Time Commitment

The M.S. in Bioethics is offered on both a full and part-time basis, but either option demands a serious commitment of time and energy. Students are expected to devote significant time to completing reading and class assignments, and papers outside of class. Students may hold a full-time job simultaneously, but should bear in mind the significant demands of the program.

Program Length

Depending on the individual course of study, students may complete the program in one academic year or in a maximum of three years, if the program is done on a part-time basis. Core courses will be offered every term, but elective offerings will vary by semester.

Class meetings

During the academic year, core courses will meet once a week on weekdays from 4:10 to 6 p.m. or evenings from 6:10 to 8:00 p.m. Elective courses will vary depending on the semester.

Work Outside Class

Students should expect to spend an average of eight hours per week on readings, or attendance at outside meetings (e.g. hospital ethics committee meetings) for each core class. The number of hours that the master’s thesis will require varies widely, depending on the student, and the specific project. Some projects may entail collection of data, while others may rely on scholarly sources, and the time estimates of each of these may vary depending in part on the difficulty of locating appropriate sources.