Concentration in Bioethics and Health Policy

The concentration in Bioethics and Health Policy is designed for students who want bioethics to be the distinguishing focus of their career in public health. This program differs from other bioethics doctoral programs in two important ways: first, it focuses on bioethics and it relates to moral questions in public health and health policy rather than in clinical decision-making or bedside dilemmas; and, second, it provides rigorous training in quantitative and qualitative empirical research methods.

Original doctoral research conducted by students in the bioethics program involves analyzing primary or secondary empirical data about specific areas of public health, health policy, or health research, and examining the ethical implications of the issue or study results. By the end of their training, students are prepared to provide not only normative recommendations regarding ethics and public health policy, but also are equipped to function as independent researchers, conducting empirical research related to bioethics, public health and health policy.

Students enrolled in the Bioethics and Health Policy concentration participate in a variety of educational opportunities in bioethics and health policy, including lectures and seminars sponsored by the Berman Institute of Bioethics, the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and collaborations with the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University. Students take courses within the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Bloomberg School, as well as the Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and Georgetown University.

The program prepares students for successful research careers as bioethicists. Former students have gone onto careers in academia, government, research-oriented non-profits, and the private sector. Visit the Graduate Employment Outcomes Dashboard to learn about Bloomberg School graduates' employment status, sector, and salaries.

View a list of selected recent graduates and dissertation titles for the PhD Concentration in Bioethics and Health Policy.

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU Academic Catalogue and explore all course offerings in the Bloomberg School Course Directory.