A career in bioethics or medical ethics can have far-reaching implications. Working in the medical ethics field, you will be responsible for setting policy on medical procedures and processes, often stemming from new technology. This may involve the topics of death and dying, organ transplant, the use of human and animal subjects and reproduction and fertility. Is physician-assisted death for terminal patients morally acceptable? Should fertility drugs be used to support at-risk patients? These questions and more need to be answered and policies need to be created to support these decisions.
You may work in a hospital setting, a biology company or sit on an oversight board helping make decisions related to medical ethics. You may also work in an educational setting teaching new medical students the importance of ethics in their careers.
Bioethics is an interdisciplinary field with people starting in undergraduate programs in the sciences or medicine with a minor or specialization in ethics. At the graduate level, students can focus solely on bioethics and can earn a master's or doctorate degree.
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Bioethics/Medical Ethics Degrees in the United States
#133Most Popular Major
5kDegrees Awarded
239Schools Offering Degrees
In 2021-2022, bioethics/medical ethics was the 133rd most popular major nationwide with 4,980 degrees awarded.
Our 2025 Best Bioethics/Medical Ethics Schools ranking analyzes 67 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for bioethics/medical ethics students. Explore this or one of our many other custom medical ethics rankings further below.
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Requirements for Getting a Degree in Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Students attending a bioethics program can expect to have courses in medical sociology, policy analysis, decision theory, and spirituality. You will need to have a strong moral compass and a good understanding of the underlying medicine you will be making decisions on. If you plan on going into an educational setting, you will need to enjoy working with students and have an aptitude for teaching.
ADBLOCK #171
Prior Education for a Medical Ethics Program
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Specific medical ethics careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Types of Bioethics/Medical Ethics Degrees
There are various different levels of medical ethics degrees. Bioethics/Medical Ethics programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest medical ethics degree you can get. Bioethics/Medical Ethics programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
Degree
Credit Requirements
Typical Program Length
Associate Degree
60-70 credits
2 years
Bachelor’s Degree
120 credits
4 years
Master’s Degree
50-70 credits
1-3 years
Doctorate
Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation
At least 4 years
Career Opportunities for A Degree In Medical Ethics Graduate
$74.4kAverage Starting Salary
In order to teach ethics, you will need an undergraduate degree in a related field along with a Master of Bioethics. Some careers will require a Doctor of Medicine degree in addition to a master's degree in ethics.
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How Much Money Do Medical Ethics Grads Make?
Recently graduated bioethics/medical ethics students earned an average of $74,363 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $36,905 to as high as $140,982. As you might expect, salaries for medical ethics graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
by our College Data Analytics Team
