Emory University

What you'll study

The curriculum balances core courses, electives and a culminating scholarly project or thesis. Typical modules and topics include:

• Foundations of Health Professions Education – adult learning theory, curriculum development, instructional design and assessment strategies specific to clinical learners.
• Clinical Ethics and Ethical Reasoning – frameworks for ethical decision making, ethics consultation processes, organisational ethics and policy implications.
• Humanities in Medicine – narrative medicine, medical history, visual and literary methods for enhancing empathy and patient-centred care.
• Research Methods – qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis), quantitative approaches, mixed methods and programme evaluation techniques used in education and ethics research.
• Interprofessional Education and Leadership – collaborative teaching across professions, change management, advocacy and leadership skills for educational settings.
• Assessment and Quality Improvement – learner assessment, competency frameworks, feedback methods and continuous improvement of educational programmes.
• Electives and Special Topics – options may include digital learning in health professions, narrative pedagogy, global health ethics or specialised seminar series led by faculty from Emory’s clinical schools.

Students typically complete a capstone project, practicum or thesis that applies educational, ethical or humanities methods to a real-world challenge in a clinical or academic setting.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a recognised bachelor’s degree. The programme is suitable for practising clinicians (physicians, nurses, allied health professionals), educators, bioethicists and humanities graduates seeking to work in health settings. Competitive applications normally include:

• A completed undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
• A current CV or résumé demonstrating relevant experience or motivation for the field.
• A personal statement outlining professional goals, interest in health professions education, ethics or humanities and proposed areas of scholarly work.
• Letters of recommendation, typically from academic or professional supervisors who can speak to the applicant’s potential for graduate work.

Some applicants benefit from prior clinical or teaching experience, but the programme also welcomes candidates with strong academic preparation in humanities or social sciences. Admissions processes may include an interview; standardised test requirements vary and should be confirmed with the programme office.

Career prospects

Graduates move into roles that bridge clinical practice, education and ethics. Common career paths include:

• Clinical educator or faculty member in medical, nursing or allied health schools.
• Director of curricula, simulation programmes or assessment units within academic health centres.
• Clinical ethics consultant or member of hospital ethics committees.
• Program evaluator, education researcher or policy advisor focusing on health professions training.
• Leaders in humanities-based initiatives such as narrative medicine, reflective practice programmes or patient-centred care projects.

The combination of pedagogical skill, ethical reasoning and humanities approaches equips graduates to lead curricular reform, contribute to interprofessional education and support humane clinical practice.

Why study at Emory University

Emory offers a rich, cross-disciplinary environment with close links to its clinical schools and health system. Students benefit from access to practising clinicians, ethics committees and humanities scholars, enabling applied learning and mentorship. The university’s location in a major metropolitan health hub provides diverse clinical settings for practicum work and collaboration. Emory’s emphasis on rigorous scholarship and humanistic care makes it well suited for those aiming to advance education, ethics and humanities within the health professions.

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