PhD in Bioethics and Health Humanities

Ask the big questions shaping health, medicine, and innovation.

Every area of health and innovation raises ethical, social, and profoundly human questions. Bioethics and Health Humanities focuses on these questions.

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45 credits

approximately 4 years; in person; Galveston, TX

At a Glance

Modality

In person;
Galveston, TX

Program Structure

45 credit hours

Time to Degree

Approximately four years

Est. Cost

Under $10K in-state;
~$21K out-of-state annually

Faculty Mentors

Meet the BHH faculty

Contact

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Who this degree is for

Students ready to conduct original interdisciplinary research on the ethical, historical, and human dimensions of health and medicine. Strong applicants bring focused research interests, substantial preparation in the humanities, social sciences, or a related health field, and an interest in connecting conceptual analysis with historical, narrative, legal, or empirical inquiry.

Strong Backgrounds Include
  • Bioethics
  • Health Humanities
  • Philosophy
  • Social Sciences
  • History
  • Literature
  • Religious Studies
  • Public Health / Policy
  • Clinical / Professional Fields
Two PhD graduates smile in doctoral caps and gowns.

Research Areas

Examine complex questions in health, medicine, and science using ethical analysis, humanistic inquiry, historical interpretation, and interdisciplinary research. Learn to connect conceptual, normative, historical, narrative, and empirical approaches when investigating complex questions and developing recommendations for policy or practice.

Applied Ethics

Ethical reasoning for care, research, and institutions.

  • Clinical ethics
  • Research ethics and integrity
  • Health policy
  • Biomedical research

Humanities Research

Humanistic perspectives on health, knowledge, and practice.

  • Historical perspectives of health
  • Public health studies
  • Science and technology studies
  • Literature and narrative studies

What you could do with this degree

Academic Research

Postdoctoral and faculty research in interdisciplinary fields.

Clinical Ethics

Consultation, education, and ethics committee leadership.

Research Ethics

Develop responsible research policies, protocols, and practices.

Government & Policy

Research, analysis, and guidance for public institutions.

Nonprofit & Industry

Ethics, research, policy, and program strategy roles.

Health Education

Teach clinicians, researchers, students, and professionals.

After you earn this degree, you'll be able to...

Interpret health and medicine through humanistic perspectives
Analyze ethical questions using theories, principles, and cases
Construct rigorous arguments through ethical reasoning and conceptual analysis
Integrate conceptual, narrative, historical, legal, and empirical approaches
Use qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods in research
Apply historical context to contemporary and emerging health challenges
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You Belong Here

Small cohorts. Sustained conversations.

Join ethicists, social scientists, historians, literature scholars, and fellow doctoral students in a close intellectual community. Develop your work through faculty mentorship, weekly works-in-progress discussions, monthly seminars, teaching, collaboration, and engagement with the health professions.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree with relevant preparation, or master’s or professional degree.
  • Grounding in humanities, social sciences, or related health fields.
  • Capacity for critical reading, conceptual analysis, and scholarly writing.
  • CV, transcripts, statement, three letters, and writing sample.
    PhD Application Requirements 

    Funding

    • Available funding mechanisms: Competitive applicants may be offered funding, including a graduate assistantship stipend and waived tuition and fees.
    • Consideration for funding: Automatic with an application to the PhD program; no additional funding application is required.
    • Duration and work expectations: Graduate assistantships are renewed annually, for up to 4 years. Work expectation is 20 hours per week.

    Testimonials

    • Headshot of Peyton Swanson
      Peyton Swanson
      "I chose UTMB’s Bioethics and Health Humanities PhD program for its rich history, proximity to cutting-edge biomedical research, and faculty with diverse expertise. My mentors have been deeply invested in my development as a scholar by encouraging fellowship opportunities and training me in Bioethics, Science and Technology Studies, and Humanities Scholarship. They also continue to support and encourage my dissertation research."
    • Headshot of Hannah Parker
      Hannah Parker, PhD
      "Throughout my training, I benefited from the guidance, encouragement, and advocacy of multiple faculty members, including during my transition to the academic job market. UTMB’s Bioethics and Health Humanities PhD Program is truly a unique and transformative experience that has prepared me exceptionally well for the next stage of my career as a Clinical Ethics Fellow and for continued scholarly and professional growth."

    Common questions

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    Ready to ask the big questions?

    Request information and learn how your preparation and research interests could fit the PhD in Bioethics and Health Humanities.