The Advanced Certificate in Clinical Bioethics
The Advanced Certificate in Clinical Bioethics
Program Mission
The Advanced Certificate in Clinical Bioethics is a multidisciplinary graduate credential administered by the University of Rochester’s Department of Health Humanities & Bioethics in the School of Medicine & Dentistry that prepares students to identify, analyze, and discuss the ethical considerations and/or conflicts that arises in the context of health care decision-making.
This program addresses stated priorities in the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry and University of Rochester Medical Center strategic plans. This program reinforces the biopsychosocial approach to patient care and develops clinical skills, knowledge, and attitudes consistent with health care professional core competencies. Among these skills are ethical and humanistic patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, and professionalism.
Program Description
This part-time program prepares clinicians to appropriately respond to moral challenges in patient care. Instructors are faculty from the Department of Health Humanities & Bioethics, including the core members of the clinical ethics consultation team.
Educational Objectives
This program is designed for health care professionals and students in health-related programs. The program prepares students to 1) apply philosophical and conceptional foundations of bioethics patient care and health care decision making; 2) describe and practice skills and processes designed to address ethical conflicts, including information-gathering, active listening, and empathetic communication; and 3) differentiate and appraise legal and ethical obligations in patient care and health care decision making.
Students must complete 9 credits of graduate coursework composed of the following three courses (each worth 3 credits):
- MHB 472 ‘Philosophical Foundations of Bioethics’
- MHB 482 ‘Clinical Ethics and the Law’
- MHB 410 ‘Clinical Bioethics’
All classes are held in-person, once a week in the evenings from 5-7.30 pm.
How To Apply
We are currently accepting applications and admitting new students to the program once a year. Review the Application Timeline and the table below* to ensure your application and all supporting materials are submitted prior to the deadline. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
*Note: this may be subject to change, and dates are approximate
Applications Open | September through mid-June |
Applications Close | Usually, June 15th |
Interviews | Rolling basis, usually February through June |
Letters of offer/admission sent | Mid-June to July 1st |
Deadline to accept/decline offer | July 15th |
Orientation and Welcome | The week before the official start of the semester |
Classes Begin | Last week of August or the first week of September |
Eligibility
This program is open to all graduate students enrolled in a health care related program, all faculty and staff at the University of Rochester Medical Center, all faculty and staff at all UR Medicine affiliated institutions, all faculty and staff affiliated with other health care institutions, and individuals with a bachelor’s degree and demonstrated interested in healthcare.
Promising applicants who do not precisely meet admissions requirements will be further evaluated by the admissions committee on an individual basis, using academic transcripts, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and other supporting evidence.
Members of the University’s community come from different geographical areas representing differences in ethnicities, religious beliefs, values, and points of view. They may be physically different, have different intellectual interests or have different abilities. The University not only welcomes such differences in its community members but, in fulfilling its own missions and in preparing the health care professionals of the future, it actively seeks to recruit and include all graduate students in a health care related program, as well as staff and faculty from across the region.
Application Requirements
It is expected that all application materials (with the exception of official score reports) be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please note that the University of Rochester reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all transcripts and to require submission of official documentation at any point in the admissions review process.
- Online Application (recommended browser is Google Chrome)
- Statement of Purpose
- Uploaded copy of transcript(s) to online application. Please do not mail a hard copy at this time.
- CV or resume
- Payment of the $60.00 application fee
- 2 Letters of recommendation
It is expected that all application materials be scanned and uploaded to your online application. Please do not include secondary school documentation, financial documentation, etc, as these are not utilized during the admissions process.
Financial Information
Tuition Fees
$1,970 per credit hour ($5,910 per course). University of Rochester employee tuition benefits apply.
Please review the tuition refund policy and refund schedule. Withdrawal policies are available in the Regulations and University Policies Concerning Graduate Students.
Contact
Bryanna Moore, PhD
Director, Advanced Certificate in Clinical Bioethics
Phone: (585) 275-5800
Olivia Harrington
Department Program Specialist
Phone: ( 585 ) 275-5800
More information can be found at the Office of University Engagement and Enrichment website.