Courses

Course Directors: Adira Hulkower, JD MS HEC-C; Lauren Flicker, JD MBE HEC-C 

Description: Our intensive bioethics consultation skills course is designed to help attendees develop communication skills and gain practical experience in addressing ethical dilemmas. A blend of didactics, small group role plays, and personalized feedback are used to teach best practices in effective clinical ethics consultation. Our virtual intensive course covers topics aligned with ASBH’s Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation. Healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, chaplains, and hospital administrators, along with members of ethics committees, lawyers, and trainees (bioethics, medical students, residents, fellows) will benefit from this skills-based course that will provide new knowledge and enhance your clinical skills. 

Time: January 12–January 16, 2026 (Mon–Thu 9 AM–5 PM, Friday, 9 AM–1 PM, online) 

Prerequisites: approval of instructor

Credit: 2

Instructors: Paola Nicolas, PhD; Elizabeth Chuang, MD; Patrick Herron, Dbe; Lauren Flicker, JD; Craig Irvine, PhD

Description:
This year-long course can be taken independently to earn a Certificate and/or as required coursework for the Master of Science in Bioethics. Faculty collaborate with students in a combination of two full-day retreats and weekly seminars to offer an intellectually rich year introducing the foundations of bioethics as a field, key principles in moral theory, methods of legal and literary analysis, and the skills necessary to apply the insights of bioethics to daily medical practice and research. We examine core bioethics issues using a multiplicity of perspectives and draw upon the depth of expertise not only of faculty but also of our participants, many of whom bring years of clinical, legal and other professional experience to the program.

Time: Wednesdays, 4-7pm, online

Prerequisites: None

Credit 3

Instructor: Elizabeth Chuang, MD, MPH HEC-C 

Description: This course explores the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in healthcare, from algorithmic bias and privacy concerns to autonomous decision-making and the future of medical practice. Participants will examine how AI technologies are reshaping diagnostics, treatment planning, and patient care. Through real-world case studies and critical discussions, healthcare professionals will develop the skills to assess AI applications and advocate for their ethical, equitable, and transparent use in clinical settings. 

Time: January 26–May 4th, 2026 (Mondays, 4–6PM, online) 

Prerequisites: approval of instructor

Credit 2

Instructor: Catherine Rogers, MFA, MS 

Description: This graduate seminar introduces the foundational theory and practice of narrative medicine, as developed at Columbia University, emphasizing its application to ethical challenges in clinical care. Students study key theoretical texts alongside a diverse range of narrative works—drama, memoir, poetry, and prose—as case studies. Grounded in the core skills of attention, representation, and affiliation, the course combines close reading with reflective and creative writing workshops. Through this integrated approach, students deepen ethical insight, navigate moral distress, and practice entering the stories of others with openness and respect. Led by a professional playwright and early narrative medicine practitioner, the course prepares healthcare professionals to engage with the complexities of care through rigorous narrative inquiry and creative imagination. 

Time: January 20–April 28, 2026 (Tuesdays, 4–6PM, online) 

Prerequisites: approval of instructor

Credit: 2

Course Directors: Adira Hulkower, JD MS HEC-C; Lauren Flicker, JD MS HEC-C; Danny Serviansky, JD 

Description: Our intensive bioethics mediation course offers a dynamic and immersive learning experience, combining interactive didactics with small group role-playing scenarios designed to build essential mediation skills. Participants will learn the practical steps needed to identify conflicts early, intervene effectively, and manage difficult situations.  

Originally pioneered by Nancy Dubler and Carol Liebman, internationally recognized leaders who literally "wrote the book" on bioethics mediation, this training is grounded in a proven framework that has shaped bioethics mediation practices nationwide. 

Time: June 15,16,17 and June 22-23, 2026 (9–5PM, online) 

Prerequisites: approval of instructor

Credit: 2

Instructor: Elizabeth Chuang, MD, MPH HEC-C 

Description: The seminar is open to all Masters in Bioethics students and clinician-researchers enrolled in the Einstein Clinical Research Training Program. This dynamic interdisciplinary group of students, some of whom are engaged in clinical research, will undertake faculty guided group discussion of readings and multimedia resources and analysis of historical and current research studies. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze human research studies using several frameworks and to identify and mitigate emerging ethical issues with newer research methods and designs.   

Time: July 14–August 18, 2026 (Tuesdays, 9AM–12:50PM, online) 

Prerequisites: approval of instructor

Credit: 2

Description:
This course is a fundamental requirement for the masters’ degree. Students submit a proposal, then work toward research, writing and revision for an extended project, under the guidance of an advisor in the relevant field, selected from the faculty of Cardozo, Einstein or rarely and with permission, external faculty. A student may register for all 4 credits in one semester, or for 2 credits each in two consecutive semesters.

Credit 4, divided over 2 semesters or all in one semester

Instructor: TBD

Description:
This course provides an opportunity for MS Bioethics students to design and participate in a semester-long, seminar-style independent study, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, with significant reading and writing assignments. As with all independent studies, the student needs to choose a faculty member to help devise the project and then have the proposal approved by the Center.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: Paola Nicolas, PhD; Elizabeth Chuang, MD; Patrick Herron, Dbe; Lauren Flicker, JD; Craig Irvine, PhD

Description:
This year-long course can be taken independently to earn a Certificate and/or as required coursework for the Master of Science in Bioethics. Faculty collaborate with students in a combination of two full-day retreats and weekly seminars to offer an intellectually rich year introducing the foundations of bioethics as a field, key principles in moral theory, methods of legal and literary analysis, and the skills necessary to apply the insights of bioethics to daily medical practice and research. We examine core bioethics issues using a multiplicity of perspectives and draw upon the depth of expertise not only of faculty but also of our participants, many of whom bring years of clinical, legal and other professional experience to the program.

Time: Wednesdays, 4-7pm, online

Prerequisites: None

Credit 3

Course Director: Paola Nicolas, PhD MBE HEC-C

Description:
This course offers a rigorous Examination of disability through the lens of bioethics, engaging with foundational and contemporary debates at the intersection of philosophy, healthcare, and disability studies. Topics include the moral status of disabled lives, the ethics of selective reproduction, resource allocation, institutionalization, supported decision-making, and the disability justice critique of mainstream bioethics.

Credit 2

Course Director: Angela Rosseti, DBe, MBA

Description:
Rare diseases affect 300 million individuals globally and even in the United States, it may take up to 30 years to confirm a diagnosis. This course will examine the challenges posed by rare diseases: the difficulties of finding and affording treatments, the philosophical tension between utilitarian healthcare and justice for all—including rare disease patients.

Credit 2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
This course is designed to be a gateway into the challenging ethical dilemmas that healthcare professionals encounter in their daily practice. In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare in the United States, the role of ethics consultation services has become increasingly critical. The complex and often morally fraught decisions that healthcare professionals, patients, and their families face demand a level of ethical guidance and expertise that extends beyond traditional medical expertise. Ethics consultation services have emerged as a vital resource to address these complex dilemmas and ensure that healthcare decisions are not only medically sound but also ethically defensible. The field of clinical ethics has witnessed a substantial transformation over the years, with institutions across the country increasingly integrating ethics consultation services into their healthcare systems. The establishment of professional standards, guidelines, and certification programs for clinical ethics consultants has further advanced the quality of services provided. By examining real-world cases, this class will provide the tools to offer clinical ethical consultations. The issues covered in this class are not exhaustive, but are designed to be an introduction to the current methods for approaching clinical ethics cases.

Credit 1-2

Instructor: Paola Nicolas, PhD, MS Bioethics

Description:
What does philosophy bring to clinical practice? This class is an exploration of philosophical themes in Western tradition – identity, memory, death, dignity of risk, etc. – that can shed a new light on the clinical encounter. We will study texts from philosophy, sociology, anthropology and narrative medicine to have a better understanding of the process of hospitalization, from the patient’s arrival at the hospital, to diagnosis and treatment, and ending with the person’s release from the hospital or death.

Time: Mondays 4-6pm, online

Prerequisites: Certificate program

Credit 2

Instructors: Angela Rossetti, MBE

Description:
Drug therapy has always been integral to the practice of medicine, from the earliest use of botanicals to contemporary biopharmaceuticals. In the last 125 years, drug therapy has evolved to a more than trillion-dollar industry and now occupies a uniquely important role in global public health. Because of its size and importance to human health and well-being, the industry carries a significant ethical responsibility. Most recently, the Covid pandemic and its consequences highlighted the dependence of the world on a global, well-functioning biopharmaceutical industry. The work of drug discovery, development and accessible distribution is expensive. No government has demonstrated the willingness, scientific or financial ability to undertake the that work alone, and governments rely largely upon the biopharmaceutical industry for many aspects of drug availability. This class will examine the history and origins of the commercial biopharmaceutical industry, its continuous evolution and regulation, the drivers of its growth, its missteps, its successes, and its ethics that all combined, have changed the course of human disease.

Time: Tuesdays 4-6pm, online

Prerequisites: Certificate program

Credit 2

Instructor: Edward Reichman, MD

Description:
Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions with a rich heritage and an expansive legal literary tradition dating back to the times of the Bible and Talmud. Judaism has a unique approach to medical ethical dilemmas that can contribute to modern ethical discourse. This course will provide students with a basic introduction to the principles of Jewish law as they relate to medical ethics. These principles will then be applied to issues in contemporary medical ethics ranging from beginning of life to end of life. Topics analyzed will include abortion, contraception, infertility, genetics, cloning, organ transplantation, the definition of death, autopsy and stem cell research. In addition, new frontiers in science and medicine will be explored through the lens of Jewish law. The contribution of principles of Jewish medical ethics to the broader dialogue of modern bioethics will be discussed. Readings will be drawn from ancient rabbinic texts, as well as modern authors on Jewish bioethics. Emphasis will be placed on textual analysis of primary and secondary sources (in English translation) culled from over two thousand years of rabbinic literature. This intensive course typically meets on 4 consecutive Wednesdays during the summer.

Time/Place: Wednesdays, full days, summer, usually July

Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor.

Credit 2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
The course will focus on ethical issues as they relate to children. Beginning with an exploration of what it means to be a child in America and the unique kinship relationships and obligations engendered by the decision to have a child, the course will focus on ethical issues in labor, delivery, and neonatal care, current controversies in caring for a dying child and his family, ethical issues concerning adolescents, research ethics as it relates to children, and issues about surgical and medical enhancement of children. Students will be expected to read assigned materials and be prepared to discuss relevant ethical questions during each session. Each student will choose a relevant topic of interest and develop a 3000-5000 word essay that will describe the issue and elucidate the ethical concerns utilizing and citing peer-reviewed literature.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
This course will explore legal and ethical issues raised by reproduction and the use of assisted reproductive technologies. We will study legal theory and practice involving contraception, assisted reproduction, abortion, sterilization, and personhood. We will approach these topics using a wide range of sources, including legal cases, historical scholarship, and bioethics literature. Grades will be determined by class participation and a final paper.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
The course explores a range of ethical issues arising from dementia, including diagnosis, treatment, research, and health policies. The course begins by studying definitions of different types of dementia and related states, such as minimal cognitive impairment and cognitive aging. Topics include: neuropathology of dementia, as well as current trends – and failures -- in research for dementia treatments; factors that increase and decrease the probability of developing dementia, including social determinants of health; caregiver burdens and stressors; abuse, neglect and financial scams affecting those with cognitive impairment; safe driving and public health concerns; use of technology to support independent living; nursing home quality and functions; and end of life care for severe dementia. For each topic, the class will identify and analyze related ethical challenges related to dementia.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
In this class, we will address how peoples values surrounding death are sometimes in contrast with the reality of dying in America. We will articulate the many different definitions of death and consider how those different definitions can create ethical conflict. We will consider the role that medical professionals can and do play at the end of life.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
Skill in bioethics includes the ability to draft and present an effective argument. The goal of the course is for students to improve their ability to write about bioethics and share their expertise in public discussions about ethics issues in medicine, public health and policy. The skills developed in writing a persuasive essay are transferable in describing ethics issues to patients and colleagues in clinical practice. Participants will read and analyze short persuasive works from different genres. The class requires frequent writing exercises of different types of essays, including blogs and editorials. Students will receive personalized feedback both from the instructor and through group work in editing. The final product will be the draft of an essay to submit for publication; these essays will be presented for discussion and revision during class.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
The course will address a broad range of ethics issues within both the current pandemic and those from the past and potentially ahead in the future. We will examine classic bioethics literature setting out the tensions between obligations to individual patients and to the health of populations. We will review guidance documents prepared by various national and international groups, looking at overarching similarities and differences. We will address the way in which public health disasters affect various vulnerable groups, including elders and prisoners. We will investigate the ethical responsibilities of government, individuals and institutions in pandemic response. Readings offer a broad range of perspectives, including classical accounts of plague, current medical, legal and public health publications.

Credit 1-2

Instructors: TBD

Description:
This course can be taken independently, or as a follow-up to Bioethics in the Court. In this seminar, students will study legislation that dictates the behavior or speech of clinicians. Students will learn how to read statutes, and be asked to consider when it is appropriate for the legislature to interfere in the clinic, and what to recommend as an ethicists when the legally required action is not consistent with the ethical action.

Credit 1-2