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Master of Arts in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society Program Description Bioethical problems, cross-cultural medical care delivery, and changing demands on health care providers are issues that transcend traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. To understand the complexity of these problems and to respond to them wisely, students require a range of training, both within and across disciplines. Michigan State University's Master of Arts program in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society is designed to meet this need. Our program is intended for three sorts of people. The first includes those with a practical health-related background who wish to augment their experience with broad-based humanities and social science coursework at the graduate level. Students in the second group plan to pursue doctoral training in a traditional humanities or social science discipline, but wish to develop a strong interdisciplinary foundation for their future studies. For such students, our program provides a period during which they can investigate theory and method in several disciplines. The third group includes students already enrolled in another graduate or professional degree program (M.D., D.O., or J.D.) who desire courses in medical humanities and social sciences as an adjunct to their major field of study.  Many
of those pursuing graduate study in our program have interests which center on
ethical issues. They may have already had some exposure to courses taught from
a philosophical perspective, and expect their graduate study to be more of the
same. Like many others, the BHS Program offers courses and other experiences
in the ethics and philosophy of medicine, including clinical practica and informal
internships with ethics committees. We believe, however, that to be effective
a philosophical medical ethics must be informed by a thorough understanding of
the human situations in which ethical problems arise. That is, it must be informed
by study of disciplines like medical anthropology, medical sociology, the history
of medicine, literature and medicine, and others.For this reason, the Master of Arts Program in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society is founded on the conviction that in this field interdisciplinary training is essential. When you begin the master's program, then, you will enroll in a common core course that covers material from a range of disciplines--philosophy, anthropology, history, sociology, and literature--to develop an understanding of the content, methods, and limitations of each. The goal of this course is to acquaint students with the breadth of disciplines that provide social and humanistic perspectives on health and how they are interrelated.  Thereafter,
you select courses that fall within two coherent areas of concentration,
one primary and one secondary. The number of credits in each depends
on whether you plan to write a Master's thesis. Areas of concentration
include philosophy of medicine and bioethics, medical sociology,
medical anthropology, literature and medicine, and the history
of medicine. Other areas that meet the goals of the program can also
be constructed, depending on your interests and the availability
of faculty resources.Early in the second year, you will identify faculty to serve on your guidance committee, which will assist you in developing and writing either your Master's thesis (Plan A) or research paper (Plan B). All applicants to the BHS Master's program should be aware that the M.A. alone is not a qualification for a career in health care ethics. The demand for "ethicists" has been greatly exaggerated, sometimes by academic programs seeking to attract students. Although it is true that health care ethics is a growing academic specialty, very few hospitals or other health care institutions are electing to create new full-time positions in the field. Instead, they rely on individuals already employed with them who have acquired some additional training beyond their professional degree. The fact remains that the great majority of positions in health care ethics are academic positions requiring the Ph.D. or M.D./D.O. |
Michigan State University