Clinical and Translational Research (Thesis): Bioethics (M.Sc.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Master of Science
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The M.Sc. in Clinical and Translational Research; Bioethics focuses on conducting innovative research in relation to a bioethical issue pertinent to health care, and bioethical issues from the current viewpoint of other relevant disciplines such as law, philosophy, and religious studies. The program includes a bioethics practicum; the thesis must focus on bioethics in relation to clinical and translational research.
Required Courses (33 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOE 680 | Bioethical Theory. | 3 |
Bioethical Theory. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Overview of moral theoretical approaches to bioethics, as well as explorations of critical responses, meta-ethical foundations, methodological questions, and ethical issues arising in bioethics scholarship. | ||
| BIOE 681 | Bioethics Practicum. | 3 |
Bioethics Practicum. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Four hours per week supervised placement within health care settings (e.g., intensive care, family practice, clinical ethics committees). In addition, students shall be assigned for the last month of the term to a single intensive placement. Participation in rounds, case discussions, and a weekly seminar. | ||
| BIOE 690 | M.Sc. Thesis Literature Survey. | 3 |
M.Sc. Thesis Literature Survey. Terms offered: Fall 2026, Winter 2027 A comprehensive literature survey in the general area of the thesis topic, to be completed in the first semester. | ||
| BIOE 691 | M.Sc. Thesis Research Proposal. | 3 |
M.Sc. Thesis Research Proposal. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent work under the supervision of the thesis advisor(s) leading to a thesis proposal. | ||
| BIOE 692 | M.Sc. Thesis Research Progress Report. | 6 |
M.Sc. Thesis Research Progress Report. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A status report on the progress in the thesis research. | ||
| BIOE 693 | M.Sc. Thesis. | 12 |
M.Sc. Thesis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent work under the supervision of the thesis advisor(s) leading to a thesis manuscript. | ||
| EXMD 634 | Quantitative Research Methods. | 3 |
Quantitative Research Methods. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Topics covered include: 1) An overview of common research designs based on examples from research currently undertaken in the Division of Experimental Medicine; 2) Types of data arising from these designs; 3) Basic methods for data analysis; and 4) Application of these methods to student research projects. | ||
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMPL 642 | Law and Health Care. | 3 |
Law and Health Care. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The study of legal and ethical issues raised in medicine and healthcare with a particular focus upon the relationship between patient and healthcare professionals. | ||
| PHIL 643 | Seminar: Medical Ethics. | 3 |
Seminar: Medical Ethics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An advanced course devoted to a particular philosophical problem as it arises in the context of medical practice or the application of medical technology. | ||
| RELG 571 | Ethics, Medicine and Religion. | 3 |
Ethics, Medicine and Religion. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The seminar will discuss a variety of topics related to medicine and religion from the point of view of ethics, such as the pact of care between a patient and a physician, the Hippocratic oath, the notions of autonomy and vulnerability, the definitions of personhood and human dignity, the question of rights for people with cognitive disabilities, the debate about the role of religion in bioethics. | ||
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EXMD 510 | Bioanalytical Separation Methods. | 3 |
Bioanalytical Separation Methods. Terms offered: Fall 2026 The student will be taught the capabilities and limitations of modern separation methods (gas and high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, hyphenated techniques). Application of these techniques to solve analytical problems relevant to biomedical research will be emphasized, with special attention being paid to the processing of biological samples. | ||
| EXMD 521 | Computational Methods Single-Cell Analytics. | 3 |
Computational Methods Single-Cell Analytics. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Computational methods (particularly machine learning methods) for various single-cell data analysis, modelling, and visualization tasks that could drive novel biomedical discoveries, focusing on “real-world” biomedical applications. | ||
| EXMD 600 | Principles of Clinical Research. | 3 |
Principles of Clinical Research. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Foundations for conducting clinical research including the principles underlying clinical studies, an overview of key methods in clinical research and the critical interpretation of peer-reviewed literature. | ||
| EXMD 602 | Techniques in Molecular Genetics. | 3 |
Techniques in Molecular Genetics. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Precise description of available methods in molecular genetics, and rationales for choosing particular techniques to answer questions posed in research proposals for targeting genes in the mammalian genome. Emphasis placed on analysis of regulation of gene expression and mapping, strategies for gene cloning. Course divided between lectures and student seminars. | ||
| EXMD 604 | Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 1. | 3 |
Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 1. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Recent aspects of cell and molecular biology, including cellular organelle structure and function, molecular genetics, gene expression regulation, DNA replication and protein trafficking. | ||
| EXMD 605 | Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 2. | 3 |
Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology 2. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Recent aspects of cell and molecular biology, includin signal transduction, cell growth and development, and immunology. | ||
| EXMD 609 | Cellular Methods in Medical Research. | 3 |
Cellular Methods in Medical Research. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Different cellular methods used in biomedical research, including spectroscopic, microscopic and immunological techniques as well as statistics. Lectures, some demonstrations by faculty as well as short seminars given by the students. | ||
| EXMD 610 | Molecular Methods in Medical Research. | 3 |
Molecular Methods in Medical Research. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Different molecular methods used in biomedical research, including chromatography, purification and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids, various techniques in molecular biology, transgenic technology, and stem cells. Lectures, some demonstrations, and short seminars given by the students. | ||
| EXMD 616 | Molecular and Cell Biology Topics. | 3 |
Molecular and Cell Biology Topics. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Structured and instructor-directed student presentations and discussions of recent advances in molecular and cellular biology. The course will reinforce the students' knowledge of currently major areas of investigation, with a focus on human disease and medical applications. Important recent publications will extend material from textbook and review articles. | ||
6 credits of BIOE or EXMD courses at the 500 level or higher chosen in consultation with the research supervisor.