Our professional doctorate in bioethics (DBe) is a first of its kind and meets the growing need for advanced training in bioethics for those professionals that have increased responsibilities related to bioethics and health policy at their institution. Such individuals may serve as chair of a hospital’s ethics committee, perform clinical ethics consultations, have administrative oriented ethics work or are a steward for issues central to your institution’s mission and values. This degree offers healthcare professionals an opportunity to obtain a high quality doctorate through a hybrid delivery system (asynchronous online courses combined with blended courses that require 2-3 days of on-campus activity).

Curriculum

The Doctorate in Bioethics (DBe) is a professional doctoral degree and requires 57 credit hours of coursework, written and oral qualifying examinations, two capstone courses, and one capstone presentation (virtual or in-person). Matriculants in the doctoral program are required to maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Students who enter with a previously earned master's degree in bioethics may transfer up to 27 credit hours (pending approval from program director), and are required to complete a minimum of three (3) required courses, five (5) elective courses, and the two (2) capstones at Loyola.

Required Coursework

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
BEHL 401	Clinical Topics in Bioethics	3
BEHL 402	Justice & Health Care	3
BEHL 404	Biomedical Ethics and Law	3
BEHL 406	Principles of Health Care Ethics	3
Select Three Courses in Concentration (see below)		9
Clinical Bioethics
BEHL 403	Ethics Care Continuum
BEHL 410	Ethics Consultation 1
BEHL 430	Advanced Clinical Ethics Skills 1
or BEHL 421	Practicum in Clinical Ethics
Catholic Bioethics
BEHL 414	Moral Theology for Bioethics
BEHL 415	Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Leadership
BEHL 416	Catholic Bioethics and Social Justice
Research Ethics
BEHL 405	Research and Ethics
BEHL 425	Empirical Bioethics
or BEHL 432	Global Bioethics
Public Health and Systems Ethics
BEHL 411	Public Health Ethics
BEHL 412	Organizational Ethics: Business, Professionalism, and Justice
or BEHL 419	Organizational Ethics II: Ethical Leadership for Changing Healthcare Environment
BEHL 418	Advancing Health Equity Practice 1
or BEHL 407	Social Determinants of Health and Bioethics
Select Ten Electives		30
Capstone Courses
BEHL 423	Doctoral Capstone I	3
BEHL 424	Doctoral Capstone II	3
Total Hours		57

¹

Indicates hybrid course offered asynchronously online with two to three days of on-campus activity.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination students in the Bioethics Doctoral Program (DBe) should be completed after other coursework but prior to the Doctoral Capstone courses. This is an open book essay exam that should be an opportunity for the doctoral student to showcase their knowledge from the coursework they’ve already taken. After written responses are submitted, an oral exam is conducted online with the student and two faculty reviewers. This is an opportunity for the student to clarify and expand upon their written answers. The student will receive a letter from the graduate program director indicating successful completion of the written and oral exams.

Capstones

DBe students will take two doctoral capstone courses (BEHL 423 Doctoral Capstone I and BEHL 424 Doctoral Capstone II), each of which should result in peer-reviewed articles. Afterwards students will make a virtual or in-person presentation of their capstone work.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.