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Studies & Degrees in Bioethics

Bioethics studies the ethical questions raised by medicine, the life sciences and the technologies linked to them. UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, adopted in Paris on 19 October 2005, defines its scope as the ethical issues related to medicine, life sciences and associated technologies as applied to human beings, taking into account their social, legal and environmental dimensions. The field draws on philosophy, law, medicine, biology and, in some schools, theology.

A typical syllabus moves from foundations to cases. The Máster Universitario en Bioética of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, for example, is organised in these blocks:

  • Foundations of bioethics: anthropology, the concept and history of bioethics, ethical models
  • Global bioethics: ecology and sustainability, foundations of law and theories of justice
  • Clinical bioethics and the ethics of health management
  • Research ethics
  • Bioethics of the beginning of life: human reproduction and genetics
  • Bioethics of the end of life, including ageing
  • A master's thesis of 12 ECTS credits

Qualifications and levels

Bioethics is mostly taught at postgraduate level, to people who already hold a degree in a health profession, law, philosophy or a related field. In Spain the standard qualification is an official master's degree. Royal Decree 822/2021 sets official master's degrees at 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and the bioethics programmes checked for this page all have 60 credits and last one year:

  • The Universidad de Murcia teaches its Máster Universitario en Bioética in the Faculty of Medicine, by distance learning and in Spanish, with 25 places.
  • The Universidad Pontificia Comillas runs its master's degree jointly with the Universitat Ramon Llull. It is taught in a blended format in Spanish, on campuses in Madrid and in Bormujos (Seville), with 30 places. It started in the 1997-98 academic year.
  • The Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) offers its master's degree online, with 120 places.

Comillas states that its master's degree gives access to its doctorate in health, well-being and bioethics.

In Italy, the Faculty of Bioethics of the Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome awards a licentiate (Licenza) and a doctorate, and also offers master's and specialised courses, on campus or at a distance.

Programmes differ in outlook. Several are taught at Catholic universities, which state their own perspective: the Regina Apostolorum faculty describes its teaching as faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, and UCAM frames its master's degree from the perspective of the dignity of the human person. The Universidad de Murcia, a public university, places its programme in the Faculty of Medicine. Read the syllabus before choosing.

Admission and costs

An official Spanish master's degree requires a university degree. The Universidad de Murcia asks for no specific prior knowledge and describes its typical student as someone who has studied or works in a biomedical profession, or who comes from another discipline such as philosophy, law or political science. Graduates from outside the European Higher Education Area can be admitted without homologation of their degree, once the university has checked that it is equivalent and gives access to postgraduate study in the country of issue. When applications exceed places, Murcia weighs the academic record (30%), the curriculum vitae (50%) and an interview or letter of interest (20%).

Fees are set by each university. UCAM, a private university, listed a fee of €68.33 per ECTS credit, or €4,100 for the course, when its page was checked in October 2026. Confirm the current figure with the school.

Where to study bioethics

SpainExchange lists 13 active schools for bioethics: nine in Spain, three in the United States and one in Italy. In Spain they include the Universidad de Murcia, UCAM, the Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, the Universidad Católica de Ávila, the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the Universidad CEU San Pablo in Madrid, the Universidad Miguel Hernández in Elche and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. In the United States the list includes New York University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Minnesota.

The Murcia and Comillas master's degrees are taught in Spanish. All three programmes described above are distance, online or blended, so they can be followed from abroad for all or most of the course.

Careers

Bioethics is rarely a job on its own. It is usually an additional qualification for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lawyers, researchers and teachers. The universities name these outlets:

  • Membership of healthcare ethics committees in hospitals and health areas
  • Membership of research ethics committees. In Spain, clinical studies with medicines need the opinion of an accredited committee (CEIm) under Royal Decree 1090/2015
  • Bioethics committees of universities and other bodies
  • Teaching bioethics in faculties of medicine, nursing, law, theology or philosophy, and in continuing education
  • Doctoral research

The UNESCO declaration asks states to establish independent, multidisciplinary and pluralist ethics committees. Spain has a national advisory body, the Comité de Bioética de España, created by Law 14/2007 and attached to the Ministry of Health. No official employment statistics exist for bioethics as a separate occupation.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a medical degree to study bioethics?

No. A university degree is required for a master's degree, but it can be in another field. The Universidad de Murcia names philosophy, law and political science alongside the biomedical professions.

Can I study bioethics online?

Yes. The Universidad de Murcia teaches its master's degree by distance learning, UCAM teaches its programme online, and the Comillas programme is blended.

How long does a master's degree in bioethics take in Spain?

The programmes at Murcia, Comillas and UCAM have 60 ECTS credits and last one academic year.