Program Overview
Applications Are Currently Open
- In-person program application deadline: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- Virtual program application deadline: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Rapid advances in medical technology are creating unprecedented opportunities for improved health outcomes. They have also opened the door to increasingly complex ethical questions including who will (and who should) have access to these benefits. What’s the most compassionate way to approach end-of-life care? How can insurers and social programs increase access to care, and when do they go awry? When is it acceptable to permanently alter a person’s genome? Generating responses to these vexing questions takes specialized knowledge and skills.
Harvard Medical School’s Master of Science in Bioethics provides students with rigorous academic grounding in foundational theory and in-depth exposure to tackling bioethical challenges in clinical and research practice and health law and policy. Students customize the program to meet their specific interests and career goals by selecting from a wide range of elective courses.
The program culminates in a two-semester mentored capstone experience in which each student builds on classroom learning to develop practical skills and experience in the work of bioethics. Students work with individual capstone mentors to develop tailored plans and goals for their experience. Each student also participates in a weekly seminar led by center faculty to guide skill and knowledge building. The capstone opportunities are vast, aligning with the interests and learning goals of our students from diverse educational and professional backgrounds. The common factor is a commitment to advancing biomedical possibility and responsibility in tandem, maintaining a focus on how progress is allocated justly in research and health care in advancing health and humanity.
Courses are taught at Harvard Medical School, which draws faculty from more than a dozen Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and institutions united by their passion for teaching and learning in the study and practice of bioethics.
Apply Now
Begin your admissions process now by starting your application now! First-time users will need to create an account to start an application. Returning users will need to log in.
Our individualized, student-centered program begins before you even submit your application. If you are interested in learning more about what your journey might be like and how the Master of Science in Bioethics program might fit with your background and goals, please upload your CV (résumé) in the application portal and then reach out by email to let us know it’s there and that you’d like to connect with our team.
Program Options
The Master of Science in Bioethics has two formats: full-time, in-person on campus and part-time, live via virtual learning.
In-Person Program
Our full-time, campus-based program is completed in one academic year. The in-person class is primarily composed of recent college graduates and early-career professionals who are exploring pathways into a wide range of careers including medicine, nursing and other health professions, law, research, science, and industry. Many graduates of the program subsequently attend graduate or professional school. Historically, popular educational paths for post-baccalaureate graduates have included medical school, law school, and doctoral programs in public health, health policy and other related fields.
Online Program
In our remote learning program, students meet live in dynamic classes to pursue their degree on a part-time basis over two or three years. The online class attracts working professionals from diverse fields including healthcare, law, public policy, research, biotech and industry, education, academia and beyond. Our virtual students are leaders who pursue bioethics education to advance and/or enhance their scholarly and professional impact while maintaining work and personal commitments. The program is conducted synchronously and there are ample opportunities to build your Harvard network virtually. Core courses are offered beginning at 7 pm ET, and electives generally begin between 4 and 8 pm ET.
Plan of Study
Each student will develop a plan of study with faculty members that includes:
- Core Study: Foundational courses covering theoretical and applied ethics, strategies of ethical justification, and historical as well as contemporary challenges in bioethics.
- Electives: Options to augment the core study program with course offerings at Harvard Medical School and across Harvard University.
- Capstone Experience: A mentored, hands-on capstone ethics experience complements the Master of Science in Bioethics program, tailored to each student’s professional expertise and interests.
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Complete this form to receive more information about the program as it is released. Alerts will be aligned with your preferred format and year of anticipated enrollment.