Degree Requirements

Joint degree M.D./M.A.L.S. candidates complete ten courses, a total of 30 credits, and select Ethics and the Professions as their curricular field. Students must complete six courses in the field, including two Core courses: The Ethics of Aristotle and Kant and Utilitarian Perspectives on Professional Ethics, and must complete a three-credit thesis which reflects the field. In addition, they must complete three additional elective courses from that field or other curricular fields in Liberal Studies (or other relevant Georgetown University departmental graduate courses with the approval of the Director). Students currently registered in the School of Medicine at Georgetown may transfer up to six credits from the School of Medicine with the Liberal Studies Director's approval. These transferred courses would count toward Program elective credit. At the discretion of the School of Medicine, three credits (one Liberal Studies course) may be transferred as an elective toward the Medical Degree.

Description of the Curricular Field, Ethics and the Professions

Students selecting courses in the field of Ethics and the Professions will grapple with a constellation of issues surrounding the conduct of professional workers in contemporary culture. Professional careers are prized and pursued within our social system, but the moral practices which guide the professions have come under increased scrutiny. These courses will examine normative ethical systems to assess the moral dilemmas faced by professional workers as they relate to their clients. The goal is to enrich the students’ understanding of the moral complexity of professional life, and to assist them in arriving at a balanced, consistent, and defensible judgment of the ethical conduct expected of those in positions of responsibility.
Faculty Advisor:Terrence B. Reynolds, Ph.D.