About

The University of Pennsylvania Master of Bioethics (MBE) is an interdisciplinary degree offered by the renowned Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy. The MBE degree program gives students broad exposure to the full range of topics and issues in contemporary bioethics, drawing on the expertise of our distinguished faculty and visiting fellows.

The Penn Master of Bioethics program is one of the nation's premier programs for bioethics education, attracting exceptional students from both the US and abroad. The program admits highly accomplished professionals who work in the bioethics-related fields of medicine, nursing, law, dentistry, social work, genetic counseling, regulatory affairs, public policy, veterinary medicine, and industry, as well as outstanding students in other professional degree programs at the University of Pennsylvania.

What makes the Penn Master of Bioethics program unique is a threefold approach to bioethics training that combines excellent academic instruction, a worldwide network of alumni, and hands-on research opportunities that build on the classroom experience.

The MBE is designed for the following audiences:

• Mid-career and senior health care professionals, including lawyers, physicians, nurses, health care administrators, pharmaceutical employees, social workers, those working in public policy or regulatory affairs, dentists, veterinarians, research associates, other allied health professionals, and other practitioners and teachers who wish to expand their area of competency to include bioethics;
• Students already enrolled or admitted to a Penn graduate or professional degree program, such as medicine, law, nursing, or a PhD program, who want to combine bioethics with their primary training; and, students already enrolled in a graduate or professional degree program in another institution; 
• Post-baccalaureate students with a special interest in the field who plan further graduate study in law, medicine, humanities, or social sciences. While there may be some job opportunities made possible by the MBE degree in the absence of another terminal degree, this degree is not intended to be sufficient training for job placement. For more information on career planning and the value of an MBE, please contact Faculty Program Director Dr. Autumn Fiester.
• Current undergraduate students at Penn, Haverford, or Bryn Mawr who would like to submatriculate into the MBE while still finishing their BA/BS degrees. (Students must have a 3.5 GPA to be eligible for this program, which requires an additional year of study after graduating from their undergraduate program.)

The Master of Bioethics program is led by Dr. Autumn Fiester, Faculty Program Director, Dr. Matthew McCoy, Assistant Faculty Director, and Dr. Molly Sinderbrand, Associate Staff Director.