Western Governors University

What you'll study

The programme blends health professions education, clinical and bioethics, and the health humanities. Learning centres on theories of adult learning and pedagogy for health professions, ethical frameworks and applied ethics in clinical contexts, and humanistic approaches such as narrative medicine and arts-informed inquiry. Students complete a combination of core courses, method modules and applied practicum work.

• Core education modules: adult learning theory, curriculum design and alignment, assessment and program evaluation, instructional technologies for health education.
• Ethics and philosophy: foundations of medical ethics and bioethics, ethics consultation and committee practice, ethical decision-making in complex clinical scenarios.
• Health humanities: narrative approaches to clinical care, literature and medicine, visual and performing arts in health education, cultural humility and reflective practice.
• Research and scholarship: qualitative and mixed-methods research methods, program evaluation, evidence-based educational practice.
• Capstone and practicum: an integrative capstone project that typically applies educational design or an ethics-informed intervention in a workplace setting, accompanied by a practicum or portfolio demonstrating competency in teaching, consultation or scholarly dissemination.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a recognised undergraduate degree. Relevant professional experience in healthcare, education or a related field is strongly recommended and will be taken into account during admission. Typical application materials include official transcripts, a current CV or résumé, and a personal statement outlining professional goals and readiness for graduate study.

Some applicants may be asked to provide professional references or evidence of clinical/teaching experience. As with other graduate programmes, meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission; selections are based on the whole application.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for a range of roles across healthcare, education and policy, including:

• Clinical educator, simulation facilitator or curriculum developer in hospitals, medical schools and allied health programmes.
• Ethics committee member, clinical ethics consultant or policy advisor working with healthcare organisations or hospital ethics services.
• Coordinator or director of health humanities programmes, patient-centred care initiatives, reflective practice groups or narrative medicine workshops.
• Academic roles such as lecturer or instructional designer in health professions schools, often combined with continued clinical practice.
• Positions in quality improvement, patient experience, and organisational leadership where understanding of ethics, communication and humanistic care informs policy and practice.

Why study at Western Governors University

Western Governors University offers a competency-based, online learning model designed for working professionals, allowing learners to progress by demonstrating mastery rather than time spent in class. Students benefit from an experience tailored to adult learners: flexible pacing, one-to-one mentoring, and a focus on applied, workplace-relevant outcomes.

The university emphasises practical application and career relevance, enabling students to integrate their studies with existing clinical or educational roles. The programme’s online delivery makes it accessible to geographically dispersed professionals while supporting applied practicum experiences in local practice settings.