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Bioethics and Health Studies, B.A.

Saint Louis University's bioethics and health studies major asks students to analyze the ethical questions raised by advances in medical and scientific technology. It examines these questions both in the clinical context and in health policy. Well-known bioethical topics include abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. But the field’s area of study has grown dramatically in recent decades in keeping with the rapid pace of biotechnological advances. More recent bioethical work addresses developments in genetics, neuroscience, public health and various emerging fields in the biomedical sciences.

SLU's bioethics and health studies major gives students the tools to understand these developments. It does so through an interdisciplinary curriculum that fuses the humanities with the social sciences. It pairs this holistic education with unique service-learning opportunities in health care settings and a capstone project designed to guide students in their transitions to careers in health care.

Through their coursework, students majoring in bioethics and health studies learn to think across the University and mobilize their knowledge in the world.

A particular focus of the bioethics and health studies major at SLU is the relationship of religion, health care and social justice. Students are exposed to a broad range of ideological and professional perspectives on health care dilemmas. This will prepare them to collaborate with others across existing professional and political divides. It will also help them clarify their views on topics that are often complex and highly personal.

The bioethics and health studies major provides a foundation for post-graduate study and employment in many health-related fields. Beyond that, it provides students with tools for addressing the ethical dilemmas they will face, not just on the job but also in the voting booth and in their own lives. When coupled with a strong commitment to social justice and intellectual diversity, this integrated approach to health care makes the major particularly reflective of Saint Louis University’s Jesuit mission.

Curriculum Overview

SLU's bioethics and health studies major requires 36 credits of coursework spread over three broad distribution areas: foundational courses, disciplinary frameworks, and advanced issues and practice in health care ethics. 

Except for the major’s introductory course, HCE 2010 Foundations in Clinical Health Care Ethics, these courses do not have to be taken in strict order. Students can choose from many courses to satisfy their requirements for disciplinary frameworks and advanced issues and practice in health care ethics. Courses taken for the bioethics and health studies major requirements may also fulfill core requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences. The major’s flexible progression and course requirements give students a high degree of freedom in tailoring it to their interests and timeframe.

SLU's bioethics and health studies major offers a pre-med track for students planning on pursuing medical school.  

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

SLU's bioethics and health studies major has a service-learning requirement. Students can choose from several service-learning courses, each taking place in a distinct health care setting. Students can also receive credit for completing an internship in a professional setting related to health care ethics.

The major offers students opportunities to study abroad in Ireland and Spain.

Careers

The bioethics and health studies major provides an excellent foundation for professional education in many areas, including:

  • Medicine
  • Law
  • Public health
  • Health care administration
  • Public policy
  • Divinity school
  • Various graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences

Through their service-learning courses and capstone, students will gain practical experience that will help them transition to employment in a wide range of health-related fields.

Admission Requirements

Begin Your Application

Saint Louis University also accepts the Common Application.

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. 

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.

Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must submit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).

In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the Office of Admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

  • Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
  • Proof of financial support must include:
    • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
    • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
  • Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition 

Tuition Cost Per Year
Undergraduate Tuition $54,760

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

  • Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
  • Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

  1. Graduates will be able to apply bioethical methodologies.
  2. Graduates will be able to synthesize humanities and social science methods. 
  3. Graduates will be able to evaluate the impact of disparities in identity categories on health care access and quality.
  4. Graduates will be able to justify recommendations for resolving complex ethical health care dilemmas.
  5. Graduates will be able to integrate bioethical knowledge into patient care. 

Bioethics and health studies students must complete a minimum total of 36 credits for the major.

University Undergraduate Core32-35
Major Requirements
Major Foundation Courses
The Foundational Courses Requirement introduces students to the ethical dimensions of health care practice both in the U.S. and from an international perspective as well as the several methodological frameworks for addressing bioethical dilemmas. It also introduces students to differences in race, gender, disability, sex, national origin, religion, socioeconomic class, and other differences that can lead to disparities in health care. Finally, students are introduced to an interdisciplinary approach to bioethics as a field, which will help them transition to, and more effectively draw from, the “Disciplinary Frameworks” courses.
HCE 2010Foundations in Clinical Health Care Ethics3
Students should select two of the following:6
HCE 2050
Patients as Persons
HCE 2070
Health Care Across Difference
HCE 2090
Bioethics in an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Major Disciplinary Frameworks Courses12
The Disciplinary Frameworks Requirement exposes students to diverse disciplinary approaches to promoting ethical discourse and social justice in the health care system.
Students select one course in each of the following attribute categories: Humanities; Philosophy/Theology; Social Sciences; Professional. The list of courses within each attribute will be updated each semester. Listed below are some sample courses that would count for each attribute.
Literature, History, or Fine Arts Courses with Humanities Attribute
Theology or Philosophy course with a Theology/Philosophy
Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology, African American Studies, or Women’s and Gender Studies course with a Social Sciences Attribute
Public Health, Social Work, Criminology and Criminal Justice, or Communication course with a Professional attribute
Advanced Issues & Practice in Health Care Ethics12
The Issues and Practice Requirement engages students in current and emerging ethical challenges of 21st century health care and prepares them to recognize, analyze, and facilitate appropriate approaches to resolution in pluralistic and multidisciplinary environments.
A course with a Advanced Clinical Problem-Solving attribute
One Health Care Ethics elective
A course with a Service Learning attribute
HCE 4960
Bioethics and Health Studies Capstone
General Electives51-55
Total Credits120

Continuation Standards

A student must maintain a GPA in coursework for the major in bioethics and health studies of at least 2.00.

Disciplinary Frameworks

These requirements expose students to diverse disciplinary approaches to bioethics and health studies. Students select one course in each of the following attribute categories: humanities, philosophy/theology, social sciences and professional. The list of courses within each attribute will be updated each semester. Listed below are some sample courses that would count for each attribute. 

Humanities Attribute (literature, history, fine arts)
ARTH 2070Art and the Body3
ENGL 3730Introduction to Medical Humanities, Literature3
ENGL 3740Medicine and Literature3
FREN 4170French and the Sciences3
Theology/Philosophy Attribute
HCE 1600Embodiment, Life, and Death in Context3
HCE 1700Death, Disability, Disease, and the Meaning of Life3
PHIL 3360Medical Ethics3
PHIL 3600Science and Religion3
PHIL 4150Philosophy of Science3
PHIL 4280Biology and Mind3
THEO 2510Christian Ethics3
THEO 2815Psychology and the Soul3
Social Sciences Attribute (sociology/anthropology, political science, psychology, African American studies, women’s studies)
POLS 4840Global Health Politics and Policy3
PSY 3100Brain, Mind, & Society3
PSY 4330Psychology of Oppression3
PSY 4350Health Psychology3
SOC 2490Sociology of Medicine3
SOC 3490Sociology of Mental Health3
SOC 3580Deviant Behavior: Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction3
Professional Attribute (public health, social work, criminology, allied health sciences, communication)
CMM 3090Health Communication3
CCJ 2050Multiculturalism for Criminal Justice Professionals3
CCJ 2150Criminology: Nature of Crime3
CCJ 3150Contemporary Theories of Crime3
CCJ 3200Ethics in Criminal Justice3
CCJ 3600Mental Health & Crime3
PUBH 4000Politics and Public Health Advocacy3
SWRK 3100Social Policy for Social Justice3
SWRK 3200Dismantling Oppression: Exploring Equity & Inclusion3
Service-Learning Attribute 
PUBH 3100Public Health & Social Justice3
HCE 4240Ethics and Geriatric Care3
HCE 4520Ethics and Practice of Community Mental Health Care3
Advanced Clinical Problem-Solving Attribute
HCE 4210Controversies in Death and Dying3
HCE 4220Controversies in Reproductive and Pediatric Ethics3
HCE 4270Controversies in Organ Donation3
Health Care Ethics Electives
HCE 3010Ethics in Clinical Medicine3
HCE 3030Disability Studies: Medicine, Ethics, and Policy3
HCE 3050Bioethics in Popular Culture3
HCE 3200Freaks and the Medical Body3
HCE 3220The Desire to Dissect: Philosophical History of Anatomical Dissection3
HCE 3250God in the Clinic? Exploring the Tension Between Spirituality and Health Care3
HCE 3300Bioethics + Human Nature Film3
HCE 4200Warriors and Medics3
HCE 4210Controversies in Death and Dying3
HCE 4220Controversies in Reproductive and Pediatric Ethics3
HCE 4240Ethics and Geriatric Care3
HCE 4250Law and Bioethics3
HCE 4260Race and Research Ethics3
HCE 4270Controversies in Organ Donation3
HCE 4280Controversies in Neuroethics3
HCE 4980Advanced Independent Study in Health Care Ethics3

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
  • Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
  • Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
  • Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
  • Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate or related elective credits.
  • Complete department- and program-specific academic and performance requirements.
  • Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
  • Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
  • Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
CORE 1000 Ignite First Year Seminar 2-3
CORE 1500 Cura Personalis 1: Self in Community 1
CORE 1900 Eloquentia Perfecta 1: Written and Visual Communication 3
HCE 2010 Foundations in Clinical Health Care Ethics (Fulfills Dignity, Ethics, & a Just Society Attribute) 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15-16
Spring
CORE 3200 Ways of Thinking: Quantitative Reasoning 3
HCE 1600 Embodiment, Life, and Death in Context (satisfies CORE 1600) 3
HCE 2050 Patients as Persons 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15
Year Two
Fall
CORE 1200 Eloquentia Perfecta 2: Oral and Visual Communication 3
HCE 1700 Death, Disability, Disease, and the Meaning of Life (satisfies CORE 1700) 3
HCE 2070 Health Care Across Difference (Fulfills Global Interdependence Attribute) 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15
Spring
CORE 3800 Ways of Thinking: Natural and Applied Sciences 3
HCE 2000/3000/4000Health Care Ethics Elective 3
Humanities Attributed Course 3
General Electives 6
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
CORE 2800 Eloquentia Perfecta 3: Creative Expression 2-3
Theology/Philosophy Attributed Course (Either HCE 1600 or HCE 1700 fulfills this requirement) 3
Social Science Attributed Course 3
General Electives 7
 Credits15-16
Spring
Professional Attributed Course 3
CORE 4000 Collaborative Inquiry (Could be fulfilled by HCE 4520 Ethics and Practice of Community Mental Health) 2-3
Advanced Clinical Problem-Solving Attributed Course 3
General Electives 7
 Credits15-16
Year Four
Fall
CORE 3500 Cura Personalis 3: Self in the World 1
Service-Learning Attributed Course 3
Health Care Ethics Elective Attributed Course 3
General Electives 8
 Credits15
Spring
HCE 4960 Bioethics and Health Studies Capstone 3
General Electives 12
 Credits15
 Total Credits120-123

Attributed Courses 

Disciplinary Frameworks

These requirements expose students to diverse disciplinary approaches to bioethics and health studies. Students select one course in each of the following attribute categories: humanities, philosophy/theology, social sciences and professional. The list of courses within each attribute will be updated each semester. Listed below are some sample courses that would count for each attribute. 

Humanities Attribute (literature, history, fine arts)
ARTH 2070Art and the Body3
ENGL 3730Introduction to Medical Humanities, Literature3
ENGL 3740Medicine and Literature3
FREN 4170French and the Sciences3
Theology/Philosophy Attribute
HCE 1600Embodiment, Life, and Death in Context3
HCE 1700Death, Disability, Disease, and the Meaning of Life3
PHIL 3360Medical Ethics3
PHIL 3600Science and Religion3
PHIL 4150Philosophy of Science3
PHIL 4280Biology and Mind3
THEO 2510Christian Ethics3
THEO 2815Psychology and the Soul3
Social Sciences Attribute (sociology/anthropology, political science, psychology, African American studies, women’s studies)
POLS 4840Global Health Politics and Policy3
PSY 3100Brain, Mind, & Society3
PSY 4330Psychology of Oppression3
PSY 4350Health Psychology3
SOC 2490Sociology of Medicine3
SOC 3490Sociology of Mental Health3
SOC 3580Deviant Behavior: Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction3
Professional Attribute (public health, social work, criminology, allied health sciences, communication)
CMM 3090Health Communication3
CCJ 2050Multiculturalism for Criminal Justice Professionals3
CCJ 2150Criminology: Nature of Crime3
CCJ 3150Contemporary Theories of Crime3
CCJ 3200Ethics in Criminal Justice3
CCJ 3600Mental Health & Crime3
PUBH 4000Politics and Public Health Advocacy3
SWRK 3100Social Policy for Social Justice3
SWRK 3200Dismantling Oppression: Exploring Equity & Inclusion3
Service-Learning Attribute 
PUBH 3100Public Health & Social Justice3
HCE 4240Ethics and Geriatric Care3
HCE 4520Ethics and Practice of Community Mental Health Care3
Advanced Clinical Problem-Solving Attribute
HCE 4210Controversies in Death and Dying3
HCE 4220Controversies in Reproductive and Pediatric Ethics3
HCE 4270Controversies in Organ Donation3
Health Care Ethics Electives
HCE 3010Ethics in Clinical Medicine3
HCE 3030Disability Studies: Medicine, Ethics, and Policy3
HCE 3050Bioethics in Popular Culture3
HCE 3200Freaks and the Medical Body3
HCE 3220The Desire to Dissect: Philosophical History of Anatomical Dissection3
HCE 3250God in the Clinic? Exploring the Tension Between Spirituality and Health Care3
HCE 3300Bioethics + Human Nature Film3
HCE 4200Warriors and Medics3
HCE 4210Controversies in Death and Dying3
HCE 4220Controversies in Reproductive and Pediatric Ethics3
HCE 4240Ethics and Geriatric Care3
HCE 4250Law and Bioethics3
HCE 4260Race and Research Ethics3
HCE 4270Controversies in Organ Donation3
HCE 4280Controversies in Neuroethics3
HCE 4980Advanced Independent Study in Health Care Ethics3

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution. 

Bioethics and Health Studies, B.A. (STLCC 2+SLU)