Opportunities to advance your undergraduate bioethics education at U of T
If you’re an undergraduate and are interested in starting your bioethics education at U of T, you can look into taking any of the three bioethics half-courses which our faculty are responsible for teaching through the Department of Philosophy. We suggest contacting the Department of Philosophy for information about the Bioethics specialization, major or minor programs.
Preparing for a future in graduate bioethics education with the JCB
We are pleased to coordinate two graduate education experiences at the University of Toronto – the Collaborative Specialization in Bioethics (CSB), and the Master of Health Science in Bioethics (MHSc) program.
The Collaborative Specialization in Bioethics (CSB) is a research-stream graduate specialization (master’s and doctoral) offered in collaboration with 12 graduate units across the health sciences, humanities, social sciences, and law at the University of Toronto. The CSB is designed to strengthen interdisciplinary bioethics research capacity by training scholars whose primary goal is to contribute original scholarship in bioethics. If you would like to specialize in bioethics during your graduate degree at the University of Toronto, you will need to apply and be admitted to a graduate degree program in one of the collaborating graduate units before applying to the CSB. Check out our CSB pages to read the full details.
The MHSc in Bioethics is a professional master’s program in the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences. It prepares you as a health practitioners, administrators and professionals to address practical ethical challenges in health policy, research and care. The MHSc program exposes you to the breadth of clinical, organizational, and research ethics issues facing our health system today, with a strong emphasis on interprofessional exchange and practical experience informed by theory. If you have recently obtained your undergraduate degree, and are interested in this program, we encourage you to apply once you have gained a minimum of 3 years of professional full-time work experience. The admissions committee is generally looking for some robust ethics-related work in a health-related setting, and ideally you would have an "institutional home". We do accept the occasional exceptional undergraduate into the program, so check out our MHSc in Bioethics program pages and get in touch if you would like to discuss your options.
U of T student bioethics organizations
There are a number of student-led bioethics clubs at U of T, and they’re a good place to network with other students who are interested in discussing contemporary bioethics issues in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Other opportunities for students at the JCB
We offer a free weekly JCB Bioethics Seminar Series on Wednesdays from September to April. These are open to anyone with an interest in bioethics, and you can attend them either virtually on our YouTube channel or in-person (currently only offered virtually in accordance with U of T COVID-19 guidelines).
We also list student bioethics research opportunities with the JCB and other health institutions on our website, as they become available. Please check the Student Research Opportunities for the most recent postings.
Canadian Bioethics Society student membership
Becoming a student member of the Canadian Bioethics Society offers many advantages. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people including professionals, academics and students interested in bioethics from a wide range of home disciplines. If you're interested in becoming a member, visit the website, read through the membership benefits, and click the 'register now' box near the top of the page.