Case Western Reserve University

What you'll study

This programme combines core coursework in educational theory and curriculum design with seminars in clinical ethics, medical humanities and qualitative research methods. Students typically follow a modular structure that includes foundational courses, methods and electives, plus a capstone project or thesis and a supervised practicum or teaching portfolio.

• Foundations of Health Professions Education — adult learning theory, instructional design, assessment and programme evaluation tailored to clinical settings.
• Clinical Ethics and Professionalism — ethical theory, clinical case analysis, institutional consultation skills and approaches to moral reasoning in healthcare.
• Medical and Health Humanities — narrative medicine, literature and medicine, history of medicine, visual and performing arts in healthcare, and critical perspectives on illness and care.
• Qualitative and Mixed Methods — ethnography, interviews, thematic analysis and designing educational research relevant to health professions.
• Curriculum Development and Assessment — competencies, entrustable professional activities, programmatic assessment, workplace-based assessment and feedback techniques.
• Electives / Practicum — options typically include clinical teaching apprenticeships, ethics consultation practicums, narrative medicine workshops, leadership in interprofessional education, and apprenticeship placements with teaching hospitals.
• Capstone or Thesis — an applied project or research thesis demonstrating mastery of education, ethics or humanities applied to a healthcare problem, often done in partnership with a clinical or educational site.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold an accredited bachelor’s degree; many successful candidates hold a clinical professional degree (for example, MD, DO, DNP, RN, PT) or a humanities/social science degree with relevant experience. Admissions typically consider academic transcripts, a current CV, a personal statement outlining professional and educational goals, and at least one letter of recommendation. Relevant clinical or teaching experience is highly valued. Standardised test requirements (for example GRE) may be flexible or optional—check the programme for the latest policy. International applicants must meet the university’s English language proficiency standards.

Career prospects

Graduates pursue roles across academic, clinical and administrative settings. Typical career pathways include:

• Clinical educator or faculty member in medical, nursing or allied health schools;
• Curriculum developer or assessment specialist for health professions programmes;
• Clinical ethicist or member of hospital ethics committees and ethics consultation services;
• Programme director for interprofessional education, simulation centres or continuing professional development;
• Researcher in health professions education, medical humanities or bioethics;
• Policy or leadership roles in healthcare organisations, public health agencies or professional bodies where expertise in ethics and education is required.

Why study at Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University offers this interdisciplinary training within a research-intensive environment closely connected to major clinical partners in Cleveland. Students benefit from access to the School of Medicine’s teaching resources, affiliated hospitals and clinical ethics services, and opportunities for interprofessional collaboration across medicine, nursing, social work and the humanities. Faculty typically include experienced medical educators, clinical ethicists and humanities scholars, enabling applied projects that draw on real-world clinical settings. The programme’s location and institutional links also support placements, mentorship and collaborative research with hospital ethics committees and education centres in the region.