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Healthcare Ethics Minor

The Healthcare Ethics Minor (and Certificate) is for students who want to be more than just skilled practitioners. They are for future doctors, nurses, public health leaders, researchers, and policy makers who want to lead with compassion, integrity, and wisdom. The Healthcare Ethics Minor goes beyond memorizing codes of conduct. It challenges you to think critically, understand diverse perspectives, and develop the character to provide truly humane and just care.

This minor offers a comprehensive, five-course program, culminating in a hands-on Capstone Project. This is your chance to tackle a real ethical issue in partnership with a community healthcare provider.

This program is also designed to be flexible so you can tailor it to your interests. Here is the breakdown of what you need to take:

Required Courses (The Foundation)

  • PHIL 200: Healthcare Ethics 
    The starting point. This course dives into the central moral issues you'll face in healthcare, from patient autonomy to end-of-life care, all through the lens of virtue ethics.
  • PHIL 371: Healthcare Ethics Capstone 
    Your culminating project. You'll work with a community healthcare partner on a real-world research project and present your findings. This is a unique opportunity to put theory into practice.  

Elective Courses (Choose Your Focus) 

You can choose any three from the list below, but you must take at least two from Group 1. This structure ensures you get a deep dive into healthcare-specific issues.

Group 1 (Choose at least two)

  • PHIL 230: Advanced Topics in the Ethics of Abortion
  • PHIL 232: Philosophy of Psychiatry and Mental Illness
  • PHIL 251: Philosophy of Psychology (Also PSYC 251)
  • PHIL 257: Bio-Ethics and Social Justice
  • PHIL 259: Medical Ethics
  • PHIL 275: Ethics for the Public's Health
  • NURS 360: Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare
  • SOC 365: Bioethics: A Sociological Perspective

Group 2 (Choose at most one) 

  • PHIL 222: Ethics
  • PHIL 224: Applied Ethics
  • PHIL 250: Environmental Ethics (Also REL 251)
  • REL 127: Health, Healing, and Medicine in Asian Contexts
  • REL 221: Buddhism and Mindfulness
  • ANTH 280: Health in Cultural Perspectives
  • SOC 278 Medical Sociology
  • SOC 280: Health in Cultural Perspectives
  • A 100-level Fundamentals of Health Sciences course (e.g., BIO 111, CHEM 108, NURS 115, HLTP 110) 

Note: Only one of your courses can be at the 100-level. Other courses may count with the approval of the program director. 

This program is your opportunity to stand out. It will give you a competitive edge for graduate school and a clear advantage in any healthcare-related career. More importantly, it will help you become the kind of professional who brings both expertise and genuine humanity to their work.

For questions or to declare your interest, contact the Philosophy Department or the Director of the Ethics Program, Dr. Arash Naraghi, at naraghia@moravian.edu.