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Doctorate Degree

DOCTORATE in BIOETHICS (D.Bioethics)

Our professional doctorate in Bioethics (D.Bioethics) is a first-of-its-kind program and meets the growing need for advanced training in Bioethics for professionals with increasing responsibilities related to Bioethics and health policy. These professionals may chair a hospital’s ethics committee, conduct clinical ethics consultations, have administrative-oriented ethics work, or steward issues central to their institution’s mission and values.

Students select one of four areas of concentration: Clinical Bioethics, Catholic Bioethics, Research Ethics, or Public Health and Systems Ethics. This degree offers a doctorate (not a PhD) through a hybrid approach (asynchronous online courses combined with blended courses that require 2-3 days of on campus learning.)

For more information on our online Doctorate in Bioethics, please request information. We invite you register for our online open house webinar.

Curriculum

Students will select a concentration requiring three specific and required courses. Areas of concentration and course requirements:

  • Clinical Bioethics - Ethics Across the Care Continuum; Ethics Consultation Simulation Seminar*; Advanced Clinical Ethics Skills Course* or Practicum in Clinical Ethics
  • Catholic Bioethics - Moral Theology for Bioethics; Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Leadership; Catholic Bioethics and Social Justice
  • Research Ethics - Research Ethics; Current Debates in Research Ethics; Emerging Issues in Research Integrity (permission required), or one of the following: Empirical Bioethics, Global Bioethics, Independent Study
  • Public Health & Systems Ethics - Public Health Ethics; Social Determinants of Health or Advancing Health Equity Practice; Organizational Ethics I or Organizational Ethics II *Indicates Hybrid Course

*Qualifying written and oral examination

Before a student may begin capstone work, they must pass a written and oral exam. The exam consists of questions that reflect a general understanding of bioethics and examine specific content related to the student’s area of concentration. The student will have a specified amount of time to complete the written questions, which will be followed by an oral examination conducted via Zoom.

Qualifying Exam FAQs

Before a doctoral student embarks upon their capstone courses, it is expected that they will successfully complete a qualifying exam.

  • Do I need to register for a course to take the qualifying exam?   No. Course registration is not required.
  • When do I need to take the written and oral qualifying exams?   Both should be completed just before starting the first doctoral capstone course.
  • Do I need to specifically prepare for the qualifying exam?  This is an open book exam that should be an opportunity for the student to showcase their knowledge from the coursework they’ve taken.
  • What kinds of questions are asked?  The exam features several essay style questions.
  • How long do I have to complete the exam?  Students have a month to complete the exam.
  • How do I know if I passed?  The student will receive a letter from the graduate program director indicating successful completion of the written and oral exams.
  • Who should I contact to schedule the qualifying exam?  Email Robbin Hiller the semester before you plan to take the qualifying exam. She will set up an exam date as well as a date to meet with faculty for the oral component.

Two Capstone Courses (resulting in peer-reviewed articles)

This is an opportunity for advanced students in the Doctoral program to develop a paper from a course in the program and revise it into a manuscript of publishable quality. The course director will work with the student to review the paper and provide feedback. Each student also will be assigned a faculty reviewer to serve as a content expert.

In the first weeks of the course, each student will identify their topic and journals in which they might publish that paper. The student also will conduct a literature review on their selected topic and draft a thesis statement for their manuscript. After receiving feedback from the course director and the faculty reviewer the student will write a draft. After additional feedback, the student will revise their manuscript, format it for the journal, and submit it for publication consideration. Finally, each student will develop a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation based on their paper and present it in-person or virtually.

Effective Spring 2022: matriculants in the Doctoral program are expected to maintain a 3.5 GPA Learn more about program curriculum.

Learn more about program curriculum HERE.

Admission

To apply for admission to the doctoral program, the following documents are required from domestic applicants:

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree; transcripts related to work on those degrees are required for admission. (Loyola graduates can submit supplemental transcripts).
  • Completion of a Master's degree in bioethics with a GPA of 3.67 or higher.
  • A completed online admission application.
  • Three letters of recommendation (graduates of Loyola's MA in Bioethics or HCML programs require one letter; that letter must be from a source external to the program).
  • Statement of Purpose (a brief, one page statement that explains your interest in this program. Why are you applying? How will you integrate this degree into your career?)
  • Writing Sample
  • Exceptional candidates who have an advanced degree in another discipline may be considered for admission. An applicant who lacks an advanced degree in bioethics should make a strong case for their suitability for the doctoral program. An applicant who lacks any background in bioethics should consider starting in the master's program and then potentially matriculating into the doctoral program.
  • Evidence of scholarly ability (e.g. publication in a peer-reviewed journal). Because peer-reviewed publication is a major outcome of the program, evidence of writing ability at a publishable level is a major admission criterion.
  • Evidence of ability to participate in practical ethics activities (e.g. participation on an ethics committee, institutional review board, conflict of interest committee or other similar activity, conducting ethics consultations, providing ethics leadership)
  • The program requires continuous registration (excluding summer). Students who matriculate should plan to register for at least one course per semester. Before applying, please make sure that you can commit the time and resources to fulfill the demands of this program.

International applicants must have all transcripts evaluated and must provide the Graduate School Administration office with the evaluation. Learn more. All international applicants must submit a score from the TOEFL exam. International applicants should allow 1-2 months for transcript evaluations to be processed by Educational Credential Evaluators or Educational Perspectives. Learn more about Graduate School admission policies.

Learn more about Graduate School admission policies HERE.

Tuition and Financial Aid

View tuition and financial aid information HERE.

Apply

Visit the graduate application website, select Biomedical Sciences and then Healthcare Mission Leadership. There is no fee for online applications. Contact Robbin Hiller for more information.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Application deadlines for all programs are: January 5 (Spring start), May 1 (Summer start) and August 1 (Fall start). International applicants should allow 1-2 months for transcript evaluations to be processed by Educational Credential Evaluators or Educational Perspectives. Contact gradapp@luc.edu with questions.

"The doctoral degree in Bioethics at Loyola has opened up opportunities to broaden my experience and my involvement in national bioethics in developing better programs for ethics education." Richard Holt, MD, D.Bioethics

The U.S. Department of Education requires any institution offering distance education/online program to students outside of its home state to acquire authorization from the states in which students reside. Please see Loyola's State Authorization page for the most up-to-date information.

Our professional doctorate in Bioethics (D.Bioethics) is a first-of-its-kind program and meets the growing need for advanced training in Bioethics for professionals with increasing responsibilities related to Bioethics and health policy. These professionals may chair a hospital’s ethics committee, conduct clinical ethics consultations, have administrative-oriented ethics work, or steward issues central to their institution’s mission and values.

Students select one of four areas of concentration: Clinical Bioethics, Catholic Bioethics, Research Ethics, or Public Health and Systems Ethics. This degree offers a doctorate (not a PhD) through a hybrid approach (asynchronous online courses combined with blended courses that require 2-3 days of on campus learning.)

For more information on our online Doctorate in Bioethics, please request information. We invite you register for our online open house webinar.

The U.S. Department of Education requires any institution offering distance education/online program to students outside of its home state to acquire authorization from the states in which students reside. Please see Loyola's State Authorization page for the most up-to-date information.