PhD Certificate in Empirical Research and Descriptive Ethics for PhD Students
Program Description and Guidelines
Program Overview
Students enrolled in the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Health Care Ethics (hereafter HCE PhD Program) may opt to complete a Certificate of Empirical Research Methods in Descriptive Ethics (hereafter Certificate). The HCE PhD Program was designed to produce graduates who are competent in normative bioethics. Completion of a Certificate is meant to indicate special research competencies over and above those gained in the HCE PhD program. These specific competencies pertain to descriptive ethics above all, but also to outcome assessment and general survey skills.
The Certificate Program has two tracks: Quantitative and Qualitative. Both tracks require the completion of 15 hours of coursework.
Integration of Certificate and HCE PhD Coursework. Some Certificate courses will satisfy HCE PhD Program course requirements. These substitutions were carefully considered so as not to compromise competency in normative ethics or in knowledge of the context of health care. Because there may be up to 9 credit hours of overlap, students who enter the HCE PhD Program with the pre-requisite in inferential statistics will be required to complete only 6 additional credit hours of coursework.
Integration with the HCE PhD Program's Educational Mission. The most significant aspect of any PhD program is dissertation research. All dissertations in the HCE PhD Program are expected to make original contributions to normative ethics in health care. However, normative ethics must be informed by many facts, frequently by empirical facts about the values people hold or the way people perceive moral problems. This presents the opportunity to incorporate original empirical research in descriptive ethics into dissertations in normative ethics.
The final two courses in each track of the Certificate program have been designed to foster development of the skills necessary to achieve this goal. HCE-G652 requires students to gather data in descriptive ethics, data that will be incorporated into the doctoral dissertation. HCE-G651 will provide students with the mentoring necessary to integrate this data into the doctoral dissertation proposal in a way that is sensitive to the interdisciplinary nature of this endeavor.
Course of Studies for the Qualitative Track
Note: In square brackets substituted HCE PhD courses are indicated.
• RM-G520 General Research Methods (or equivalent, such as SW-S775, Social Work Research). [Interdisciplinary Research in Health Care Ethics]
• RM-G580 Survey Research Methods [Topics and Scholars elective]
• NR-N610 Qualitative Methods in Nursing Research (or an equivalent graduate level, introduction to qualitative methods course, such as SW-S776)
• RM-G575 Intermediate Qualitative Research
• HCE-G652 Directed Research in Descriptive Ethics [Topics and Scholars elective]
• HCE-G651 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar: Dissertation Research in Health Care Ethics
Course of Studies for the Quantitative Certificate
Note: In square brackets substituted HCE PhD courses are indicated.
• RM-G520 General Research Methods (or equivalent, such as SW-S775, Social Work Research). [Interdisciplinary Research in Health Care Ethics]
• RM-G580 Survey Research Methods [Topics and Scholars elective]
• RM-G625 Analysis of Variance and Experimental Design
• RM-G650 Multivariate Statistical Analysis
• HCE-G652 Directed Research in Descriptive Ethics [Topics and Scholars elective]
• HCE-G651 Interdisciplinary Research Seminar: Dissertation Research in Health Care Ethics
As most courses build upon each other, course work is ordinarily to be completed in the order indicated above.
Advanced Standing and Residency Requirements
Courses in research methods may not be transferred. However, students who have completed graduate level courses in research methods may apply for advanced standing in the certificate program (effectively having some requirements waived in light of previous coursework). The student will be required to provide the HCE Certificate Program Director with a copy of his or her transcripts and a copy of the syllabus of all courses for which recognition is sought. If the Certificate Program Director considers the student to have met some of the Certificate course requirements, the student will then petition the Graduate School for advanced standing.
At a minimum, students must complete at Saint Louis University HCE-G652 and HCE-G651, plus two other 3-credit hour graduate level courses in research methods. Substitutions may be made in order to avoid duplication of coursework.
Upon Successful Completion of Certificate Coursework
Certificates will be awarded upon successful completion of all coursework. Students' transcripts will indicate the Certificate courses completed. The Center for Health Care Ethics will issue the physical Certificate, which will indicate which of the two Tracks was completed. The Certificate will be signed by the Chairperson of the Department of Health Care Ethics and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Department of Health Care Ethics
Mailing Address: Department of Health Care Ethics
221 North Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103-2006
Campus address: O'Brien Hall, Frost Campus
Telephone: (314) 977-6661
Fax: (314) 977-5150
