J.D./M.A. Healthcare Ethics Dual Degree

A juris doctor/master of arts (J.D./M.A.) joint degree in healthcare ethics will prepare you for a career path in both the law and health-related fields, setting you apart in fields such as healthcare law and healthcare policy regulation. You’ll understand the legal and ethical implications of healthcare decisions, showing future employers that you have a firm grasp on the complex issues involved in healthcare and its intersection with the law. 

A collaboration between the university’s School of Law and the Center for Healthcare Ethics, the program’s interdisciplinary approach will train you in two expanding fields, building your knowledge base and a thorough understanding of both legal and ethical issues in healthcare.

Through experiential learning in clinical settings, you’ll enrich your appreciation and understanding of various health-related practice areas and the range of legal issues you are likely to face in practice. You’ll earn a unique combination of legal and ethical training that will prepare you for an array of professional contexts. 

What you'll learn with a J.D./M.A. Healthcare Ethics Dual Degree

With a J.D./M.A. dual degree in healthcare ethics, you will have the skills needed to achieve your bigger goals, regardless of industry or area of expertise within the healthcare law and ethics realm and will be able to:

  • Understand the legal and ethical implications of healthcare decisions and how healthcare intersects with the law.
  • Apply legal and ethical analysis to complex healthcare issues through required courses in health care law and medical ethics.
  • Apply the methods of healthcare ethics to ethical questions in healthcare.
  • Study specialized areas of healthcare law and policy, such as health care fraud and abuse, public health law and drug regulation.
  • Complete a clinical rotation in a healthcare setting and earn both a J.D. and an M.A. in healthcare ethics in 3-4 years.

 

Program Type

Dual Degree

Degree

Master's, Doctorate

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Duration

3-year

Required Credit Hours

95

Modality

In-Person

Program Requirements

You may earn advanced standing toward the M.A. for up to 10 J.D. credits through two required courses (4 credits) and your choice of electives (6 credits).

View Catalog
  • HADM 520 Health Care Law (3 Credits)
  • LAWS C302 Law and Medical Ethics (2 Credits)
  • Methods in Healthcare Ethics (3 Credits)
  • Clinical Rotation (3 Credits)
Students select from the following courses:
  • LAWS C374 Adjudication: The Judicial Process (2 Credits)
  • LAWS C58 Alternative Dispute Resolution (2 Credits)
  • LAWS C451 Animal Law (2 Credits)
  • LAWS C679 Art of Mediation (2 Credits)
  • LAWS C677 Canon Law (2 Credits)
  • LAWS 133 Children and the Law (3 Credits)
  • LAWS 619 Climate Change (2 Credits)
  • LAWS 538 Drug Regulation: Current Issues (2 Credits)
  • LAWS 603 Food Law & Policy (2 Credits)
  • LAWS C578 Gender & the Law (3 Credits)
  • LAWS 519 Governance, Compliance, and Risk Management (3 Credits)
  • LAWS 159 Health Care Fraud and Abuse (2 Credits)
  • Healthcare Care Organization and Finance (3 Credits)
  • LAWS C608 Law and Psychology; Legal Medicine & Forensic Science Philosophy of Law (2 Credits)
  • Public Health Law & Policy (3 Credits)
Students select credits from the following courses:
  • HCE 748 Clinical Ethics (3 Credits)
  • Multicultural Society and HCE (3 Credits)
  • GLBH 645 Comparative Religious Bioethics (3 Credits)
  • Ethics of Care (3 Credits)
  • HCE 753 Genetics & Ethics (3 Credits)
  • HCE 662 or HCE 762 Organizational Ethics in Healthcare (3 Credits)
  • HCE 754 Research Ethics (3 Credits)
  • GLBH 655 Global Bioethics (3 Credits)
  • HCE 643 or HCE 743 End of Life Ethics (3 Credits)
  • Public Health Ethics (3 Credits)

Program Overview

Earn two degrees in 3-4 years.

This joint degree is structured so that students will be able to graduate in 3-4 years with both degrees while reducing the required credits for these two degrees from a minimum of 117 credits (87 credits for the J.D. and 30 credits for the M.A.) to a minimum of 95 credits through credit-sharing (advanced standing). 

Application Requirements

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Students must submit a completed online application, including a resume or curriculum vitae. Note: students must apply to both the McAnulty College & Graduate School of Liberal Arts AND the Thomas R. Kline School of Law using two separate applications.

Students must submit all previous transcripts, including undergraduate and graduate (if applicable) records.

A competitive LSAT score is required for admission to the Law and will not be waived based on an applicant's GRE score. A competitive LSAT may be used in lieu of the GRE for admissions to the M.A. in Healthcare Ethics.

MA applications require three letters of recommendation. Typically, the three letters should be from faculty in the academic program(s) in which the student studied. Graduate Certificate applications require two letters of recommendation written by persons who have the academic or professional competence to assess the suitability of the applicant for academically rigorous courses on healthcare ethics

Student must submit a writing sample from a previous academic assignment.