Graduate Bulletin

Urban Bioethics, M.A.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall:  April 15

Spring:  October 15

Summer:  February 15

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 2-3

Students applying to the Urban Bioethics M.A. program must submit 3 letters of reference and original transcripts from all post-high school institutions attended. The following exceptions apply:

Students already matriculated into a graduate program at Temple University who are applying for a dual degree may, upon permission of their recommenders and their home school, use their home school letters of recommendation for the Urban Bioethics M.A. application. In addition, those students already matriculated into a graduate program at Temple University may ask the Urban Bioethics administration to request a transcript from the home school.

From Whom:  Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with your academic performance and/or from professional supervisors familiar with your professional experience, accomplishments, and potential for success in a graduate program.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

No specific coursework is required for admission.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

While a baccalaureate degree is required for admission to the M.A. program, there is no requirement as to the subject of the undergraduate degree.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should be 2-3 double-spaced pages and should address how you see the M.A. in Urban Bioethics as integral to your current educational goals and current/future career development.

Standardized Test Scores:

Minimum TOEFL score needed to be accepted: 79 iBT or 550 PBT.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate:  32

Required Courses:

Core Courses (17 credits):

UBTH 5000:  Urban Bioethics 1

UBTH 5010:  Urban Bioethics 2

UBTH 5020:  Health Economics

UBTH 5030:  Critical Social Science

UBTH 5089:  Community Engagement

UBTH 9996:  Thesis

Electives (15 credits)

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Thesis:  The thesis should make a novel contribution to the field. Toward this end, the student conducts an original research project, empirical or non-empirical, and produces a publishable paper. The research is undertaken with guidance from an approved thesis advisor from the School of Medicine; the Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy; or a dual-degree student’s home department.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/centers/cbuhp/index.html

Department Information:

Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy

School of Medicine

Medical Education and Research Building, 3rd Floor

3500 North Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA  19140

nora.jones@temple.edu

215-707-1670

Department Contacts:

Director of Education:

Dr. Nora Jones

nora.jones@temple.edu

215-707-1670

About the Program

Urban Bioethics is a new and growing field that points a critical lens on the extreme inequalities of health and access to medical, legal, and other resources that leave many urban dwellers and communities distinctly disadvantaged, disenfranchised, and vulnerable. With its abundance of academic medical centers, Philadelphia should be one of the healthiest cities in the nation—yet health disparities persist in the city at levels surpassing national averages. Health status is especially troubling in North Philadelphia, where a disproportionately high number of residents suffer from preventable and treatable health conditions—and many battle chronic illnesses without health insurance. The interdisciplinary membership of Temple University’s Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy (CBUHP) includes community residents, faculty, students, and staff representing numerous schools within Temple University and the Temple University Health System, all working to improve health status for vulnerable urban populations and to position Temple University as a nationally recognized expert in the field of urban health and bioethics.

CBUHP is committed to defining and addressing the ethical challenges of urban health care, public health status, and policy. The M.A. in Urban Bioethics, offered through the CBUHP, trains students in the ethics and values of health, health care delivery, and health law and policy underlying the urban context of density, diversity, and inequalities. Coursework is practical, methodological, and theoretical. The degree is designed for Temple graduate students and area professionals who face, or will soon face, the complexities and disparities of urban health, and want specialized training in the ethics, values, and politics of health care in our increasingly multi-dimensionally diverse society.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years

Campus Location:

Health Sciences

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students may attend full time or part time.

Department Information:

Center for Bioethics, Urban Health, and Policy

School of Medicine

Medical Education and Research Building, 3rd Floor

3500 North Broad Street

Philadelphia, PA  19140

nora.jones@temple.edu

215-707-1670

Interdisciplinary Study:

The degree is designed for Temple graduate students and area professionals who face, or will soon face, the complexities and disparities of urban health, and want specialized training in the ethics, values, and politics of health care in our increasingly multi-dimensionally diverse society. Dual-degree students can take advantage of the inherent interdisciplinary nature of a dual degree, while stand-alone M.A. students must take 15 credits of coursework from outside the School of Medicine.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

No.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

Not applicable.

Job Placement:

Students graduating with the M.A. in Urban Bioethics will have the practical skills, including grant writing experience, and theoretical and methodological training to advance in their existing careers and compete more competitively for residencies, job placements, or other advanced graduate training programs.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy:

Non-matriculated students may register for courses after an interview with the Director, at which time they should present academic transcripts. Credit toward a subsequent degree program at Temple University is limited to 9 credits.

Financing Opportunities

Limited support is available for M.A. students concurrently enrolled in the M.D. program.

Updated 11.12.12