Top Schools for Bioethics/IR

<p>Hello, </p>

<p>I am very interested in both International Relations (and polisci/economics) and bioethics. Ideally I would be able to find a school that has strong programs in both, but most I have been looking at are good in both - but not great, or very strong in one. Thus far, my favorite choices are WashU, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Middlebury and I have had trouble finding out about where they rank for bioethics. Additionally, I have heard unfavorable things about Brown's IR program - due to the fact it is only a program - but that does not mean it the IR wouldn't work for me....
Which of these do you think would be best for pursuing an interdisciplinary major in both bioethics and IR? </p>

<p>sidenote: I have looked at Tufts and, while it is not at the top of my list, I do like the school.</p>

<p>There is no such thing as a ranking of Bioethics programs, particularly at the undergraduate level. Georgetown is very strong in Ethics in general and has an excellent IR program.</p>

<p>I second Georgetown University.</p>

<p>It is not in the northeast like most of your other schools, however it is only a 4 hour drive/ 1 hr flight south of NYC.</p>

<p>It is home to the School of Foreign Service and the Center for Clinical Bioethics.</p>

<p>The SFS undergraduate degree focusing on Science and Technology may be a very good option for you.</p>

<p><a href=“http://bsfs.georgetown.edu/majors/stia/[/url]”>http://bsfs.georgetown.edu/majors/stia/&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>along with some research at the Center for Bioethics.</p>

<p>[Welcome</a> : Center for Clinical Bioethics (Georgetown University Medical Center)](<a href=“http://clinicalbioethics.georgetown.edu/]Welcome”>http://clinicalbioethics.georgetown.edu/)</p>

<p>Check it out, it may be a good fit.</p>

<p>Sidenote: Tufts and Georgetown are very similar schools.</p>

<p>Easy call–Johns Hopkins. For bioethics, see [Johns</a> Hopkins | Berman Institute of Bioethics](<a href=“http://www.bioethicsinstitute.org/]Johns”>http://www.bioethicsinstitute.org/) For the specifics of the undergraduate bioethics programs, see <a href=“http://www.bioethicsinstitute.org/web/page/428/sectionid/378/pagelevel/2/interior.asp[/url]”>http://www.bioethicsinstitute.org/web/page/428/sectionid/378/pagelevel/2/interior.asp&lt;/a&gt;
For undergraduate international studies, see [Admissions</a> | International Studies Program | Johns Hopkins University](<a href=“http://krieger.jhu.edu/internationalstudies/admissions/index.html]Admissions”>http://krieger.jhu.edu/internationalstudies/admissions/index.html)
for one of the premier graduate programs in the world, see [Johns</a> Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) | Home](<a href=“http://www.sais-jhu.edu/]Johns”>http://www.sais-jhu.edu/)</p>

<p>Georgetown is #1. They are in the midst of developing an undergrad Bioethics major. In addition, it obviously has an unbelievable international relations program.</p>

<p>Georgetown’s Washington, DC location and its relationships with and proximity to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Academy of the Sciences (NAS), Institutes of Medicine (IOM), World Health Organization (WHO), The World Bank, and Congress make it an ideal place to pursue academic and policy issues pertaining to health care ethics and IR.</p>

<p>Georgetown’s International Health Program
<a href=“http://nhs.georgetown.edu/docs/BSIH.pdf[/url]”>http://nhs.georgetown.edu/docs/BSIH.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Core requirements include: English (2), Theology (2), Philosophy (2), Sociology or Anthropology, and Ethics.
The International Health curriculum allows students to enroll in 8 free electives. This gives
students the option to complete a minor or certificate and fulfill coursework for medical school.</p>

<p>The international health program combined with electives in Georgetown’s strong philosophy and theology departments is another option to consider beside SFS science, technology and international affairs program.</p>

<p>I have similar interests—international relations, politics, ethics, law, etc.—and am really liking the sound of Georgetown.</p>

<p>I’m going college visiting this summer to narrow down my “reach” list:</p>

<p>Princeton
UChicago
Georgetown
Columbia
Dartmouth
Rice
Tufts
Wesleyan</p>

<p>What would you (all) say are good “likely” or “fit” schools? My safeties at the moment are American University and UMichigan.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>@fields I like all those schools too (minus Rice just because I do not want to be in texas and i live in chicago so I don’t love Uchicago).
Since our college lists/interests are very similar I would suggest these Williams & Cornell too (though I am worried about Cornell being too pre-professional - does anyone know if it is?) also, are you against west coast? because Stanford has a really good IR program.</p>

<p>I was looking at Georgetown, but after visiting it just did not love it, especially after seeing the schools listed above. I really like DC and know there are HUGE benefits to being in DC, but Dartmouth lets me study abroad multiple times and they all seem to have unique benefits. </p>

<p>JHU I really like as well, thank you!</p>

<p>I live 15 minutes from Stanford and am dying to experience something new. It’s a fantastic university, though, so I won’t dismiss it altogether… JHU looks good, but isn’t Dartmouth too isolated?</p>

<p>ah. that makes sense. </p>

<p>I am kind of reluctant on baltimore as a whole, but really like JHU. </p>

<p>you would think that about dartmouth, but when visiting I was surprised. They had the TED conference going on and with the D-plan you can intern all over, volunteer, or study abroad often (if you want). It is during the time you are there that it will be semi- isolated especially compared t columbia, but for me, I can not decided if that is a pro or a con. I like the idea of being in a true, close community, but also the idea of having museums blocks away and loads of international influence. It seems like columbia would be easier to have an interdisciplinary focus + they have a bioethics grad program…but the social scene seems lacking. </p>

<p>I am quite indecisive, sorry. hopefully you can find some benefit out of what i just wrote!</p>

<p>The University of Virginia has an undergrad minor in Bioethics as well as a major in Global Development Studies and a minor in Global Public Health.
[Bioethics</a> at the University of Virginia](<a href=“http://bioethics.virginia.edu/]Bioethics”>http://bioethics.virginia.edu/)
[Global</a> Development Studies — Global Development Studies, Arts & Sciences, U.Va.](<a href=“http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/globaldevelopment/]Global”>http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/globaldevelopment/)</p>

<p>I’ll definitely look into Dartmouth. Thanks. What are you thinking for “likely” or “fit” schools (ie those with over a 30% acceptance rate)? This is what I’ve come up with so far:</p>

<p>College of William & Mary
Dickinson
Trinity
Skidmore
NYU
Franklin & Marshall
Connecticut College</p>

<p>The University of Pittsburgh is universally recognized in the field as having one of the best, if not the best, program in the world for bioethics. For undergrad, this falls under their [History</a> and Philosophy of Science program](<a href=“http://www.hps.pitt.edu/undergraduate/index.php]History”>http://www.hps.pitt.edu/undergraduate/index.php). (see ranking [here</a> under philosophy of science & mathematics](<a href=“http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/breakdown.asp]here”>http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/breakdown.asp)). Pitt is one of the top biomedical centers in the country (#5 in NIH funding) and also has one of the top Philosophy programs in the country (has been in the top 5-10 overall programs for half a century). It has been #1 in History and Philosophy of Science since rankings for that field have existed.</p>

<p>It’s international relations are also very strong, as it is one of few schools (16) that have as many different US designated National Resource Centers in international studies (Asian, Latin American, Eastern Europe/Russia, Europe), as well as only one of 10 schools with an EU designated Center of Excellence. In 2009, Pitt’s IR faculty were ranked 24th in the world [by</a> one study](<a href=“http://irtheoryandpractice.wm.edu/projects/trip/Final_Trip_Report_2009.pdf]by”>http://irtheoryandpractice.wm.edu/projects/trip/Final_Trip_Report_2009.pdf). </p>

<p>Pitt is definitely a place you should at least be looking at not only because it is a top school in both fields of your interest, but because if you are in the admissions range of Ivies, you’d be an excellent candidate for a full ride (especially if you are out of state).</p>

<p>Thank You! I had not been considering Pitt and can see it is really good regarding both of what I want, but maybe not liberal arts enough ie (From the report link you sent - WHICH IS GREAT thank you i had not seen that): “The first point to make is that the focus of this Report is on graduate study only: Pittsburgh may have an outstanding philosophy department, but it might make more sense for a good student interested in philosophy to do his or her undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins or Amherst, where student-faculty ratios are more favorable, and where there is a stronger focus on undergraduate education.” </p>

<p>and @fields: </p>

<p>skidmore
william & mary
Mcgill
now Pitt
Colgate
davidson
bates
colby
Boston College
fordham</p>

<p>also, i really like your list. it is giving me a lot of good safeties i had not considered.</p>

<p>I think you will find the History and Philosophy of Science classes at Pitt to be pretty intimate. Intro to Biology, not so much, but when you get into majors like HPS, they will be small classes. Plus, if you are in the honors classes, it will be even more intimate and you will likely be working hand in hand with some of the biggest names in the field. Yes, they are grad rankings above, but undergrad rankings don’t exist, and the faculty are the same…it is the same department after all. Something you should be aware of, Pitt was fully private until 1966 (and now is only semi-public), and it traditionally has had a strong background (and emphasis) in the humanities including one of the largest selections of language programs. The biomedical science areas get all the publicity, but you may want to check out the [Honors</a> College page](<a href=“http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/]Honors”>http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/), [Humanities</a> Center](<a href=“http://www.humcenter.pitt.edu/]Humanities”>http://www.humcenter.pitt.edu/), and [School</a> of Arts & Sciences](<a href=“http://www.as.pitt.edu/]School”>http://www.as.pitt.edu/) to see what they provide liberal arts wise (and [here</a> is a thread](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1041074-best-honor-programs-public-universities-updated-12.html]here”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1041074-best-honor-programs-public-universities-updated-12.html) comparing the Honors College to others). I know specifically in Pitt’s Honors College they have a dual major track in which you can earn a Bachelor’s of Philosophy in International/Area Studies which you could combine with HPS (see [here](<a href=“http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/bphil/bphil-ias.html]here[/url]”>http://www.honorscollege.pitt.edu/bphil/bphil-ias.html)</a>). The international studies component is interdisciplinary and overseen by [Pitt’s</a> UCIS](<a href=“http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/]Pitt’s”>http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/). In any case, bioethics is exactly in the nexus of the school’s strengths in biomedicine and philosophy. Pitt may not be for you, but you should definitely give it a good look. IMHO, it actually sounds perfect for you, and it could likely to save you a lot of money (Pitt has a big rep for merit awards and loving out of state students) which you could put towards grad school.</p>

<p>Reviving this thread…any new suggestions/opinions/experiences in Bioethics?</p>

<p>[Academic</a> Centers and Educational Sites - Bioethics Resources on the Web - NIH](<a href=“http://bioethics.od.nih.gov/academic.html]Academic”>http://bioethics.od.nih.gov/academic.html)</p>

<p>Thanks, BeanTownGirl!</p>

<p>Not a safety, but Penn has a strong bioethics program. Art Caplan built it; now it’s being run by Zeke Emanuel (one of Rahm’s brothers). Penn health schools are excellent and use bioethics program as a resource.</p>

<p>Penn IR used to be very right-wing, because the poli sci department was. I don’t know what the situation is now.</p>