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. 

 

Program Type

Dual Degree

Degree

Master's, Doctorate

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Required Credit Hours

95

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).

  • Health Care Law
  • Law and Medical Ethics
  • Methods in Healthcare Ethics
  • Clinical Rotation
Students select from the following courses:
  • Adjudication: The Judicial Process
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Animal Law
  • Art of Mediation
  • Canon Law
  • Children and the Law
  • Climate Change
  • Drug Regulation: Current Issues
  • Food Law & Policy
  • Gender & the Law
  • Governance, Compliance, and Risk Management
  • Health Care Fraud and Abuse
  • Healthcare Care Organization and Finance
  • Law and Psychology; Legal Medicine & Forensic Science Philosophy of Law
  • Public Health Law & Policy
Students select credits from the following courses:
  • Clinical Ethics
  • Multicultural Society and HCE
  • Comparative Religious Bioethics
  • Ethics of Care
  • Genetics & Ethics
  • Organizational Ethics in Healthcare
  • Research Ethics
  • Global Bioethics
  • End of Life Ethics
  • Public Health Ethics

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.