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UPenn Master of Bioethics > Info for Current Students

Information for Current Students

***For a list of courses offered click here!!!***

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Welcome New Students

Congratulations on being admitted to the UPenn Master of Bioethics program. You are joining an outstanding group of students and alumni. Your experience will combine excellent academic instruction, expansive networking, and hands-on research and consulting opportunities. We are thrilled you will be joining us.

The "Nitty Gritty":

Upon acknowledgment of your acceptance, you will receive an information packet that includes a matriculation form, an interests survey (to help us pair you with an appropriate advisor), and some general information about how to get your PennCard (which allows you access to all of Penn's onsite resources), information about your PennKey (your name and password that allows you access to all of Penn's online resources), and information about how to get your Penn email address.

After you register for your first course, the University computer system triggers your bill to be sent. With that initial mailing you receive your temporary PennKey password and instructions on how to activate your PennKey.

Once you get your Penn email account, notify Robin Hartley and you will be added to our BIOEGRAD listserv. This is a listserv for all active MBE students and is how most program announcements are made. You will begin to see emails about lectures of interest, research opportunities, and announcements of deadlines, events, and course information.

Upon matriculation you will also be given a mailbox here in our office. Professors may use these to return papers, and hard copies of announcements and invitations to Department events are placed here.

Sometime before or soon after you begin taking classes, you should check in with Robin Hartley to receive your "black key." This allows you access to the office and the classrooms. In the back half of the Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy office are restrooms, a student lounge with very comfy couches, a kitchen with free coffee and tea, and a photocopier for student use. There is a student workroom outside of classroom 320 that has 2 computers and a printer for student use.

Before classes start or shortly thereafter, everyone should make an appointment with the associate director of graduate studies to discuss the curriculum and other logistics. Everyone who has not already met the Director of the Program, Dr. Autumn Fiester, should also make an appointment with her to introduce yourselves.

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HIPAA Compliance

All Perelman School of Medicine Faculty, Staff, and Students are required to complete HIPAA training (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - essentially patient privacy) to maintain compliance with UPHS and SOM privacy policies. The education is provided to ensure HIPAA regulatory compliance and to implement improved privacy practices throughout UPHS and the SOM. Tracking and Compliance Reporting will be generated electronically and reported to Department Chairs and SOM Administration.

The online education was designed to:

• be completed in under thirty minutes.
• be web accessible - available from any PC with a web browser 24/7 though Knowledge Link.
• provide for automatic tracking and compliance reporting.


The link to access the Knowledge Link web site is: http://knowledgelink.upenn.edu

Log in with your PennKey and Password.

On the Required Training screen, you will see HIPAA Privacy Training. If you do NOT see this training listed, please contact the Associate Director of Graduate Studies.

Click on the green START button to complete the course.

There is an assessment at the end of the module. You must achieve 80% to pass. When you click on submit after completing the course, please allow for the assessment to be scored and for your confirmation page to load. This should not take longer than 30 seconds. If you do not wait for the assessment to be submitted, your data may be lost.

If you wish - the MBE office does NOT need a copy - you may print your Certificate of Completion. To do so, return to the home page in Knowledge Link. Click on Training Record in the menu on the left side of the screen. Find HIPAA Privacy training. Click on the Certificate icon. You may then print your Certificate.

All HIPAA questions need to be addressed to COMPLY@mail.med.upenn.edu; All Knowledge Link questions need to be addressed to somlink@mail.med.upenn.edu

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Degree Requirements

Curriculum for MBE students: (Information for Dual Degree Students here)

There are 9 courses required for the degree:

Click here to download a MBE worksheet with which to help you (and your advising team) plan your MBE career.

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Mediation and Clinical Ethics Certificate Options:

Option 1 - UPenn MBE Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate

Click here for a chart that illustrates the certificate.

The Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy now offers the UPenn MBE Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate. This Certificate can be added to the Master of Bioethics degree, offering students (and alumni) the opportunity to receive additional clinical ethics mediation training right here at UPenn. This certificate option is not available to students who are not in the MBE program. Click here for an application to the UPenn Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate

Background: The current national discussion in bioethics about standards for good clinical ethics practice have pressed Master of Bioethics programs to consider specialized training for their students who perform, or hope to perform, clinical ethics consultations. A special task force of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities is currently considering various modes of certification for individuals who conduct ethics consults as part of their professional role. As the premiere master of bioethics program in the country, the UPenn MBE needs to stay in step with this national trend of providing this kind of training to our students. The clear trend in clinical ethics consultations is an emphasis on mediation and conflict resolution as the essential process in resolving ethics dilemmas, and the UPenn MBE Certificate in Clinical Ethics Mediation offers the training necessary to be competent facilitators in this kind of process.

Certificate Description: The UPenn MBE Certificate in Clinical Ethics Mediation is not intended to be a stand-alone award, but is an “add-on” to the current Master of Bioethics degree. We believe that our clinical ethics consultants and mediators need additional training to the broad, theoretical base we offer them in the master’s program; therefore, the Certificate will not be a substitute for that important base. All Certificate students would be required to complete the 9-course MBE degree, and then the Certificate would require 3 additional course units for a total of 12 course units (described below). Click here for a chart that illustrates the certificate.

Audience: The certificate program is open to any MBE student or alumni who wishes to pursue it. It is ideally suited for anyone who intends to perform, or already participates in, formal clinical ethics consultations, or who believe that this additional clinical ethics training will enhance their work “at the bedside.”

Timing: Students may complete the MBE and the Certificate concurrently, graduating both with the MBE and the Certificate in the same semester. Alternatively, a student can graduate with the MBE and then complete and be awarded the Certificate at a later date. All students who do not complete both at the same time are encouraged to work with the MBE office to create a plan for completion. Students who graduate before completing all of the Certificate requirements will have at most 2 years to complete the remaining coursework.

MBE alumni who have not done any coursework toward the Certificate will have up to 5 years after receiving their MBE degree to apply for the UPenn MBE Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate.

Structure and Requirements: Students who wish to pursue the UPenn MBE Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate will be required to complete the following 12 course units:

Course CUs
BIOE 601: Introduction to Clinical Bioethics 1
BIOE 602: Conceptual Foundations 1
BIOE 565: Rationing OR BIOE 580: Research Ethics 1
BIOE 996: Final Project 1
5 Electives (to be chosen by the student in consultation with his or her advisor) 5
BIOE 540: Challenging Clinical Ethics: Managing Patient/Caregiver Conflicts through Mediation 1

Two (2) of the following:

BIOE 545: Mediation Intensive I (1 CU)
BIOE 546: Mediation Intensive II (1 CU)
BIOE 547: Mediation Intensive III (1 CU)
BIOE 548: Mediation Intensive IV (1 CU)

2
Total CUs: 12

Each of the Mediation Intensive courses (BIOE 545, 546, 547, and 548) consists of 4 days of intensive practical training in mediation. To receive credit, students must also complete a 10-15 page writing requirement, due at the end of the semester in which the mediation course is being taken.

The Mediation Intensive courses are offered 3 times a year: (1) Over the MLK weekend in January, (2) May, between the Spring and Summer semesters, and (3): August, between the Summer and Fall semesters. Check 'current course listings' for specific times and dates.

Note that students not enrolled in the Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate may only enroll in 1 CU of intensives.

Click here for a chart that illustrates the certificate.

Click here for an application to the UPenn Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate

Option 2 - The Bioethics Program of Union Graduate College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine

This is an especially appropriate option for students who wish to complete the MBE program in one calendar year.

As an second option for our students interested in pursuing clinical ethics in-depth we have partnered with The Bioethics Program of Union Graduate College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine to offer a clinical ethics certificate program. This program offers a combination of online and on-site instruction exclusively focused on clinical ethics. With this option, selected students will receive their MBE from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a "Certificate in Clinical Bioethics" from the Union-Mount Sinai Bioethics Program.

This joint program consists of 7 courses taken at UPenn in the Master of Bioethics program, 2 on-line courses offered through the Union-Mount Sinai Bioethics Program, and separate week-long, on-site intensive courses, one on the Mount Sinai campus in New York City, the other primarily on the Union campus.

Courses taken at Penn include: BIOE 601: Introduction to Clinical Bioethics, BIOE 602: Conceptual Foundations, BIOE 565 OR BIOE 580, BIOE 540: Mediation, and 3 electives of the student's choice. Union/Mount Sinai courses will be:

Tuition costs will differ for those students completing the Clinical Ethics certificate program. Students will pay normal MBE tuition for the 7 courses taken at UPenn. The 4 courses with Union/Mount Sinai will cost approximately $10,000 in tuition and fees paid directly to Union/Mount Sinai. Additional living and/or transportation costs will be incurred during the two-week on-site experience.

Students interested in the joint program should discuss their plans with Dr. Autumn Fiester. Three to four students will be accepted into the joint program each year.

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Internship Opportunities

The MBE program has 5 dedicated-MBE student internships. (If you've found this site and are not from Penn and are interested in the opportunities, please contact the organizations directly.) We have one within Philadelphia: The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), and four internship opportunities in the Washington, DC area: The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; The National Research Center for Women & Families; and PhRMA, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Science and Regulatory Affairs Division.

Deadlines are generally flexible, so if you are interested, please contact mbe-info@upenn.edu for more information.

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Advising

There are many people who can and will help you, both logistically and intellectually, as you move through the program.

Dr. Autumn Fiester, the Director of Graduate Studies, has overall responsibility for the graduate program, including the shape and staffing for the curriculum, general MBE policies, outreach to other schools within the University, and the admissions process. She makes decisions regarding transfer credit, applicable MBE courses, and requirements for joint degrees. Dr. Fiester is available by email, fiester@mail.med.upenn.edu, if you wish to schedule an appointment.

All students are assigned an initial faculty advisor from among the faculty. He or she will help you design a program that meets your individual needs and career goals. It is recommended that you be in regular contact with your advisor as you progress through the program.

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Registration for Courses

For a list of courses, past, present, and upcoming, click here.

Registration start and end dates will be posted online and sent out via the listserve. Most students will be able to register online through PIT (Penn-In-Touch). Some of our courses are 'Permit only' courses. What this means is that we restrict access to only MBE students. If you encounter a 'needs permission' message when you try to register through PIT, email mbe-info@upenn.edu for a permit.

DMD/MBE and MD/MBE students do not have access to PIT and they must email Robin Hartley directly with their course requests and the MBE office will handle their registration.

JD/MBE students are in a special situation in that the Law School handles its registration like a lottery. Students put in requests and must wait until very late to find out which courses they've been registered in. JD/MBE students should email Robin Harley their MBE course requests as soon as they know them so that the MBE office can unofficially hold spaces for them. Once they learn their JD schedule, students should again contact Robin Hartley so that MBE registration can be completed.

Special Note Regarding Auditing: Auditing courses is strongly discouraged, as full tuition is charged but no credit is earned toward the MBE degree. If a student wishes to audit a course, they will be responsible for the full tuition, and the audited course will appear on the transcript with a grade of "AUD" and no credit will be earned toward graduation. Students are not permitted to change the course status from graded to audit after a course has begun. Auditors are allowed to enroll at the discretion of the instructor AND the MBE leadership. Auditing will not be allowed in courses that are fully registered.

Special Note Regarding Pass/Fail: MBE students cannot register for courses on a P/F basis, as these courses cannot count towards your degree.

Special Note Regarding the Mediation Intensives: For students not enrolled in the Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate Program, only 1 CU of mediation intensives can be used towards your degree.

Adding/Dropping

Add and Drop periods will be posted on home page calendar. Generally, the Add period ends 2 weeks into the semester; this is also the last day to drop a class with no financial penalty. The formal Drop period is generally the fourth week of the semester. Dropping a course between week 2 and 4 results in a 50% financial penalty. After 4 weeks you will need to petition the Assistant Director for a withdrawal. Normally, permission is granted and a W (withdrawal) is recorded on your transcript. Students who withdraw have full financial obligation, except in documented cases of illness, military service, or other extraordinary circumstances when they may petition for a 50% refund.

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Special Note for International Students

Any international student here on an F-1 or J-1 visa must register for courses for each semester they are here. What this means is that you cannot carry an incomplete in your last semester - i.e., if you are registered for 3 courses in the Spring, and you have an incomplete in one of them with plans to finish the incomplete over the summer and graduate in August, this is not allowed. The Office of International Programs (OIP) will see that you have not yet graduated, have an active I-20, but no registration. This raises red flags with the OIP, and if not addressed, leads to red flags with the Department of Homeland Security. Any international student with any questions or concerns about their registration and timely completion of the degree should contact mbe-info@upenn.edu.

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Grading

Students must earn at least a B in Introduction to Clinical Bioethics and in Conceptual Foundations and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain a student in good standing in the program.

An incomplete grade must be resolved within 1 year of the course. If an incomplete is not completed, the course will have to be taken again (and paid for again). Students who receive 2 incomplete's may not register for the subsequent term without permission from the Director of Graduate Studies.

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Tuition, Fees, and Bills

Current tuition rates are ~$5200/course. This includes a general University fee and the technical fee. The MBE is a 9 course degree (the final project, BIOE 996, is a course which carries full tuition).

Students who are enrolled in 3 or more course units (CUs) in a semester are considered full-time students. All full-time students are additionally charged a Clinical Fee, currently $219/semester (excluding summer semester). The clinical fee is a per-semester charge for all non-dissertation students with 3 or more CUs. Unlike the student health insurance, it cannot be waived, but goes to support the student health clinics and all SHS services. Students who are full-time in either the fall or spring semesters will also be charged the fees for the Penn Student Insurance Plan. If you hold insurance through another means, you can request a waiver through Penn Student Health Services. Note that this must be completed before the end of the first month of classes in the semester.

Bursar bills are mailed by the Office of Student Financial Services usually within 4-6 weeks after the registration has been processed. First time students at the University are mailed to the address on record for the first 2 billing cycles. After that, only ebills will be delivered. For both incoming AND continuing students, notification emails are sent each month informing you that a new monthly billing statement is available via our online bill system, Penn.Pay. You can also check Penn.Pay daily, to see if any new items have been posted to your account since your last billing statement.

Please note that email is the primary mechanism for sending official communications to Penn students, including communications sent out by instructors. Therefore, you need to check your email regularly in order to stay abreast of important messages and notifications. This makes it very important that you keep your email updated in your directory listing (see Penn directory, update listing). You don't need a Penn email, but you do need an email on file with the University.

You can access your bill using the Penn Portal. Billing questions should be addressed to Student Financial Services, 215.898.1988.

Employees of the University of Pennsylvania or the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania should check with their department of Human Resources to see if they are eligible for tuition remission.

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Other University Policies

Code of Academic Integrity

The standing of an educational institution and the value of a degree from that institution are dependent upon the integrity of study and research carried on at that institution and on the academic honesty of its students, faculty, and staff. The full text of the University's Code of Academic Integrity can be found here.

Confidentiality of Student Records

Personally identifiable information can only be disclosed to people outside the University with the written consent of the student or alumnus in question. Details of the University Confidentiality policy can be found here.

Academic Grievances

Students who have a concern about a matter related to the MBE program, whether it is about a course, instructor, or advising, are encouraged to contact the Student Services Coordinator, the Associate Director of Graduate Studies, or the Director of Education (see Program Leadership for contact information).

Nondiscrimination Policy

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a disabled or Vietnam Era veteran in the administration of its educational policies, programs, activities, admissions policies and procedures, scholarship and loan programs, employment, recreational athletic or other University administered programs. Questions or concerns regarding the University's equal opportunity and affirmative action programs, or accommodations for people with disabilities can contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 215.898.6993.

The Penn Book - University Policies from A (Academic Integrity) to V (Vending Policy)

The Penn Book, the ultimate source for Penn's policies and procedures, can be found here.

Timely Completion to Graduation

While you do not need to take a course every semester, you must complete the program within 5 years of matriculation. Please click here to read the University's time to degree policy.

Leave of Absence

A student who wishes a leave of absence must submit a written request to the Director of Education for initial approval. A written request will then be forwarded to the Associate Dean for Masters Programs in the Perelman School of Medicine for final approval. Students may go on leave for periods of one semester or one year. In unusual circumstances and at the written request of the student, such leaves may be extended for no longer than one additional year. Students who remain on leave longer than two years and who do not respond to the University's attempts to contact them may be withdrawn from active status. When a student wishes to return from a leave of absence, she must submit a written request to return at least one month prior to the start of the desired term.

A leave of absence de-activates the student's Pennkey and PennCard. Any student who wishes to retain access to Penn's online resources must pay a fee per semester of absence. Contact the Associate Director of Graduate Studies for more information.

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Other Program Policies

Transfer Credit

MBE students may transfer in a maximum of 1 course (equivalent to 1 CU), either from another University OR from another department at Penn. Transfer credit from outside UPenn is recorded without grades on the Penn transcript, and the grade is not computed in the cumulative GPA.

Dual degree students are not permitted to take courses outside the dual-degree course plan.

Requests for transfer credit are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please send a copy of the course description and syllabus of the course in question to mbe-info@upenn.edu.

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MBE Travel Fund

The MBE Travel Fund is the result of a 2007 Bioethics Alumni Society Initiative. The Fund is designed to provide small travel grants to current MBE students who are presenting papers at professional bioethics-related conferences. The money is to be used towards expenses associated with attending the conference.

Currently, the MBE Travel Fund may award up to $200 travel grants to up to 3 students per year.

For more information about the fund, who is eligible to apply, etc, please click here.

To download the MBE Travel Fund Application, please click here.

Other Funding Opportunities

Unfortunately, the Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy does not have additional scholarship or grant opportunities. There are, however, some resources available to you as graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania:

Outside of the these, there are some ways that your fellow MBE students and alum have helped to fund the degree.

There is also an organization called The Foundation Center, which helps grant-seekers find foundation funding for non-profits, education, arts, etc, and they have a significant amount of materials and information that might be helpful for students interested in finding grant money for their education and/or research. There is a Cooperating Collection in the Vine Street branch of the Philadelphia Free Library. Click here for more information.

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Graduation

At the beginning of each semester, the Registrar's Office sends the MBE office graduation information. Upon receipt, an email will be sent to the BIOEGRAD listserv asking everyone who is planning on graduating that semester to fill out their application. While the MBE office strives to keep up with the details of all of our students and to know which students are eligible for that semester's graduation, we ask that each student keep their own records and proactively manage their path to graduation. Graduation application deadlines are university-set, and cannot be adjusted by the MBE office.

Upon receipt of the graduation application, the MBE office will review each applicant's record to determine completion of requirements and will notify students of outstanding incompletes or other issues that must be resolved for graduation to happen. A diploma will be issued only when the student is found to have satisfied all the relevant requirements and has paid all outstanding University bills and fees.

Information for university-wide ceremonies is available online. December graduates are welcome to participate in the following May commencement (they will have already received their diplomas). August graduates may participate in the preceding May commencement; however, their names will not appear in the May commencement program until the following year.

The Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy holds its own graduation ceremony each May. This is an intimate event for graduates (from the December prior, the current May, and the upcoming August graduation dates) and their families. Graduation robes are not required. It is a dinner with speeches by Drs. Emanuel and Fiester, with individual presentations of 'diploma' (official diplomas are not mailed for another few weeks). Details of this event will be announced through BIOEGRAD and other means as the date approaches.

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What happens after graduation?

Upon graduation, each MBE alumni will be moved from the BIOEGRAD listserv to the BIOEALUM listserv. This is a resource that will keep you informed of research and job opportunities, social events with the Department, lectures and symposia of interest, and other information pertinent to alumni. Our office is always open to you. Alumni can contact us for networking or publishing assistance, and alumni can always take courses with us.

To ensure that we keep in touch with you, we recommend that you use Penn's free lifetime email forwarding service. You'll first need to sign up for the free Penn Alumni Online Community. With email forwarding, you will be given an email address, janedoe@alumni.upenn.edu for example, that will automatically forward to the email account you have on record with the Online Community.

We also encourage all of our alumni, if they haven't done so already, to link in to our MBE LinkedIn community. Contact mbe-info@upenn.edu for more details.

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