Medical Humanities and Bioethics (Certificate)
The Certificate in Medical Humanities and Bioethics works in concert with our existing Master’s in Medical Humanities and Bioethics program, drawing on that program’s well-established array of interdisciplinary courses. The Certificate program exposes students to the key conceptual approaches and methodological tools that each of the core disciplines in the field of Medical Humanities and Bioethics contributes to addressing problems in medicine. These core disciplines include: Bioethics/Philosophy, Law, History, Literature, and the Social Sciences, and our required coursework covers each of these fields in turn in its engagement with medicine.
This interdisciplinary training in Medical Humanities and Bioethics is particularly beneficial to students interested in building upon a primary area of expertise such as medicine, law, genetic counseling, and other related fields. For such students, the Certificate program both provides and marks an additional area of expertise that can enhance and expand their primary professional work. The Certificate offers training relevant to a variety of clinical, academic, and industry career paths, preparing students to take on roles such as serving on hospital ethics committees and institutional review boards, as well as to conduct scholarly and policy work on medicine and ethics.
How to apply
Enrolled PhD and Master's students in The Graduate School may pursue this certificate with the permission of their program. In order to petition to have a Graduate Certificate awarded and appear on the transcript, students must submit the Application for a Graduate Certificate once all Graduate Certificate requirements have been completed, but no later than the time that the student files for graduation (in the final quarter of study).
Who to contact
Please contact the program director, listed below, with questions about this program.
- Megan Crowley-Matoka
Email: m-crowley-matoka@northwestern.edu
Phone: 312-503-2968
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
The Certificate requirements are satisfactory completion of the Medical Humanities and Bioethics core coursework, which include:
MHB 401 The Foundations of Bioethics
MHB 402 Medicine and Law
MHB 403 The History of Medicine
MHB 404 Medicine, Literature, and Bioethics
MHB 405 Social Science and Medicine
MHB 406 The Practice of Medical Humanities and Bioethics
MHB 410 Special Topics in Medical Humanities and Bioethics
MHB 499 Independent Study in Medical Humanities and Bioethics