Graduate Catalog
2023-2024
 
Policies, Procedures, Academic Programs
Bioethics
BEC
Address:
133 Lane Hall (STS/0247)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Contact this Certificate
Email Contact(s):
Web Resource(s):
Phone Number(s):
• STS Office:
540/231-0719

Bioethics Certificate Description

Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with the social, legal, and ethical issues around biological life at its intersection with the environment, politics, and technology.* The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines bioethics as
[T]he study of ethical, social, and legal issues that arise in biomedicine and biomedical research. Bioethics includes medical ethics, which focuses on issues in health care; research ethics, which focuses on issues in the conduct of research; environmental ethics, which focuses on issues pertaining to the relationship between human activities and the environment, and public health ethics, which addresses ethical issues in public health.**
The proposed Graduate Certificate in Bioethics is designed to teach students about ethical issues that can arise in biological, medical, environmental, ecological, and energy studies. Students will learn to engage ethics in theory and practice in the context of health, research, and clinical practice. Students will also learn about the social determinants of health (e.g., the environment), research ethics, and policy issues in public health (e.g., healthcare). Students will gain an understanding of ethics and ethical policy. Graduates will be able to assess issues in an organization and make ethical decisions to address the issue. Graduates will also be able to serve on an organization’s committees that address ethical dilemmas.


* Bioethics - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/bioethics
** Resnik, D. B. (2018). Bioethics. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/index.cfm
How to Apply:
Fill out the online application for participation in the certificate program.
Upon processing of the application, you will be contacted
with information about the submission of additional
required materials. Thank you for your interest.

Bioethics Admission Requirements

All students will be required to apply to the certificate program.
Degree-seeking students will:
  • Submit a Graduate Certificate Application
  • Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

Bioethics Courses

Number of credit hours: 12 credit hours

Core Courses: 6 credits
  • PHS 5724: Ethical Foundations of Public Health (3 credits)
  • STS 5444: Issues in Bioethics (3 credits)
Restricted Elective Courses: 6 credits
Students will select courses from a list of courses. Faculty will assist students in selecting courses that align with their desired career goals.
  • GRAD 5134: Topics in Interdisciplinary Research (3 credits)
  • LAHS 5014: Ethics for an Aging Society (3 credits)
  • PHIL 5604G: Intermediate Philosophy of Biology (3 credits)
  • PHIL 5614G: Intermediate Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
  • PHIL 6324: Advanced Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy (3 credits)
  • PHIL 6334: Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
  • PHIL/APST 6224: Distributive Justice (3 credits)
  • PHS 5004: Foundations of Public Health (1 credit)
  • PHS 5014/VM 7014: Environmental Health (3 credits)
  • PSCI/GIA 5214: Contemporary Political Theory (3 credits)
  • PSCI/GIA/UAP 5584: Environmental Politics and Policy (3 credits)
  • STS/PHIL 5305: Main Themes in the Philosophy of Modern Science and Technology (3 credits)
  • STS/PHIL 5306: Main Themes in the Philosophy of Modern Science and Technology (3 credits)
  • STS/PSCI/GIA 5364: Public Ecology (3 credits)
  • AND
    • STS 6664: Advanced Topics in Science and Technology Policy (3 credits)
      • OR
    • PAPA 6664: Advanced Topics in Science and Technology Policy (3 credits)
Core Course Descriptions
  • PHS 5724: Ethical Foundations of Public Health (3 credits) Methods for ethics decision-making in public health and health policy, exploration of theoretical foundations of ethical public health practice, methods for identifying ethical challenges and ethical dilemmas, skills for managing ethical ambiguity, differences and similarities between professional ethics, research ethics, clinical ethics, and public health ethics, key historical events in public health that led to ethical and policy requirements, decision-making frameworks to analyze public health ethical challenges, current writings in public health ethics literature, well- reasoned written and oral arguments for a course of action to address public health ethics dilemmas. Pre: Graduate Standing.

  • STS 5444: Issues in Bioethics (3 credits) Identification and analysis of ethical issues arising in basic and applied biological, medical, environmental, ecological, and energy studies. Pre: Graduate Standing.
Elective Course Descriptions
  • GRAD 5134: Topics Interdisciplinary Research (1-3 credits) Course taught by multiple departments each semester to encourage interdisciplinary research. Professional and interpersonal approaches for successful interdisciplinary research from various academic perspectives. May be repeated for credit for a total of 9 hours with different content. Graduate standing required.

  • LAHS 5014: Ethics for an Aging Society (3 credits) Ethical issues, principles, theories, and approaches that address issues surrounding older adults and their families living in community and facility settings with which organizations of all types (i.e., for profit, nonprofit, government) contend. Ethics for current and future policies and practices that address the care needs of older adults and their families. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PAPA 6664: Advanced Topics in Science and Technology Policy (3 credits) Variable topics in science and technology policy. Includes advanced study of science, technology, and the economy; science, technology, and power; strategies for research and development policy – public and private sector; transfer of technology; technological forecasting; government regulation and responses; science policy assumptions and challenges, specialist knowledge and expertise; state and academic knowledge production; issues of race, class, gender, and national identity in policy work. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credits. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PHIL 5604G: Intermediate Philosophy of Biology (3 credits) This course is designed primarily for philosophy students with a strong interest in biology or biology students with philosophical interests. Topics vary from year to year, but include the changing character of biology as a science, the special character of biological explanations and methods, and the place and value of reduction (e.g., of Mendelian to molecular genetics) in biology. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PHIL 5614G: Intermediate Philosophy of Science (3 credits) An examination of the structure and methodology of science as well as key concepts such as explanation, confirmation, realism, and instrumentalism. Pre: Graduate standing

  • PHIL 6324: Advanced Topics in Ethics and Political Philosophy (3 credits) A seminar closely examining a topic or group of topics in moral, social, or political theory. Such issues as the foundations of ethics, practical reason, the concept of 'virtue', political obligation, the bounds of moral and political community, paternalism, liberty, and privacy will be explored. Views considered may include moral realism and antirealism, contractarianism, egalitarianism, libertarianism, and communitarianism. May be repeated for credit, with permission and different content, for a maximum of 12 hours. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 5334 OR PHIL 5344

  • PHIL 6334: Advanced Topics in Philosophy of Science (3 credits) Variable topics in advanced philosophy of science, including major theories of scientific explanation and their criticisms; philosophical foundations of statistics; naturalized philosophy of science. May be repeated for credit, with permission and different content, for a maximum of 12 hours. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PHIL/APST 6224: Distributive Justice (3 credits) Influential contemporary theories of distributive justice. Social, political, ethical, and cultural dimensions of distributive questions. Utilitarianism, liberalism, libertarianism, pluralism, multiculturalism, autonomy, rights, needs, (global) egalitarianism, and (global) poverty. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PHS 5004: Foundations of Public Health (1 credit) Foundational principles of public health, including history, core functions and essential services. Public health ethics and values. Career opportunities in the public health core disciplines. Biologic determinants of health. Global and One Health frameworks for health and health professionals. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PHS 5014/VM 7014: Environmental Health (3 credits) Exploration of major environmental health concepts and issues, environmental policies and regulations. Topics include world population and pressures on the environment, healthy environment; environmental determinants of public health, including biological, physical and chemical factors; environmental factors affecting disease vectors and their control; air and water quality; waste management; the built environment, work environments and recreational area; food protection and safety; occupational health; tools for environmental evaluation, planning and safety. Pre: Graduate Standing.

  • PSCI/GIA 5214: Contemporary Political Theory (3 credits) Selected topics in contemporary political theory, including different models of social science inquiry and the use of basic concepts like power, ideology, rationality, and the state in the study of politics. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • PSCI/GIA/UAP 5584: Environmental Politics and Policy (3 credits) Course provides a broad introduction to the key ideas, actors and institutions related to environmental politics and policy in the United States, with some coverage of global issues. It is intended to provide students with basic interdisciplinary knowledge and an intellectual framework for understanding and thinking critically about environmental politics and policy. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • STS 6664: Advanced Topics in Science and Technology Policy (3 credits) Variable topics in science and technology policy. Includes advanced study of science, technology, and the economy; science, technology, and power; strategies for research and development policy – public and private sector; transfer of technology; technological forecasting; government regulation and responses; science policy assumptions and challenges, specialist knowledge and expertise; state and academic knowledge production; issues of race, class, gender, and national identity in policy work. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credits. Pre: Graduate standing.

  • STS/PHIL 5305: Main Themes in the Philosophy of Modern Science and Technology (3 credits) Problems, literature, and schools in the philosophy of science and technology. 5305: explanation and confirmation; 5306: theory change. Prerequisite(s): PHIL 3505

  • STS/PHIL 5306: Main Themes in the Philosophy of Modern Science and Technology (3 credits) Problems, literature, and schools in the philosophy of science and technology. 5305: explanation and confirmation; 5306: theory change. Pre: Graduate standing

  • STS/PSCI/GIA 5364: Public Ecology (3 credits) Examines policy developments and practices that move beyond the conceptual divisions and policy operations begun during the 1970's, which largely divided the more natural science- based environmental sciences from social science-based environmental based studies. Mixes the insights of life science, physical science, social science, applied humanities, and public policy into a cohesive conceptual and operational approach to environmental protection in the 21st century. Pre: Graduate standing.