Bioethics
Our interdisciplinary program of teaching and research focuses on the quest for solutions to complex bioethical problems currently plaguing our nation and global community.
The interdisciplinary areas of study cover four broad areas:
- Theory of Bioethics;
- Empirical Research and Methodology;
- Law and Policy; and
- Psychosocial and Biological Health.
The Interdisciplinary Studies Major Concentration: Bioethics prepares students to engage personally and professionally with some of the most challenging moral questions in medicine, clinical research, biotechnology and the life sciences such as:
Should we . . .
- clone human beings?
- create genetically modified babies and consume genetically modified foods?
- experiment on human embryos and create human-animal hybrids for research?
- delay the aging process?
- use brain implants to prevent problem adolescents from engaging in anti-social, criminal and violent acts?
The sheer magnitude and complexity of these issues—and the critical need to address them—has spurred increased attention to the field of bioethics in a global world marked by health disparities and rapid technological advances.
To Apply Contact
Dr. Assya Pascalev
Program Coordinator
Locke Hall, Rm. B-10/A
2455 Sixth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20059
Telephone: (202) 865-0098
Fax: (202) 518-3347
Email: apascalev@howard.edu
Our Mission
The mission of the B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies in Bioethics (ISB) is to produce graduates prepared to take leadership positions in research, education, and outreach in the field of bioethics with emphasis on the training of students from diverse backgrounds. ISB achieves this through the implementation of an interdisciplinary program of teaching and research focused on the quest for solutions to the complex bioethical problems currently plaguing this nation and the global community.
Our Goals
Provide a competitive, well-rounded curriculum and the necessary training for addressing current bioethical issues and problems.
Correct the dearth of African Americans in bioethics, while at the same time assuring that all program graduates—regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or nationality—will be strong competitors for professional job opportunities.
Our Foundation
Howard University is one of a few HBCUs that provide students with the opportunity to participate in and contribute to cutting edge research in bioethics and, more importantly, to contribute to the reduction in health disparities and the social injustice that they represent.
We benefit from
- the university’s rich and varied history of Health Sciences programs
- the establishment of the National Human Genome Center, the Cancer Center, and the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science.
Our Departments
Students in the Bioethics Program collaborate with faculty from multiple departments and programs at the College of Arts and Sciences, including:
- Philosophy
- Sociology and Criminology
- Biology
- Psychology
- and with participation of faculty from the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, and the Law School.