Application Information
All successful applicants must have a degree from an accredited four year college or university before beginning the program. However, most entering students will have also acquired an advanced degree in a related discipline, such as medicine, nursing, law, public health, or theology. Others may combine graduate work in Bioethics with other graduate or professional education, resulting in dual degrees.
Applicants are encouraged to pay careful attention to their personal statement. This statement should include:
(1) A brief intellectual autobiography describing the formation of your academic interests and present concerns.
(2) A description of your goals in obtaining an MA in Bioethics: what do you hope to achieve with this degree: personal fulfillment? Insight into clinical care? A job as a clinical bioethicist? Etc.
(3) An explanation of how your past experience, academic training or research experience has prepared you to pursue graduate work in bioethics.
(4) If applicable, the special area of interest or particular problems, theories, movements, periods, etc., upon which your study would focus.
(5) A description of tentative plans for research, either specific problems or general areas in which you hope to work.
(6) A description of relevant research or practice experience, including your role and the extent to which you were independently involved in the projects you mention.
GRE scores from within the last 5 years are required of all students. In special circumstances, a sample of scholarly writing may replace this requirement. Please contact the Program Director for more information.
Applicants for whom English is not the primary language must submit scores from the TOEFL no greater than 5 years old.
While the Center for Ethics does not currently have funding available for students, a limited number of research and/or teaching assistantships may be available each semester. Candidates for those opportunities must submit a separate application.
Applications are due March 1 for fall enrollment, although early applications are welcomed. Applications submitted after March 1 will be considered on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Priority for assistantships will be given to those applicants who met the March 1 deadline.
Further information about the application process and the online application is available through the Laney Graduate School website.
Student Assistantships
The Center for Ethics has a *LIMITED* number of teaching and research assistantships available each semester. Students must complete a new application each academic year to be considered for these positions. Funding permitted, faculty have the option of renewing student assistantships for students whose work exceeds expectations, and for terminating relationships that are not productive.
To apply, please complete the attached application and submit it with your application in the space for a writing sample.
