The Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership is a pluralistic program that draws upon the commitment to social justice of the Jesuit and Roman Catholic heritage of the Stritch School of Medicine in its teaching, research, and service. The Institute promotes the ideals of Jesuit education in seeking to form “men and women for others” and to make our classrooms a “home for all faiths.” Thus, while giving special regard to Catholic healthcare ethics in teaching and research, the Institute also fosters respectful dialogue among all traditions represented in our student body and patient population.

Two things distinguish the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics:

• A commitment to educating healthcare professionals to be effective leaders for social justice in medicine and society, and;
• A commitment to understanding and respecting the role of religious and spiritual traditions, especially that of the school’s Roman Catholic heritage, in healthcare decision making.

The primary values of the Institute, a regard for social justice and a commitment to understanding the roles of religion and spirituality in medicine, give rise to a research and teaching focus for institute faculty that includes addressing racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, fostering cultural humility and competence, contributing to global health, promoting public health, and advocating a renewal of medical professionalism that evidences a concern for the common good.

As part of our mission, the Institute offers online master's degree programs and a hybrid doctoral degree in bioethics and healthcare mission leadership, as well as online certificate programs for healthcare professionals. Our innovative online environment supports practical education and provides valuable engagement and networking among peers and experts in the field of bioethics and health policy.

Graduate Programs