RU announces new Bioethics Certificate program
Health care and health policy are ever-changing programs, and thanks in part to a new partnership between Radford University and the Jefferson College of Health Sciences, both institutions remain on the cutting edge.
The new Bioethics Certificate program is the first of its kind in Virginia. Built upon learning objectives outlined by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), students who complete the program will be equipped to excel in careers in health care ethics, consultation and policy.
“We’re aiming to do a significant thing,” said Joe Jones, a co-director of the new program. Jones is a professor and chair of the RU Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. “There is a national measure of health care quality that we wish to improve in our region. Our program follows the ASBH Learning Outcomes. If you want to consult with hospitals on ethics cases, become a member of your hospital's Ethics Committee, or work responsibly in other bioethics-related fields, we have your credential.”
Bioethics is the term used to describe a broad variety of challenges and scenarios that arise from advancements in the modern health care and biology fields, such as end-of-life care, religious perspectives on treatment and gene therapy. Many of these issues have been, until recently, unprecedented. Bioethics experts in many fields are necessary to help steer the course between these developments.
The program is geared toward working professionals from all career paths, but will particularly complement those with backgrounds in healthcare, social work, law or the humanities.
The 12-credit-hour Bioethics Certificate program can be completed in one year or two. Students will take two classes on the RU campus and two at JCHS in Roanoke, Virginia. The four courses are Advanced Bioethics, Emerging Trends in Bioethics, Organizational Leadership in Bioethics and Cultural Perspectives in Bioethics.
For more information about the sequence of courses or how to apply, visit the program’s website.