Undergraduate Minor in Bioethics

The Minor in Bioethics is designed for students aspiring toward careers in the health sciences and the health professions. The program is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the United States. The curriculum for the Minor in Bioethics addresses ethical issues in health care, health policy, public health and the conduct of health sciences research; introduces ethical theories and methods of ethics analysis; and instills an appreciation of social and cultural issues that frame bioethical concerns. Course formats vary from small seminars that afford opportunities for peer learning to larger lecture-driven courses. The curriculum is taught by faculty from diverse disciplinary backgrounds who are experts in their respective fields.

Most students require at least two years and up to three years to complete the minor, since most courses are offered only once per year. The recommended pathway is to allow three years, beginning with 200-300 level courses during freshman and/or sophomore year. Juniors and Seniors should plan to enroll in 300-400 level courses.

Declare the Minor

Program Entry Requirements:

Declared major
Completed 45 credits

How to Declare the Minor:

Contact your Major Advisor to declare the B H minor.

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. LaTonya Trotter

Email: ltrotter@uw.edu

Academic Program Manger: Sadie Reitz, MEd

Email: bhadvise@uw.edu

Minor in Bioethics Program Requirements and General Information

BH Minor Requirements - 25 total credits:

13 BH prefix course credits
12 elective course credits
Minimum 15 credits (BH prefix and/or electives) at the 300-400 level
Minimum 2.0 GPA in course
maximum of 5 credits from B H 499 can count towards the minor
- only 2 credits of B H 499 can be taken per quarter
Courses & Registration
- To assist our minor students in registering for their preferred courses, as of Spring 2026, a registration restriction is in place for B H 400 level courses for declared bioethics minors for period 1
- AUTUMN
  
  WINTER
  
  SPRING
  
  BH 402 (5)
  
  BH 430 (3)
  
  BH 201 (2)
  
  BH 456 (5)
  
  BH 444 (3)
  
  BH 311 (3)
  
  BH 497 (3)
  
  BH 474 (5)
  
  BH 421 (5)
  
  BH 488 (3)
  
  BH 481 (3)
BH 499: Independent Study - Students interested in independent study (IS) have the option of requesting an opportunity to complete an independent study project under the sponsorship of a BH faculty sponsor (BH 499). IS enables students to investigate areas of intellectual interest that are substantially distinct from existing courses and/or to pursue modes of inquiry that are more intensive, specialized or innovative than those encountered in conventional course work. BH undergraduate research is open only to juniors and seniors and may not exceed 2 credits---5 credits max of BH 499 will count towards the minor. Before requesting IS, a student should have a well thought out project in mind on a particular topic of interest. Due to limited faculty availability for independent study, we encourage completing requirements for the minor by enrolling in regularly listed course offerings. The IS option requires a contract between the student and faculty sponsor that specifies a detailed program of reading and research, or a distinct project with a plan for meetings, papers and projects agreed upon at the outset.
- Define your research project and review our faculty to determine who best relates to your project
- Email the faculty member the following:
  - Will you be my BH 499 instructor?
  - How many credits can you commit to? (1 credits=3 hours of coursework/week)
  - How often should we meet?
  - What are the course deliverables (one large paper, several essays, annotated bibliography, data collection/research)
- If the faculty member agrees to be your BH 499 instructor, then have them email bhadvise@uw.edu and confirm that they will work with you and the amount of credits that you will earn for BH 499.
- Our Academic Program Manager will then give you the faculty code to register for this class.

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.