Dual Degrees Offered


The MA-Bioethics Program is pleased to be able to partner with other schools at Emory to offer the following dual degree programs:

MA/DPT

Students interested in pursuing a degree in physical therapy may also be attracted to the dual MA-Bioethics/DPT Program. The goal of this program is to prepare physical therapists not only to enhance the care they provide to patients in a changing healthcare environment, but also to prepare them to work on issues of public and institutional policy as they relate to the provision of clinical care and ethical healthcare practice, to serve on ethics committees, or to conduct education on the ethical foundations of clinical practice.

The combined MA-Bioethics/DPT degree will provide future physical therapists with the opportunity to develop unique perspectives and skills.  This new combination of knowledge, skills and abilities will enable Emory dual degree graduates to influence ethical dimension of healthcare policy and to serve in an expert capacity on panels in healthcare settings that deal with ethical dilemmas.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/DPT degree must apply to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/DPT Dual Degree Dual Degree Requirements

MA/JD

Students interested in Law and Bioethics may be interested in the dual MA-Bioethics/JD degree. The purpose of the program is to train students to be able to work effectively at the intersection of law and bioethics and to participate in the development of health-related public policy and legislation.

This dual degree program will provide an invaluable opportunity for students to engage meaningfully in the study of both law and bioethics; students will learn not only about the bounds of each of these disciplines, but also about the ways in which a rich discourse can be fostered by connecting these academic fields of study.  Students who graduate with the dual degree in law and bioethics will not only be able to work effectively at the intersection of these disciplines, but will also be poised to participate in the development of public policy and health legislation.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/JD degree must apply to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/JD Dual Degree Requirements

MA/MD

Students planning to pursue a career as a physician can also complete the requirements for the MA-Bioethics. This program is designed to prepare students from the very onset of their medical careers to be equipped to identify, address, and assess ethical issues as they appear in clinical practice.

Students who graduate with a dual MA-Bioethics/MD degree will not only be prepared to enhance the care they provide to patients, but also will be prepared to work on issues of public policy as it relates to the provision of clinical care, to serve on or chair ethics committees, or to conduct education on the ethical foundations of clinical practice.

All students in Medicine at Emory complete a 5-month Discovery Phase, which gives students an opportunity to participate in research in their individual areas of interest. Students with an interest in a  robust program in bioethics simply replace the 5-month Discovery Phase with the MA-Bioethics Program between years 4 and 5 of medical school.

Students will complete a substantive research project as part of the MA-Bioethics program that will also be suitable for the medical school capstone requirement.

View MA/MD Dual Degree Requirements

MA/MDiv

Students choosing chaplaincy, pastoral counseling, and pastoral care as a vocation may be attracted to pursue the dual degree. An MA-Bioethics/MDiv program will enable students working in a chaplaincy or pastoral care/counseling role to confront the bioethical issues they are likely to encounter in the clinic in a careful and rigorous manner.

Combining the study of bioethics with a deep exploration of theological conceptions of health, illness, and disease will enhance the ability of graduates to pursue careers in clinical institutions and faith-based organizations.  It may also encourage some divinity students to teach in secondary schools or pursue advanced studies in bioethics, theology, or related fields.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/MDiv dual degree must apply separately to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/MDiv Dual Degree Requirements

MA/MPH

Students interested in public health may also be attracted to the MA-Bioethics Program. The goal of the dual MA-Bioethics/MPH Program is to train a select group of students in the intersection of public health and bioethics.

Students who graduate with a dual MA-Bioethics/MPH degree will be well qualified to work in public health to help set priorities for pandemics or other allocations of scarce resources, to set public policy for health departments or states on access to health care, or to conduct education on the ethical foundations of public health practice.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/MPH degree must apply to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/MPH Dual Degree Requirements

MA/MSN

Students in advanced nursing practice may also be interested in the dual MA-Bioethics/MSN Program. The purpose of the program is to prepare advance practice nurses from the very onset of their careers to be equipped to identify, address, and assess ethical issues as they appear in clinical practice and healthcare administration. 

Students who graduate with a dual MA-Bioethics degree/MSN will not only be prepared to enhance the care they provide to patients, but also will be prepared to work on issues of public and institutional policy as it relates to the provision of clinical care, to serve on ethics committees, or to conduct education on the ethical foundations of clinical practice.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/MSN degree must apply to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/MSN Dual Degree Requirements

MA/MTS

Students interested in the intersection between religion/theology and bioethics may be interested in the dual MA-Bioethics/MTS degree. The purpose of the program is to train a small number of elite students to pursue careers in faith-based organizations, to teach at secondary schools, or to pursue advanced studies in bioethics and moral theology.

This dual degree will serve the needs of individuals whose career goals involve working in bioethics, patient advocacy, or pastoral care at a faith-based health care institution or organization who desire to have a robust understanding of the intersection of religion and health or health care. Additionally, combining the rigorous study of bioethics with a deep exploration of theological conceptions of health, illness, and disease may enable graduates to pursue careers in faith-based organizations, to teach at secondary schools, or to pursue advanced studies in bioethics, theology, or related fields.

This program is designed to be value enhancing to students whose interests cross these two disciplines; such enhancement is accomplished through:

  • An interdisciplinary seminar jointly taught by faculty from the Candler School of Theology and the Center for Ethics; and
  • Additional course requirements in theological ethics and biblical ethics that augment the theory instruction in the MA-Bioethics alone;
  • A practicum placement at a faith-based organization (corresponding to student interest) and a joint thesis.

Students interested in the MA-Bioethics/MTS dual degree must apply separately to each program, and should be sure to indicate their interest in the dual degrees on both applications.

View MA/MTS Dual Degree Requirements