Programs in Healthcare Ethics
All programs include both academic and clinical components and are arranged so that students can take them full-time or part-time. Most required courses, except the clinical practica and internships, are taught in the afternoon and evening.
We offer a full range of interdisciplinary programs in Healthcare Ethics, including:
Master of Arts Degree
The M.A. program includes a total of ten courses (30 credits), five elective courses, plus five required courses: a general graduate-level introduction to ethics, a course in health care ethics, a course in the law of medical ethical issues, a course conflict resolution, and a clinical practicum.
There is no thesis. The five elective courses will be chosen by the student with advisement, ordinarily from a list of appropriate courses offered in the university's various schools. Masters students may elect courses from the doctoral program.
Admission requirements are a Bachelor's Degree and, for clinicians, at least two years' professional experience in health care.
Juris Doctor/Master of Arts
Over the past decades, Pittsburgh transformed itself from an industrial city to one of the world’s leading centers for advances in health care and the development of health care ethics. In this setting, Duquesne University provides a unique opportunity to law students who are interested in pursuing health-related fields of practice.
The joint degree program between the Center for Healthcare Ethics and the School of Law enables law students to become better qualified in specialized areas of health care law and ethics. Students in the joint degree program are, for example, required to intern in clinical settings which provide real world experiences with the realities of doctor-patient relationships and the delivery of health care services.
The joint degree program enables students to receive both the J.D. and M.A. degrees in as little as three to three and one-half years of post-baccalaureate study instead of the normal five years. Students need to be admitted into each program.
Doctoral Degree
The Doctoral Degree Programs require twelve courses (thirty-six credits) beyond the Masters.
Both the Ph.D. and DHCE degree programs require written and oral comprehensive exams. The Ph.D. then requires a six-credit dissertation; the DHCE requires a six-credit project.
Students with a Bachelor's degree in a field related to health care ethics, such a humanities degree with a major or minor in ethics, may apply for admission to a doctoral program.
Graduate Certificate Program
The Certificate Program focuses upon developing and enhancing competencies for members of health care ethics committees.
Typically, the Program consists of nine 1-credit courses from a variety of options and is delivered in a cohort format beginning in the Fall semester, continuing through the Spring semester, and ending in the Summer semester. Each cohort of students will participate in two retreat weekends, hosted in different sites, to initiate courses in the Fall and Spring semesters.
