Georgetown University

What you'll study

The programme integrates three complementary strands: health professions education, clinical and bioethics, and the medical humanities. Core coursework covers contemporary theories of teaching and learning in clinical settings, curriculum design, assessment and feedback, and faculty development for health professions educators. Ethics modules address moral reasoning, clinical ethics consultation, justice and policy in health care, and ethical issues in emerging technologies and public health.

The humanities component includes narrative medicine, literature and medicine, history of medicine, and the use of arts and reflective practice to develop empathy, professionalism and communication skills. Research methods training offers both qualitative and quantitative approaches tailored to education and ethics scholarship, preparing students to design program evaluations, conduct curriculum research and undertake ethics case analyses.

Students complete applied learning experiences such as a teaching practicum, ethics consultation practicum or a supervised humanities project, and finish with a capstone project or thesis that synthesises educational practice, ethical analysis and humanities inquiry.

• Foundations of Health Professions Education (learning theory; clinical teaching)
• Curriculum Design and Assessment in Health Care
• Faculty Development and Leadership in Education
• Clinical Ethics and Consultation Skills
• Bioethics: Policy, Justice and Emerging Technologies
• Narrative Medicine and Medical Humanities
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods for Education and Ethics
• Practicum in Teaching or Ethics Consultation
• Capstone Project or Master's Thesis

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a recognised bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as medicine, nursing, allied health, public health, philosophy, humanities or social sciences. Many successful candidates have professional clinical experience or prior work in health-care education or ethics, though applicants with strong academic preparation in the humanities who can demonstrate interest in health care are also considered.

Typical application materials include an academic transcript, CV or résumé, a personal statement describing educational and career goals, and references (academic and/or professional). International applicants must meet the university's English language requirements. Admissions decisions are made holistically, taking into account professional background, academic preparation and fit with the programme's interdisciplinary aims.

Career prospects

Graduates pursue a range of roles at the intersection of education, ethics and humanities in health-care settings. Common career paths include clinical educator or faculty member in medical, nursing and allied health schools; curriculum developer or programme director for undergraduate or postgraduate health professions training; leader of faculty development initiatives; member of hospital ethics committees or ethics consultation services; and coordinator of narrative medicine or reflective practice programmes.

Other options include positions in health-care quality and patient safety, policy organisations, medical museums and cultural institutions that engage with health humanities, and continued academic study toward doctoral research in medical education, bioethics or related fields. The programme also prepares clinicians to take on leadership roles where ethical deliberation and educational skill are required.

Why study at Georgetown University

Georgetown offers a strong interdisciplinary environment informed by a long-standing commitment to ethics and public service. Students benefit from access to experienced faculty across medicine, bioethics, humanities and education, and from connections with clinical sites and policy organisations in Washington, D.C., which support practicum placements and collaborative projects.

The university's emphasis on reflective practice and social responsibility complements training in pedagogy and ethical analysis, while small cohort sizes foster mentorship and peer collaboration. Robust library and research resources, along with seminars, speaker series and cross-disciplinary centres, create opportunities to develop projects that bridge education, ethics and the humanities in meaningful, practice-oriented ways.