Study Bioethics

Study Bioethics

Bioethics is the study of the ethical issues raised by advances in the biological and medical sciences.

Bioethics addresses moral issues in topics such as: life and death decision-making in the context of healthcare, health related social policies and laws, the role of technology in promoting collective and individual wellbeing. Bioethicists ask and answer questions like:

  • Do foetuses have a right to life?
  • Is it morally permissible for a doctor to help someone die?
  • What are the social and political implications of the new genetic technologies?
  • Do societies and governments have an obligation to provide universal healthcare?
  • What social interventions are justified in preventing and combatting infectious diseases?

It is a fact of modern life that most people will, at some stage of their lives, face decisions that involve fundamental questions studied in bioethics. Bioethics is a fascinating, challenging, enjoyable, and intensely relevant field of study, which draws on philosophy, science, sociology, and other disciplines. It is an area of study with clear practical applications and where developments in science, medicine and technology continually pose new problems and open up new areas of research.

Teaching Programs

The Monash Bioethics Centre offers both coursework and research-based opportunities. The study of bioethics develops skills in critical reasoning, argument, comprehension, communication, research, and logical analysis. These are the skills that employers look for in today’s world, where flexibility, creativity and the ability to adapt to rapid change are essential for a successful career. Graduates with a knowledge of bioethics may be especially attractive to employers in the areas of genetics, health science, medical and allied health practice, as well as research, government, law, and social policy.

Undergraduate Studies

The Monash Bioethics Centre offers five bioethics units that can be taken as electives in a Bachelor's degree, including Bachelor of Arts , Accelerated BA/Masters Pathway and others. Students from Arts, Law, Biomedicine and other disciplines can take one or more units, complementing their Major by building their capacity to comprehend and respond to, social and ethical challenges. Our bioethics units can also prepare students for postgraduate studies in bioethics.

Bioethics electives

Graduate Studies

The Monash Bioethics Centre also offers a Masters in Bioethics with opportunities for research and internships. It attracts health professionals, as well as recent graduates from Arts, Law and Biomedicine.

The Masters of Bioethics and the Graduate Certificate of Bioethics allows for advanced study in bioethics to enhance your career and follow your interests in this area. The programs are taught by international leaders in the field and provide opportunities to develop skills in ethical analysis, as well as research, writing and other professional capabilities. They are particularly well suited to healthcare professionals and scientists who face complex ethical issues in their working lives, as well as recent graduates seeking to further their knowledge and gain credentials in the area of Bioethics.

Research degrees in Bioethics allow you to develop a high degree of expertise in an area of particular interest to you. They entail extensive scholarly research, developing significant expertise and skills in critical reasoning, argument, comprehension, communication, research, and logical analysis, at the highest level.

Bioethics degrees by research are part of the Philosophy Graduate Research program. At the Monash Bioethics Centre, our research explores the ethical, social, and regulatory issues in reproduction, neuroscience, infectious diseases, and healthcare. We also examine the ethical implications of AI use across healthcare.

If you are interested in learning more about our research and connecting with staff regarding potential supervision, click through to our research page.

The Intensive Bioethics Course (IBC) provided an in-depth introduction to bioethical thinking and the ethical issues that emerge in related clinical and policy contexts. It was designed for medical professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical researchers, palliative care workers, dentists, dieticians, embryologists, etc.), members of human research and clinical ethics committees, public health practitioners, hospital administrators, health lawyers, and those involved or interested in public policy or advocacy work related to bioethics. It was also useful for individuals with a general interest in bioethics or those considering further graduate study in the field.

The IBC previously ran as a three-day residential course consisting of seminars, forums, and discussions led by leading experts in bioethics. It had a long history, having been initiated by Peter Singer in 1985. Over the years, the IBC provided ethics training to participants from countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, in addition to numerous participants from across Australia.