Case Western Reserve University

What you'll study

This programme combines rigorous research training with advanced study in pedagogy, ethics and the humanities as they apply to health care and health professions education. Core areas include curriculum design and assessment for health professions, theories of learning and professional formation, clinical and research ethics, and medical humanities approaches to narrative, visual culture and history.

• Core coursework: foundations of health professions education; ethics and bioethics in clinical practice; medical humanities theory and methods.
• Research methods: advanced qualitative methods (ethnography, narrative analysis, grounded theory), quantitative methods (measurement, educational statistics), and mixed-methods approaches tailored to education and ethics research.
• Specialist seminars and electives: curriculum development and assessment, interprofessional education, leadership in academic medicine, implementation science, arts-based methods in health research, history of medicine, and contemporary issues in clinical ethics.
• Scholarly milestones: students typically complete a qualifying examination or portfolio, a comprehensive (oral/written) examination, and an original dissertation that contributes new knowledge at the intersection of education, ethics and humanities.
• Practical experience: practicum options include curriculum design projects, teaching placements in health professions courses, ethics consultation apprenticeships, and collaborative projects with clinical partners.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold a relevant master’s degree or a professional doctorate (for example, MD, DO, DPT, PharmD) with evidence of academic achievement. Competitive candidates demonstrate prior experience in teaching, clinical practice, ethics, humanities or research, and present a clear statement of research interests aligned with the programme’s interdisciplinary focus.

• Academic transcript: graduate-level degree in a relevant discipline (education, health professions, humanities, bioethics, social sciences, or clinical professional degree).
• Research preparation: prior research experience is strongly preferred; examples include publications, conference presentations, or a substantive master’s thesis.
• Supporting documents: curriculum vitae, personal statement describing research aims and fit with faculty expertise, a writing sample or scholarly work, and letters of recommendation.
• Additional considerations: evidence of teaching or clinical education experience and demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary work strengthen applications. Admissions reviews may consider professional experience in lieu of some academic prerequisites on a case-by-case basis.

Career prospects

Graduates pursue a range of careers where education, ethics and humanities inform health practice, policy and scholarship. Common roles include faculty positions in health professions schools (medicine, nursing, allied health), directors of educational programmes or centres for teaching and learning, and leaders of curriculum and assessment initiatives.

• Educational researcher or evaluator in academic or clinical settings.
• Clinical ethics consultant or member of hospital ethics committees.
• Director of interprofessional education, simulation or continuing professional development programmes.
• Scholars in medical humanities producing interdisciplinary scholarship, public engagement projects and community partnerships.
• Policy or leadership roles in health systems, accreditation bodies or organisations focused on workforce development.

Why study at Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University provides an environment well suited to interdisciplinary work in education, ethics and the humanities through close collaboration across its health sciences schools and with major clinical partners in Cleveland. Students benefit from access to clinical teaching sites, education innovation centres and a diverse group of faculty whose expertise spans pedagogy, ethics, history and arts-based approaches to health research.

• Interdisciplinary faculty: mentoring from educators, ethicists, humanities scholars and clinician-researchers across the university.
• Clinical partnerships: opportunities for applied projects and practicum placements with nearby hospitals and health systems.
• Research infrastructure: support for rigorous qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods work, including grant-writing and scholarship development resources.
• Scholarly community: seminars, reading groups and public events that connect education, ethics and humanities perspectives and foster translational scholarship.