(Available to WFU undergraduate students)

Program Co-Directors Nancy King and Ana Iltis

Overview

Sponsored by Wake Forest College and the WFU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts/Sciences & Master of Arts in Bioethics can be completed in as little as 5 years (10 semesters + 1 summer). By allowing students who are admitted to the program to begin graduate bioethics coursework while enrolled through the College, students are able to earn two degrees in less time than it would take to earn the two degrees separately.

Undergraduate students must complete all requirements for the undergraduate program, including major, minor, and general requirements (generally, 120 credit hours). Students who are in a position to complete the 120 credit hours required for the undergraduate degree in fewer than the typical four years and are accepted into the five year program may take up to nine credit hours of graduate level bioethics courses while they are enrolled in the College. The Graduate School will accept those credit hours toward the Master of Arts in Bioethics degree if they are above and beyond the minimum 120 hours required to receive a BA/BS. The graduate credit hours earned toward the MA degree during the undergraduate years may not be part of the 120 credit hours required for the undergraduate degree.

Students accepted to the program spend their first four years full-time in the College, followed by a year or more in the bioethics program. The year typically will consist of two semesters plus a summer for students who complete at least six hours of transferable graduate work during their undergraduate years. Because students must complete all of the requirements for the undergraduate degree independently of their Bioethics coursework, students receive their BA/BS degrees when they complete their BA/BS graduation requirements. The MA is awarded separately after completion of the MA requirements. The five year program requires undergraduates to enroll in 700-level bioethics courses. As part of their acceptance into the program, all accepted students will meet criteria for enrollment of undergraduate students in graduate courses.

Typically, students interested in the BA/BS & MA in Bioethics apply no later than the spring semester of their junior year. Students should alert the Associate Director of the Bioethics Graduate Program of their intent to apply and follow the usual procedures for making an application for admission to a graduate program at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. Only students in good academic standing according to the standards of Wake Forest College should apply.

To remain in the program, students must remain in good academic standing with both Wake Forest College and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The degree requires 30 credit hours; 24-26 hours of coursework with an average grade of B or above plus either 4 hours of capstone project (BIE 795) OR 6 hours of thesis research (BIE 791-792). Students must take BIE 703 (3 hours) and BIE 706/BIE 707 (3 hours). Additionally, students must take two of the three following courses: (BIE 702 (3 hours), BIE 704 (3 hours), or BIE 705 (3 hours). The remaining 12-14 hours may be in either 600 or 700 level Bioethics courses. With program permission, up to 6 of those hours may be from non-Bioethics graduate level courses. All work must be completed within six years of the date of initial enrollment in the graduate program.

For additional degree requirements, see Requirements for Degrees.