NYU Grossman School of Medicine offers a dual MD/MA degree in bioethics in partnership with the NYU Center for Bioethics at NYU’s College of Global Public Health. 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.

You also complete a master’s thesis project or practicum for the MA portion of your degree.

Timeline for Completing the MD/MA in Bioethics

The 32-credit MA in bioethics can be completed with the MD degree in five years. You take MD courses in the first three years and enroll in MA courses full time in the fourth year.

During your year dedicated to the MA, you choose one of three independent study options: a thesis research project, a practicum experience in bioethics, or a hypothesis-driven research project with guidance from a faculty mentor.

In your fifth year, you resume medical training while completing your practicum or research project, as well as any additional courses of interest in bioethics. For the MA, you write a thesis describing your independent study project. If you choose the hypothesis-driven research track, you also present and defend your research before a thesis committee.

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 College of Global Public Health with a separate, program-specific application in the spring of your third year at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Students receive an NYU Grossman 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 Grossman 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 NYU’s College of Global Public Health Admissions Officer Zachary Judy at zachary.judy@nyu.edu.

Contact the Program

For questions about the MD/MA in bioethics admissions process, contact NYU’s College of Global Public Health Admissions Officer Zachary Judy at zachary.judy@nyu.edu.

For information about the dual MD/master’s degree programs, contact Emily Wolschlag, dual degree advisor, at emily.wolschlag@nyulangone.org.