Master of Arts in Bioethics

The Master of Arts in Bioethics is a complementary degree program, rather than a terminal or professional degree, such as an MPH or MBA program. Therefore, our program has been crafted to work best for students who already have a graduate or professional degree, plan to pursue a professional degree program concurrently with our MA program (e.g., Nursing, Social Work, or Law) or otherwise have an established career in a health-related field. 

For more information about concurrent degree programs, see Graduate School Policy. Unfortunately, it is not an option for UW medical students to concurrently enroll in our degree program due to conflicting course schedules. UW medical students may enroll in our MA before or after completing their MD.

If you would like to take our courses before you apply, you may take up to 12 credits of BH courses prior to acceptance into our graduate program. You may take these courses if you are already enrolled in a UW Graduate program or if you are a Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) student (see more details below), 

Application Requirements 

• Complete the Application for Graduate Study at the University of Washington (select Bioethics and Humanities Program) between December 1 and January 15
• Submit transcripts for degrees earned, see: Official Transcripts Requirements
• Submit a personal statement. Because our program does not offer a terminal or professional degree, we encourage applicants to pay careful attention to crafting their personal statement. While your personal statement will be unique to you, please make sure it addresses the following questions:
  • What personal, professional, or educational experiences have shaped your current interests and goals? 
  • How will a UW MA in Bioethics help you to further your interests and/or achieve your goals? 
  • Our program is a complementary graduate program. How will our program augment the training or experience you already possess or will concurrently receive?  If you do not already have a graduate degree, plan to concurrently enroll in another degree program, or have extensive professional work experience in a health-related field, please explain why you believe the UW MA in Bioethics is the best course of action at this time.
• Submit an essay in response to the essay prompt (do not submit a writing sample instead)
• Ensure three letters of recommendation are submitted by January 15
• If you selected “no” to the question Are you a native English speaker? in your graduate school application, you will be asked to demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Before applying, we encourage prospective students to meet with our Graduate Program Advisor. Please contact bhadvise@uw.edu.

Admissions Timeline

• Mid-February: Admissions decisions are conveyed through the SLATE and are final
• Mid-April: If you have been admitted, you must accept, decline, or defer the offer and your admission decision is final 
• Late-September: If you have been admitted and accepted, plan to attend orientation and begin your autumn coursework

Tuition Rate

The tuition level is Graduate Tier II, see: Office of Planning and Budgeting, Current Tuition and Fees. Forty credits are required for the MA in Bioethics, students typically take six credits per quarter (autumn, winter, and spring) for two years. Use the Graduate Tuition Dashboard to calculate your tuition fees according to credit hour, see: Tuition Rates. For tuition questions, complete the contact form on the Office of the Registrar website. 

Funding 

See Graduate School Funding for Students for student assistantships, fellowships, grants, federal loans, work study, and employment opportunities. Also consider the Wylie Burke Endowed Scholarship for Diversity described at the top of this page.

Tuition Exemption

• State employees: See State Employee Tuition Exemption

• UW employees: See Human Resources Professional and Organizational Development: Tuition Exemption. To determine your eligibility, email Professional & Organizational Development (POD) at pod@uw.edu, and include your Employee Identification Number (EIN) and quarter you wish to attend in your message. The tuition exemption benefit covers up to 6 applicable credits per quarter. Neither the Office of the University Registrar nor the Department of Bioethics and Humanities can determine an employee's tuition exemption eligibility. Note: all UW Employess register on the 3rd day of the  quarter and Non-UW Washington State Employees register on the 4th day of the quarter. 

Apply and select GNM for application type. Please note the GNM Application deadlines below. 

GNM Student Status

The UW GNM program permits students to take up to 12 credits of graduate courses or advanced undergraduate courses. The majority of GNM students attend part-time, although full-time enrollment is not prohibited. The advantage of this program is that it allows students to take graduate courses regardless of degree objectives. Students whose academic record falls short of the admission criteria may also be advised to enroll as GNM before applying for regular status.

Applicants must hold an undergraduate degree, present official transcripts and have earned a grade point average (GPA) deemed satisfactory by the department, and a statement of purpose to include the following information: Describe why you are interested in bioethics, if and when you are considering applying to the MA program, which classes you are interested in taking and which quarters these classes are offered. Please also provide a Bioethics & Humanities faculty contact. We expect that you have spoken to that faculty member prior to applying. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and recommendation letters are not required. Qualification for admission is decided quickly. Furthermore, up to 12 credits of appropriate courses taken successfully as a GNM student may be applied to a degree if students are admitted into a degree program at a later date. International Students Note: foreign nationals are not eligible for student visas under the GNM program. See Graduate School Policy. 

Admission into regular status from GNM status requires that students apply for regular admission to the department, which is competitive with all applicants to the program. They should have taken at least three graduate level courses applicable to the MA degree in Bioethics (400/500 level and above) and attained competitive grades in each course. Once the status of a GNM student is changed to regular graduate status, all courses suitable for the program taken as a GNM student (no more than 12 credits) will be credited toward the degree. 

If you are deciding between the certificate in Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics (ATHE) and Master of Arts in Bioethics, please review the Certificate in ATHE Versus Master of Arts in Bioethics.