Master of Arts in Bioethics and Humanities

MA Program Application Process

The Master of Arts in Bioethics is a complementary degree program, rather than a terminal or professional degree, such as an MPH or MBA program. Therefore, our program has been crafted to work best for students who already have a graduate or professional degree, plan to pursue a professional degree program concurrently with our MA program (e.g., Nursing, Social Work, or Law) or otherwise have an established career in a health-related field. For more information about concurrent degree programs, see Graduate School Policy. This opportunity is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, sex or other identity.

The Application for Graduate Study at the University of Washington for The Master of Arts in Bioethics and Humanities opens on September 1 and closes on January 15.

Application Requirements

Unofficial transcripts for each higher education institution in which you have enrolled
A personal statement
An essay in response to a specific case study accessible through the UW application portal (do not submit a writing sample, such as a published essay or essay from a course assignment)
Two letters of recommendation submitted by the application deadline (below)
Statement on use of AI for application materials: Your personal statement and essay response must be original to ensure an accurate assessment of your critical thinking and writing abilities. The use of generative AI is not allowed. You may use references, provided they are properly cited to uphold academic integrity.

If you have questions about the application, please reach out to our Academic Program Manager at bhadvise@uw.edu or schedule a 30-minute Teams meeting here: Bioethics & Humanities Academic Program Manager.

Admissions Timeline

January 15th: Applications are due, complete with all required materials listed above. Application extensions are not available.
Mid-February: Final admissions decisions are communicated through the application portal. All decisions are final. Applicants who are not accepted may apply during a subsequent admission cycle.
April 15th: Admitted applicants must accept, decline, or defer the offer. Applicants who do not reply by the deadline will be assumed to have declined admission.
September: If you are offered admission and accept the offer, plan to attend orientation and begin coursework autumn quarter.

Program Requirements

Program Requirements

The MA in Bioethics requires a minimum of 40 credits, including the completion of a Capstone Project. Those credits should meet the following criteria:

36 UW master’s required credits

18 minimum graded* credits

18 500+ level credits

*Required courses must be taken for a letter/numerical grade. Non-graded credits must be pre-approved by the director of the program.

Our graduate student handbook is undergoing revisions.

Please find UW Graduate School Degree Requirements: Policy 1.1: Graduate Degree Requirements - UW Graduate School 

Tuition and Funding

Tuition Rate

The tuition level is Graduate Tier II, see: Office of Planning and Budgeting, Current Tuition and Fees. Forty credits are required for the MA in Bioethics, students typically take six credits per quarter (autumn, winter, and spring) for two years. Use the Graduate Tuition Dashboard to calculate your tuition fees according to credit hour, see: Tuition Rates. For tuition questions, complete the contact form on the Office of the Registrar website.

Funding

See Graduate School Funding for Students for student assistantships, fellowships, grants, federal loans, work study, and employment opportunities. Also consider the Wylie Burke Endowed Scholarship posted on this page.

Tuition Exemption

State employees: See State Employee Tuition Exemption
- Non-UW Washington State Employees register on the 4th day of the quarter.
UW employees: See Human Resources Professional and Organizational Development: Tuition Exemption.
- To determine your eligibility, email Professional & Organizational Development (POD) at pod@uw.edu, and include your Employee Identification Number (EIN) and quarter you wish to attend in your message. The tuition exemption benefit covers up to 6 applicable credits per quarter. Neither the Office of the University Registrar nor the Department of Bioethics and Humanities can determine an employee's tuition exemption eligibility.
- Note: all UW Employees register on the 3rd day of the quarter.

Our Academic Program Manager, Sadie Reitz, MEd, is happy to help and answer your questions!

Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) Admissions

The Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) application is available. Please note the GNM application dates below. For questions or assistance, please email bhadvise@uw.edu.

Quarter	Application Dates
Autumn	Opens: July 1 Closes: August 15
Winter	Opens: November 1 Closes: December 15
Spring	Opens: January 1 Closes: February 15

GNM Student Status

Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) status permits post-baccalaureate students to take graduate level courses. Up to 12 credits of appropriate courses taken successfully as a GNM student may be applied towards a degree, if students are admitted into a degree program at a later date. Individuals who want to register for graduate courses at the UW, but do not plan to apply the credits they earn toward a graduate-level degree, should consider Non-Matriculated (NM) student status instead.

In addition to the GNM Admission requirements stablished by the Graduate School, GNM applicants to the Bioethics Program should provide a one paragraph response stating why they are interested in Bioethics and if they plan to apply to the masters program. Once accepted, GNM students should plan to register for courses.

Information about registering for courses as a GNM with tuition exemption

Information about registering for courses as a GNM without tuition exemption

GNM students should consider taking three graduate level courses applicable to the MA degree in Bioethics (500 level and above) and attain a competitive grades in each course, if they plan to apply to the MA in Bioethics program. Please note, GNM student status does not guarantee admission into the MA in Bioethics program. If admitted, then the GNM student status is changed to regular graduate student status, and all courses suitable for the program taken as a GNM student (maximum of 12 credits) will be credited towards the degree.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I qualify for tuition exemptions, waivers, or reductions? Possibly, see if you qualify for Tuition Waivers, Exemptions, and Reductions. BH staff members cannot make this determination.
I would like to take BH courses the year prior to applying for the MA program. What do I need to do so that the credits “apply” to the MA if I am accepted? Prospective MA students may take our courses in anticipation of applying, provided they have permission from the instructor and there is room in the course. In addition, before taking courses, students must apply for admission as a Graduate Non-Matriculating (GNM) student. GNM students who hope to transfer UW credits into the MA program should take applicable courses for a grade.
How many UW credits taken as a GNM student may be applied to the MA degree? A maximum of 12. Note: No more than 12 credits derived from any combination of UW GNM credits and transfer credits may be applied to the MA program. Courses must be pertinent to the study of bioethics. See Graduate School Policy.
As a UW faculty or staff member, may I audit BH courses? Possibly. Non-matriculating students who sign up for our courses must: 1) secure permission from the instructor prior to registering for the course; 2) register and pay for the course; 3) complete assigned work; and 4) take the course for credit. Admission of non-matriculating students into a course is contingent on space availability.
Does BH provide funding for MA students? We do not offer enough funding to cover the cost of tuition. We administer the Wylie Burke Endowed Scholarship in the amount of approximately $500-$1000, yearly.

Certificate in Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics Versus Master of Arts in Bioethics

If you are deciding between the certificate in Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics (ATHE) and Master of Arts in Bioethics, please review the Certificate in ATHE Versus Master of Arts in Bioethics.

Resources for Current Students

All B H courses honor the following:

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staff-faculty/religious-accommodations-...). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).
It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at Disability Resources for Students.