Like the study of ethics in general, bioethics is fundamentally concerned with the question of how we ought to act. Bioethics is distinguished by its focus on the unique problems that emerge in the context of medical decision-making, health-care policy, and biotechnology.
We offer a full progression of courses in biomedical ethics from second to fourth year. Students can begin with the introductory course PHLB09 Biomedical Ethics, which provides a survey of the key issues. At the third year or intermediate level, there are two more specialized courses: PHLC07 Death and Dying and PHLC10 Topics in Bioethics, which focuses on different topics such as reproductive ethics, healthcare and global justice, ethics and mental health, the patient-physician relationship, or research on human subjects. At the fourth year or advanced level, the PHLD09 Advanced Seminar in Bioethics delves deeply into a selected important topic in bioethics such as human medical research in developing nations; informed consent; or classification of mental illness.
For detailed program requirements, please consult the UTSC Academic Calendar.