Healthcare ethics is an interdisciplinary field that exists in a globalized context,
one that engages clinical, organizational, professional and research issues related
to medicine, science, law, policy, social science and the humanities. At Duquesne
University's Center for Global Health Ethics, you’ll come together with professors
and healthcare ethics professionals to explore scenarios, issues and current events
in healthcare ethics, and ask difficult questions that drive meaningful change in
an array of ethics fields in healthcare.
The center provides scholarly and professional training in healthcare ethics consistent
with the Catholic, Spiritan identity of Duquesne University, based on the university’s
liberal arts foundation. Duquesne is committed to an atmosphere that is open to diversity
to celebrate education of the mind, heart and spirit. We also cultivate academic
excellence, ethically responsible judgment, and social justice in a globalized context.
The center prepares you, as an emerging leader in healthcare ethics, with the relevant
skills to work in the healthcare environment and to address the challenges of today
and tomorrow collaboratively with professionals and organizations.
Degrees & Programs
Two doctoral programs are available:
- The Ph.D. is a research degree that combines academic and clinical education to train you in a systematic and critical manner to be a scholar in the field. Hence, the Ph.D. dissertation focuses on appropriate research and writing competencies.
- The DHCE is a professional degree that combines academic and clinical education to train you in a systematic and critical manner to be a clinically oriented professional in the field. Hence, the DHCE project is a practical endeavor that focuses on those appropriate clinical and writing competencies.
Two doctoral programs are available:
- The Ph.D. is a research degree that combines academic and clinical education to train you in a systematic and critical manner to be a scholar in the field. Hence, the Ph.D. dissertation focuses on appropriate research and writing competencies.
- The DHCE is a professional degree that combines academic and clinical education to
train you in a systematic and critical manner to be a clinically oriented professional
in the field. Hence, the DHCE project is a practical endeavor that focuses on the
appropriate clinical and writing competencies.
- The School of Nursing and the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Center for Global Health Ethics offer a unique interdisciplinary Ph.D. in nursing ethics. This one-of-a-kind Ph.D. program combines doctoral courses in nursing and healthcare ethics. You can complete this online program in four years, with select residency requirements, including a study-abroad component.
- Calculated credits:
26 credits - Nursing
12 credits - Healthcare ethics
3 credits - Cognate
6 credits - Dissertation
= 47 total credits
- The M.A. degree program includes a total of 10 courses (30 credits), one required course plus nine courses selected from the general healthcare ethics courses. The required course is a general graduate-level introduction to ethics, while you will choose the nine HCE courses with advisement according to your interests.
- As a candidate for the master of arts in healthcare ethics, you will be eligible to receive a Master of Arts Scholarship through the Duquesne University McAnulty College and Graduate School that can reduce your degree costs by 25%. Please visit the graduate special awards website for specific details.
- The M.A. program includes a total of 10 courses (30 credits), one required course plus nine courses you'll select from the general healthcare ethics and Catholic healthcare courses. The required course is a general graduate-level introduction to ethics, while you'll choose the nine HCE courses with advisement according to your interests. The research projects and the research essay in the courses will deal with topics related to Catholic healthcare.
Duquesne offers a joint degree in law and healthcare ethics because such a degree is attractive to anyone interested in pursuing jobs in health-related
fields and will better qualify you for jobs in this expanding field.
The required experiences in clinical settings offered by the joint degree will enrich your appreciation of the various health-related practice areas and the range of legal issues you are likely to face in practice. The joint degree is structured so that you will be able to graduate in three to four years with both degrees if desired.
The required experiences in clinical settings offered by the joint degree will enrich your appreciation of the various health-related practice areas and the range of legal issues you are likely to face in practice. The joint degree is structured so that you will be able to graduate in three to four years with both degrees if desired.
This minor focuses on moral values and ethical dilemmas in regard to health, disease and healthcare.
You will study these values and ethical queries, integrating a diversity of approaches
with an attention to global concerns.
Course Planners
Course Planner for MA Degree in Healthcare Ethics
Choose 10 courses
Choose 10 courses
- HCE 643 EOL Care Ethics
- HCE 645 Comparative Religious Bioethics
- HCE 648 Clinical Ethics
- HCE 649 Empirical Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 650 Beginning of Life Ethics
- HCE 653 Genetics and Ethics
- HCE 654 Research Ethics
- HCE 655 Global Bioethics
- HCE 658 Intensive Research in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 659 Normative Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 660 Research Writing in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 662 Organizational Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 690 Independent Study
Course Planner for PhD in Healthcare Ethics
Choose 16 courses
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
Choose 16 courses
- HCE 643 EOL Care Ethics
- HCE 645 Comparative Religious Bioethics
- HCE 648 Clinical Ethics
- HCE 649 Empirical Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 650 Beginning of Life Ethics
- HCE 653 Genetics and Ethics
- HCE 654 Research Ethics
- HCE 655 Global Bioethics
- HCE 658 Intensive Research in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 659 Normative Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 660 Research Writing in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 662 Organizational Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 690 Independent Study
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
- HCE 646 Clinical Healthcare Ethics I (CORE I)
- HCE 647 Clinical Healthcare Ethics II (CORE II)
- HCE 681 Clinical Internship in HCE I (CORE III)
- HCE 682 Clinical Internship in HCE II (CORE IV)
Course Planner for PhD in Healthcare Ethics
Choose 12 courses
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
Choose 12 courses
- HCE 643 EOL Care Ethics
- HCE 645 Comparative Religious Bioethics
- HCE 648 Clinical Ethics
- HCE 649 Empirical Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 650 Beginning of Life Ethics
- HCE 653 Genetics and Ethics
- HCE 654 Research Ethics
- HCE 655 Global Bioethics
- HCE 658 Intensive Research in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 659 Normative Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 660 Research Writing in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 662 Organizational Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 690 Independent Study
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
- HCE 646 Clinical Healthcare Ethics I (CORE I)
- HCE 647 Clinical Healthcare Ethics II (CORE II)
- HCE 681 Clinical Internship in HCE I (CORE III)
- HCE 682 Clinical Internship in HCE II (CORE IV)
Course Planner for PhD in Catholic Healthcare Ethics
Choose 16 courses
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
Choose 16 courses
- HCE 743 EOL Care Ethics
- HCE 745 Comparative Religious Bioethics
- HCE 748 Clinical Ethics
- HCE 749 Empirical Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 750 Beginning of Life Ethics
- HCE 753 Genetics and Ethics
- HCE 754 Research Ethics
- HCE 755 Global Bioethics
- HCE 758 Intensive Research in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 759 Normative Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 760 Research Writing in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 762 Organizational Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 790 Independent Study
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
- HCE 746 Clinical Healthcare Ethics I (CORE I)
- HCE 747 Clinical Healthcare Ethics II (CORE II)
- HCE 781 Clinical Internship in HCE I (CORE III)
- HCE 782 Clinical Internship in HCE II (CORE IV)
Course Planner for PhD in Catholic Healthcare Ethics
Choose 12 courses
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
Choose 12 courses
- HCE 743 EOL Care Ethics
- HCE 745 Comparative Religious Bioethics
- HCE 748 Clinical Ethics
- HCE 749 Empirical Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 750 Beginning of Life Ethics
- HCE 753 Genetics and Ethics
- HCE 754 Research Ethics
- HCE 755 Global Bioethics
- HCE 758 Intensive Research in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 759 Normative Methods in HCE (required course)
- HCE 760 Research Writing in Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 762 Organizational Healthcare Ethics
- HCE 790 Independent Study
Students can also register for the following clinical rotations, as part of their curriculum.
- HCE 746 Clinical Healthcare Ethics I (CORE I)
- HCE 747 Clinical Healthcare Ethics II (CORE II)
- HCE 781 Clinical Internship in HCE I (CORE III)
- HCE 782 Clinical Internship in HCE II (CORE IV)
Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Joris Gielen
Eugene P. Beard Endowed Chair, Associate Professor and Director of Center for Global Health Ethics
Dr. Gerard Magill
Vernon F. Gallagher Chair & Professor, Center for Global Health Ethics
Dr. Peter Osuji
Assistant Professor, Global Health Ethics
Dr. Ian Tully
Assistant Professor, Nursing & Global Health Ethics