Bioethics Minor
Bioethics is a well-established interdisciplinary field that is centered in philosophy but includes interaction with research in medicine, biological sciences, and other social sciences. Bioethics addresses foundational moral questions concerning life in all of its forms and in a wide variety of contexts, including issues in medical and clinical ethics, distributive justice in health care, environmental and climate ethics, and more.
The Bioethics Minor is intended for students with a variety of academic interests and career goals. In particular, well-trained professional ethicists are in increasing demand, and practitioners and research in medicine, bioengineering, and the life sciences are face challenging moral questions and are increasingly expected to have training in ethics. The course of study will also play a key role in preparing students to be informed citizens on questions of pressing importance to everyone.
The minor will require seven courses, (twenty-eight units): one from each of 5 core categories and two elective courses from a selected list. A maximum of two may be lower-division courses. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a C– or better.
Core Requirements for the Bioethics Minor
Core bioethics. Minors must take one from each of the five core categories:I Ethics
PHIL-013. Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL-160. Ethical Theory
II Biomedical Ethics
PHIL-163. Biomedical Ethics
III Social Ethics
PHIL-026. Science, Society, and Values
PHIL-027. Ethics and Society
PHIL-162. Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL-164. Technology and Human Values
PHIL-167. Contemporary Political Philosophy
IV Philosophy and Science
PHIL-012. Scientific Reasoning
PHIL-137. Moral Psychology
PHIL-145. Philosophy of Science
PHIL-147. Philosophy of Biology
PHIL-149. Philosophy of Psychology
PHIL-150. Philosophy of Cognitive Sciences
PHIL-151. Philosophy of Neuroscience
PHIL-152. Philosophy of Social Science
V Topics in Bioethics
PHIL-173. Topics in Bioethics
VI Electives for the Bioethics Minor (starting Fall 2025)
- Minors must take two courses, drawn from a selected list.
- Course indicated with an * can be applied to the minor by petition.
- Any courses listed under the Core Requirements, if not also being used to satisfy a core requirement, may be used as an elective.
PHIL-138. Responsibility
PHIL-148. Philosophy and the Environment
PHIL-165. Freedom, Equality and the Law
PHIL-168: Philosophy of Law
PHIL-169. Feminism and Philosophy
PHIL-170. Philosophy and Race
PHIL-174. Data Ethics
FMPH-040. Intro to Public Health
FMPH-050. Primary Care and Public Health
USP-143. The US Health Care System
USP-147. Poor and Undeserved Populations
BILD-036. AIDS, Science, and Society
BICD-136. AIDS, Science and Society
BILD-038. Dementia, Science and Society
HISC-115. History Modern Medicine
HISC-116. History of Bioethics
VI Electives for the Bioethics Minor (Prior to Fall 2025)
- Minors must take two courses, drawn from a selected list.
- Course indicated with an * can be applied to the minor by petition.
- Any courses listed under the Core Requirements, if not also being used to satisfy a core requirement, may be used as an elective.
BILD-036. AIDS, Science, and Society
BILD-038. Dementia, Science and Society
FMPH-040. Introduction to Public Health
FMPH-050. Primary Care and Public Health
HISC-116. History of Bioethics
PHIL-010. Logic
PHIL-120. Symbolic Logic
PHIL-148. Philosophy and the Environment
PHIL-169. Feminism and Philosophy
PHIL-170. Philosophy and Race
USP-143. The US Health Care System
*BICD-136. AIDS science and Society
*HISC-115. History Modern Medicine
*LTWL-011. Health and Literature
*PHIL-138. Responsibility
*PHIL-147. Philosophy of Biology
*PHIL-165. Freedom, Equality, and the Law
*PHIL-168. Philosophy of Law
*PHIL-174. Data Ethics
*USP-147. Case Studies in Health Care Programs: Poor and Undeserved Populations