---The Master of Bioethics: is a one-year advanced master's

programme which is coordinated by the Centre for

Biomedical Ethics and Law (CBMER) at KU Leuven. The
learning environment is characterized by a small student
population, which is composed of an international and
interdisciplinary group of individuals who have already
finished a master's programme. This fosters a continuous
exchange of experiences and cultural perspectives. In order
to prepare students to adopt a critical and scientific attitude
towards ethical questions, education is as much as possible
research-driven.

---BLUEPRINT MASTER OF BIOETHICS FACULTEIT

GENEESKUNDE:
1 Vision and profile of the programme
1.1 Objectives and learning outcomes
The main objective of the Master of Science in Bioethics (MBIO) is to train highly qualified students for
research work or professional activities in the domain of bioethics, an interdisciplinary field that studies
value questions that arise in health care, public health and biomedical research.
This specialized training focuses on the most important traditions and contemporary movements in
bioethics, with special attention to European traditions in bioethics. It focuses on the
development of
research skills and the deepening of knowledge in various concepts, methods and thematic areas in the
field of bioethics. The programme empowers graduates to critically reflect upon ethical issues in various
clinical and research settings. Specifically, graduates of the program can identify complex ethical
questions in clinical care and at the level of health care regulations. They are able to analyse and
compare various theoretical approaches to these questions, understand their underlying concepts, and
develop a personal and coherent line of argumentation.
The program also aims to deliver professionals who are qualified to independently perform research in
various subfields of bioethics. Thanks to the research focus orientation, graduates can retrieve,
analyse and interpret theoretical and empirical bioethics literature. They also master the academic and
communicative skills to independently design and execute research on new questions that arise in
bioethics and report their findings in the format of a scientific article or an oral presentation.
In addition to these academic competencies, students also acquire a strong practical expertise in dealing
with ethical issues that emerge in healthcare practice. To this end, graduates are prepared to effectively
participate in ethical debates within a multidisciplinary and cross-cultural environment, for
instance
by taking up functions as members of clinical or research ethics committees. Specifically, they are
capable of clarifying and justifying their own position towards an ethical issue and cooperate in a
respectful and open-minded way with others in order to formulate consensus-driven recommendations
on how to deal with them.
1.2 Vision on education
The MBIO is focused on the personal and professional formation of bioethicists, who can offer a careful,
sustainable and critical contribution to the current and future society from their own discipline, in dialogue
with others having different disciplinary backgrounds. In order to prepare students for this responsibility,
the MBIO intends to create a learning environment, which persistently addresses and challenges
students’ disciplinary future self, how they envision themselves as a future bioethicist. .
The learning environment is characterized by a small student population, which is composed of an
international and interdisciplinary group of individuals who have already finished a master
programme. This fosters a continuous exchange of experiences and cultural perspectives through which
students, indirectly, act as teachers for their fellow students. By challenging each other’s disciplinary
perspectives on bioethics, students are encouraged to develop openness towards other positions,
respect for cultural diversity in bioethics, as well as the ability for teamwork in a multidisciplinary context.
In order to prepare students to adopt a critical and scientific attitude towards ethical questions, education
is as much as possible research-driven. Specifically, the content of the courses is attuned to the
research interests and expertise of the academic teaching staff. Through its strong focus on research,
the MBIO also supports its students in critically analysing the scientific literature, writing scientific articles
and submitting papers to conferences and journals. Consequently, graduates are prepared to pursue a
PhD training, as well as to integrate research and scientific writing into their professional activities, which
promotes an attitude of life-long learning.
2 | 5 Blueprint Master of Bioethics
1.3 Spearheads of the programme
The learning outcomes and vision on education have inspired the following spearheads:
1. Focus on bioethics instead of applied ethics: in order maximally challenge the disciplinary
future self the programme has a specific focus on bioethics. This focus distinguishes it from
broader studies in applied ethics, which are also concerned with topics in the fields of social,
environmental, sexual or global ethics.
2. Third cycle programme: in order to facilitate intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange of
ideas, the programme is specifically directed towards students who have already obtained a
master’s (or equivalent) degree.
3. Focus on the development of research skills: the programme strongly focuses on the
development of academic skills that prepare students for a future academic career in the field
of bioethics.
4. Attention for continental European perspectives on bioethics: the MBIO offers a broad
range of theoretical and practical perspectives on bioethics, with particular attention for
developments in European bioethics. These include the connection between social science and
bioethics, ethics and law, care ethics, as well as values and principles that are central to
European culture (e.g. respect for life, human dignity, solidarity, vulnerability).
5. Thematic focus: thanks the programme’s thematic focus, students acquire expertise in dealing
with ethical issues that emerge in various healthcare settings, such as end-of life care, medical
research and public health.
1.4 Target audience
Participation in the MBIO is of interest to any scholar who wishes to deepen his or her understanding of
moral questions and dilemmas in current health care and research practice and policy development. In
order to address these questions from a variety of cultural and professional perspectives, the program
is accessible for European and non-European students with backgrounds in a variety of relevant
fields, such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, biomedical sciences, philosophy and theology, law,
psychology, health economics, politics and health care administration.
The MBIO is a third cycle program, which implies that the applicant should already have obtained a
master’s degree or an equivalent. Admission depends upon an assessment by the International
Admissions and Mobility Unit of the KU Leuven and the program selection committee, taking into
account applicants’ prior academic performance and professional experience, proficiency in English and
personal motivation.
1.5 Career perspectives
After graduation, students are prepared to take up a diverse spectrum of professional responsibilities.
Specifically, graduates may undertake a PhD training or collaborate in research projects at universities
or independent research institutions. Several others have been appointed in healthcare
facilities,
serving as ethics consultants, hospital chaplains or members of clinical ethics committees or institutional
review boards. Some have found positions at pharmaceutical companies, government agencies,
regulatory bodies, medical associations or non-governmental organizations. Many graduates have also
taken up teaching responsibilities in an Institute for Higher Education.
Blueprint Master of Bioethics3 | 5
2 Realization of vision and profile
2.1 Organisational context
The MBIO is coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine of the KU Leuven, which offers a broad range of
educational programs in more than forty medical and paramedical disciplines. The Teaching
Committee (POC) is responsible for the operational management of the programme and the
development, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum. The POC is chaired by the programme
director and is composed of academic staff members, student representatives and faculty staff
members.
The master program builds on the extensive research and teaching expertise of the Centre for
Biomedical Ethics and Law. The academic staff members have received international recognition
within the fields of medical ethics and medical law, thanks to their achievements as authors, reviewers
and editorial board members of major bioethical and clinical journals, as well as their membership of
various professional associations and expert networks. For expertise in related fields, the programme
uses courses offered in the faculties of Theology and Religious Studies, Philosophy, Law, Nursing
Science and Social Sciences. The language of instruction is English. Students in bioethics may receive
financial support through the scholarships Fund Roger Borghgraef, which are granted each year to
applicants with excellent study results and a strong motivation.
2.2 Programme structure and curriculum
The MBIO is a one-year programme of 60 study points (SP), which includes three learning trajectories:
a truncus communis of core bioethics courses (22 SP), a research component (23 SP) and a series of
elective specializing courses (15 SP). The truncus communis courses support students to develop a
critical attitude towards ethical questions and dilemmas that emerge in the fields of clinical decisionmaking,
biomedical research, end-of-life care, human genetics and genomics, public health and health
law. Students learn to analyse these questions from a theoretical and practical perspective, in view of
formulating concrete advice on a particular case.
The research component consists of a Seminar on Interdisciplinary Research and a master’s thesis
project. This learning trajectory empowers students to understand and compare the major approaches
to ethics, such as deontology, utilitarianism, principlism and the Louvain tradition on personalism. These
sessions also devote time to develop the methodological competencies that are necessary to
independently elaborate a master’s thesis under the supervision of a promotor. Specifically, students
learn to define an appropriate research question, use online databases and e-sources to identify relevant
literature, create references in an appropriate style and deliver a formal oral presentation. Students are
also supported to develop an individual research plan, which includes a research background and
hypothesis, an outline of the research methodology and a detailed planning guide.
In consultation with the program director, the students can also choose from a wide selection of
electives in the fields of medicine, theology, philosophy, anthropology, psychology and social sciences.
These personal trajectories allow students to combine study and work, as well as to broaden their
knowledge and skills in function of their disciplinary future selves. For instance, students with a limited
philosophical background can follow an introductory course into fundamental ethics and students with
little knowledge of empirical methods can take courses in survey methodology or statistics. Alternatively,
students may choose for specialized courses, which deepen their competencies in a particular field with
close affinity to bioethics, such as a course on world religions’ approach to ethical issues.
More detailed information is available in the online programme guide, which can be accessed through:
https://onderwijsaanbod.kuleuven.be/opleidingen/e/SC_53597631.htm
4 | 5 Blueprint Master of Bioethics
2.3 Educational methods
The applied educational methods aim at activating students as much as possible in order to stimulate
an in-depth learning process. Specifically, the core bioethics courses consist of a series of interactive
lectures, during which students are frequently asked to share their pre-existing knowledge and cultural
perspectives towards the subject matter. Students’ active involvement is also strongly encouraged
during scientific seminars, in which concrete individual and group exercises are used to develop the
academic competencies that are required to elaborate a publishable scientific paper.
The master program also intends to promote cooperative learning, which empowers students to
develop an open-minded attitude to alternative cultural and professional perspectives and cooperate
within a team environment. During the Seminar on Interdisciplinary Research, for instance, students are
invited to present their thesis work plan to an international and multidisciplinary audience of student
colleagues and learn to critically assess and formulate constructive feedback to the work of peers.
Furthermore, the MBIO promotes a real-life learning environment, which assists students in developing
a realistic view of their future professional life. At frequent occasions, students are challenged to analyse
authentic ethical cases, which enables students to relate theoretical background knowledge to
concrete dilemmas that they might encounter in clinical practice or in a research context. The invitation
of researchers and clinicians as guest lecturers serves a similar aim and ensures that the latest
developments in the field are dealt with in the program. Finally, the development of a master’s
dissertation in the format of a publishable paper under the close guidance of an academic staff member
makes students familiar with a multinational and multidisciplinary research environment of a research
institute.
2.4 Evaluation
Evaluations primarily aim to provide students and teachers insight into students’ progression in the
learning process (formative evaluation), as well as to assess the results of this learning process
(summative evaluation). The MBIO endorses the evaluation policy of the Faculty of Medicine, which
contains a formal set of initiatives to safeguard and improve the quality of evaluations. In order to support
students to have a clear focus for organizing their study, they are clearly informed about the examination
requirements, format and grading criteria, orally (at the beginning of each course) and in writing (in the
ECTS course descriptions). The fairness and reliability of grading is also enhanced by using answer
models for correcting examination questions and standardized scoring sheets for assessing
presentations and assignments.
In order to be presented with a broad range of information about students’ level of performance, the
programme has adopted a well-balanced combination of various examination formats,
including
oral and written exams, written assignments and oral presentations. The evaluation of the core bioethics
courses is predominantly based on oral exams, which allow for an integrated and applied assessment
of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Specifically, students are expected to demonstrate their ability to
clarify and critically evaluate an ethical statement, as well as to construct and justify a coherent personal
position. This format also gives teachers the opportunity to ask for clarifications and formulate some
critical remarks, which encourages students to deepen or adjust their argumentation. Several of these
courses also make use of written essays to evaluate students’ ability to reflect upon their own ethical
attitudes towards an authentic case, weigh the pros and cons of potential solutions and propose a
desirable course of action.
The master’s thesis is an integrated project in which students can demonstrate their scientific
competencies by performing original and independent research work in a specific area of bioethics under
the supervision of a promotor. This project assess their ability to collect and evaluate information,
critically analyse theories in the chose area of inquiry, construct and defend a coherent argument and
present their research results concisely and in a scholarly form. The evaluation of the master’s thesis
includes formative as well as summative elements. As regards the formative assessments, students are
invited to submit their research plan one month before the deadline, after which a peer feedback session
is organized. The summative evaluation by the (co-)promotors and two independent reviewers focuses
on students’ ability to perform original research based on a sound methodology and report their findings
in writing and during an oral presentation.
Blueprint Master of Bioethics5 | 5
Annex 1: Programme-specific learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT: The graduate has knowledge and insight into
PLO 1 The most important traditions (e.g. deontology, utilitarianism and teleology, care ethics and Louvain personalism)
and concepts (e.g. personhood, dignity, integrity, informed consent) in the field of bioethics internationally
PLO 2 The most important ethical issues that are related to various practical healthcare settings (e.g. clinical decisionmaking,
biomedical research, end-of-life care, genetics and genomics, public health and health law) and patient
populations (e.g. persons with dementia, psychiatric patients, paediatric patients)
PLO 3 Different types of methodological designs in empirical and normative research in bioethics
PLO 4 Ethical challenges that authors may encounter when publishing bioethics research in international journal, such as
multiple authorship, salami slicing publishing, conflict of interests, confidentiality and anonymity
SKILLS: The graduate has developed the following skills
INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SKILLS
PLO 5 Performing a focused search for bioethics literature by using online databases and e-sources
PLO 6 Evaluating the content and methodological quality of theoretical and empirical bioethics literature
PLO 7 Critically analyzing complex bioethics topics by means of empirical and literature-based research designs
PLO 8 Independently elaborating a research project under the supervision of a promotor with the intention to have the
results published in a peer-reviewed academic journal, which involves formulating a research hypothesis, choosing
a research methodology, developing a research plan, collecting and analyzing data, as well as deducing
appropriate conclusions
CLINICAL ETHICS SKILLS
PLO 9 Applying different ethical theories into clinical ethics case studies
PLO 10 Developing and justifying a personal position in relation to an ethical question or dilemma
PLO 11 Being able to participate in and moderate a multidisciplinary ethical case deliberation as potential members of a
healthcare or research ethical committee
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
PLO 12 Reporting scientific findings in a formal style and format by writing scientific papers and delivering oral
presentations
PLO 13 Providing constructive feedback to research proposals and oral presentations from peers
PLO 14 Collaborating with other health care professionals in a cross-cultural and multidisciplinary context in view of
developing consensus-based recommendation on how to deal with a particular problem in bioethics
ATTITUDES: The graduate demonstrates
PLO 15 Moral sensitivity to ethical problems and dilemmas that occur in clinical practice and at the level of healthcare
regulations
PLO 16 Openness and respect towards different professional and cultural perspectives in bioethics
PLO 17 A critical attitude towards bioethics theories and concrete cases related to topics in bioethics
PLO 18 A positive attitude towards life-long learning and continuous training

---COBRA REPORT:
Study programme: Master of Bioethics
Drawn up on: 09/05/2023
KU Leuven uses the COBRA method to work on the quality of its study programmes. In this report the programme
committee reports every four years on the quality of its programme(s) and describes the identified strength(s) and
planned action(s) of its programme(s) master of Bioethics.
Strengths of the study programme(s)
• • Building on 20 years of experience, the Master of Bioethics (MBIO) is unique in Europe through its
focus on bioethics rather than applied ethics and through the set up of the programme as an advanced master.
• • The student population of the MBIO is composed of a truly international group of individuals (more than
300 alumni from 70 countries is impressive). The international profile of the students, combined with their various
degrees of professional experience and different educational backgrounds, creates an enrichment for the other
students and staff.
• • Various alumni report how strongly the programme had an impact on their professional career, and that
the programme allowed them to prepare them sufficiently for the different fields they are working in.
• • The MBIO has a strong research orientation. The programme can also show very good results at the
level of preparing students into a PhD.
• • Overall, an equilibrium is being kept between attention to foundational aspects related to bioethics,
practical or clinical bioethics training and the research focus of the programme.
• • The current curriculum offers a clear set of bioethics courses, combined with a high number of
electives. There is a good balance in learning activities, including lectures, clinical case discussions, lively group
discussions and interactions, practical in-depth sessions on databases… The recent development of an MOOC
(Massive Open Online Course) on research ethics has brought an innovation in teaching methods.
• • Evaluations of individual courses show that students are clearly satisfied about the programme.
Overall, students report to be satisfied with the relevance of the different offered courses, the clarity of objectives,
the content of the course, the balance between lectures and discussions, the teachers’ support and guidance, the
level of education and the workload of the different courses.
• • In comparison to other international programmes in bioethics, the tuition fee is low and makes the
programme affordable.

Planned actions
• • The teaching committee wants to analyze to what extent increased exposure to (online) guest lecturers
is possible. This could be done in various ways, e.g. integration of lecturers in courses, collaboration with students
and alumni in setting up a lecture series or participation to seminars organized by the PhD researchers of the
Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law.
• • Various students value the possibility of potential internships. In particular, internships at the Centre for
Biomedical Ethics and Law (e.g. in summer), at (inter)national organisations (e.g. bioethics unit council of Europe;
national bioethics committees, ethics committees) or research internships at international research institutes were
suggested. Therefore, the programme will analyse the possibility to valorise such internships as extracurricular
activity or curricular activity.
• • The master dissertation trajectory will be re-evaluated and optimized, with specific attention to the
selection of topics, intermittent deadlines and the procedure of thesis defense.
• • In addition, it was agreed that efforts will be made to consider to what extent structural feedback could
be provided to assignments that are performed during the programme .
• • Finally, the programme aims to further develop opportunities for exchange and network by
strengthening the alumni network and its connection to the programme.

---COURSES:

 Truncus Communis
All courses are obligatory.

Students who obtained a credit for "Ethics and Law in Biomedical Research (B-KUL-E07U9A)", do not
have to take the course "Research ethics" (B-KUL-E0H77A).
o
4 Foundations E09O2A 
ECTS of Bioethics C.Gastmans (coordinator)
 Y.Denier
 C.Gastmans
3 Law and E0D99A  S.Callens
ECTS Healthcare
4 Clinical E0G89A  P.Borry (coordinator)
ECTS Bioethics  B.Decallonne
training  V.Labarque
 D.Monbaliu
 J.Vandenberghe
 4 Public Health E09O0A  Y.Denier (coordinator)
ECTS Ethics and  P.Borry
Ethics in  Y.Denier
Health Policy  J.Luyten
4 Ethical Issues E09O1A  C.Gastmans
ECTS in End-of-Life
Care
4 Human E09O3A  P.Borry (coordinator)
ECTS Genetics,  K.Dierickx
Ethics and
Policy
3 Research E0H77A  P.Borry (coordinator)
ECTS Ethics  K.Dierickx
 C.Gastmans
 Research
All courses are obligatory.

o
4 Seminar E02E8D 
ECTS Interdisciplinary P.Borry (coordinator)
Research in  N.
Bioethics  E.Van
Steijvoort (substitute)
18 Research E02E9B 
ECTS Manuscript P.Borry (coordinator)
 N.
 E.Van
Steijvoort (substitute)
 Electives
Based on their background, students choose courses for a minimum of 12 credits after consultation with
the programme coordinator.
Attention: The course C00J5A Human Rights will not be taught in AJ 2023-2024.
o
4 Human C00J5  S.Sottiaux
ECT Rights A
S
6 Sexual and A06A4  N.Polgar
ECT Conjugal A
S Morality
4 Media Ethics W0ED2  B.Pattyn
ECT A
S
4 Survey G0A66 
ECT Methodology A B.Schlipphak (coordinato
S r)
 S.Mayer
 B.Schlipphak
3 European A05E3  P.De
ECT Perspectives A Witte (coordinator)
S on Religion  G.Zuijdwegt
and Meaning
4 Academic E03Y3  C.Bicler (coordinator)
ECT Writing A 
S R.Bernaerts (cooperator)
 E.Van
Buggenhout (cooperator)
5 Solidarity in S0F89  W.Van
ECT European A Lancker (coordinator)
S Welfare  B.Meuleman
States  W.Van Lancker

C.Francisco (cooperator)
4 Quantitative P0T93  W.Schaeken
ECT Research A  H.Stuyck (substitute)
S Methods
6 Philosophy of W0Q31  P.Vandamme
ECT Law: A
S Advanced
Course
6 Environmenta A00C4  Y.De Maeseneer
ECT l Ethics B
S
6 Descriptive P0X82  N.
ECT and A  G.Lafit (substitute)
S Inferential  E.Schat (substitute)
Statistics  G.Lafit (substitute)
 E.Schat (substitute)
6 Christian A06A3  Y.De Maeseneer
ECT Ethics A
S
4 Psychology P0Q17  W.Schaeken
ECT of Individual A  H.Stuyck (substitute)
S Judgment
and Decision
Making
4 Environmenta W0EC9  N.
ECT l Philosophy C
S
4 Development A07J5  Y.De
ECT s in A Maeseneer (coordinator)
S Theological  N.Polgar
Ethics
4 Qualitative P0T95  M.Decuypere
ECT Research A  S.Bruneel (substitute)
 S Methods
4 Sexuality in E08X6  P.Enzlin (coordinator)
ECT Perspective A  H.Janssen
S  R.Roels
 L.Stevens
 N.
 P.Enzlin (substitute)
 B.Hansen (substitute)
6 Philosophy of W0Q30  N.
ECT Law: A
S Advanced
Course
4 Ethics of W0EP8  E.Kollar
ECT Globalisation B
S
3 Law and C07I7  M.Foblets
ECT Anthropology B
S
6 Ethics W0W04  B.Pattyn
ECT A
S
6 Ethics in A02C6  A.Liégeois
ECT Pastoral Care B
S
6 World A01B9  B.Broeckaert
ECT Religions and B
S Ethics
6 Posthuman S0D43  P.Devlieger
ECT Anthropology B  J.De
S Coster (substitute)
6 Epistemology W0W06 
ECT and A G.Ramsey (coordinator)
S Philosophy of
Science
4 Business A06B4  E.Van Stichel
ECT Ethics: A C
S Macro-
Economic
Perspective

---History:
The idea to set up a European Master of Bioethics programme developed in 1998.
The programme was designed as a part-time programme spread over two years.
The programme started its first edition in the academic years 2000-2001 and
2001-2002 with a group of 15 students.
In September 2005, the Master of Bioethics programme was selected by the
European Commission as a one-year Erasmus Mundus master course organised
by the University of Leuven, the Radboud University Nijmegen and the University
of Padova.
Erasmus Mundus was a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of
higher education. It was intended to strengthen European cooperation and
international links in higher education by supporting high-quality European
master courses, enabling students and visiting scholars from around the world to
engage in postgraduate study at European universities, as well as encouraging
the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars towards third countries.

After 10 years of an excellent collaboration between the three partner

universities, the end of the financial support through the Erasmus Mundus
framework also resulted in a new curriculum reform. The academic year 2015-
2016 was the last under this framework and from 2016-2017 onwards, KU Leuven
has been coordinating a newly designed curriculum hosting students during a
whole academic year in Leuven.

---About us:
Over the years, the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law has developed
expertise in various areas of biomedical ethics and law.
Five different research lines have received a lot of attention:
The ethical, legal and social aspects of genetics and genomics;
Elderly care and end-of-life care;
Ethical and legal issues in organ donation and transplantation;
Research ethics and ethics of research;
European and comparative law in health care.
In the latest research visitation with regard to the research activities of our unit
the review committee highly valued the research quality of our research group.
A focused, coherent group of researchers producing excellent research outputs
with a strong focus on journal publication both in medical/science journals
relevant to the particular topics as well as top bioethics journals?

---Programme Structure:
The Master of Bioethics is a one-year advanced master's programme which is
coordinated by the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law (CBMER) at KU Leuven.
The learning environment is characterized by a small student population, which is
composed of an international and interdisciplinary group of individuals who have
already finished a master programme. This fosters a continuous exchange of
experiences and cultural perspectives. In order to prepare students to adopt a
critical and scientific attitude towards ethical questions, education is as much as
possible research-driven.

This Master’s programme consists of a series of core bioethics courses, a

research component, a MOOC on Research Ethics: a guide for responsible
research with human subjects and a series of electives (60 ECTS).