the social sciences, the humanities, or the sciences.
  • Pre-med students who wish to strengthen their application to medical school by adding the breadth and experience of Columbia’s bioethics program to their curriculum vitae, while also enriching their eventual training in medicine with a grounding in critical ethical issues and perspectives.
  • Graduate students in fields such as medicine, science, business, law, public affairs or journalism who wish to combine their training with the study of bioethics.
  • Professionals in healthcare or related fields such as law, medicine, nursing, or related industries, who are interested in enhancing their skills and problem-solving abilities concerning bioethical issues.

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