• Registration open until August 31, 2010 for the concentration in Bioethics Program

NEWLY REVISED DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM:

MASTER IN THEOLOGY WITH A CONCENTRATION IN BIOETHICS

OFFERED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC BIOETHICS CENTER

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I. Program Overview

II. Who Is Eligible and How Does One Apply

III. New Bioethics Course Sequence

IV. Bioethics Course Descriptions

V. Registration/Admission Requirements & Deadlines

VI. Tuition/Fees

VII. General Information About Holy Apostles' Graduate Programs

I. Program Overview

Holy Apostles College and Seminary (Holy Apostles) is pleased to announce several major enhancements to its Master in Theology degree program offered through the Distance Learning Program.

Working in conjunction with the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), we have expanded and enhanced our course offerings in Catholic bioethics in the Master of Theology degree program. The enhanced program in bioethics will commence in Fall, 2009.

Holy Apostles and the NCBC have collaborated to provide a unique educational opportunity for professionals and students interested in receiving general or specialized graduate training in the growing field of Catholic bioethics. One result of this collaborative effort is a one-year sequence of graduate-level courses in bioethics available through Holy Apostles' Distance Learning Program. The sequence of courses being offered satisfies the course requirements for the concentration in Catholic Bioethics in Holy Apostles' Master of Theology degree program. In addition, qualified students pursuing Certification in Health Care Ethics with the NCBC (National Catholic Bioethics Center) may now receive graduate-level college credit through the Distance Learning Program at Holy Apostles for the coursework completed leading to certification.

A detailed description of the new course sequence in Catholic Bioethics is presented below.

The sequence of courses in Catholic Bioethics will be taught by Father Tadeusz (Tad) Pacholczyk, Ph.D., who is the Director of Education at the NCBC and is recognized as one of the leading experts in the field of Catholic bioethics. Father Tad was recently appointed as an adjunct member of the faculty at Holy Apostles College & Seminary.

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II. Who is Eligible for the Program and How Does One Apply?

Professionals and others interested in obtaining graduate (continuing education) credits while pursuing the Certificate in Health Care Ethics through the NCBC must register as a continuing education student in the Distance Learning Program at Holy Apostles College & Seminary following the steps and procedures outlined here.

The new bioethics sequence also satisfies the course requirements for the Concentration in Bioethics in the Master of Theology Degree Program at Holy Apostles College & Seminary. Those interested in pursuing a Master in Theology degree with a concentration in bioethics must become a matriculated graduate student at Holy Apostles. More information regarding this program can be found here.

Students enrolled in Holy Apostles' Master in Theology Degree Program with a declared concentration in an area other than Catholic Bioethics may, after successfully completing an introductory course entitled Introduction to Medical Ethics, enroll in one or more of the new bioethics courses to fulfill elective requirements.

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III. Bioethics Course Sequence

The new sequence of courses in bioethics is a one-year program that begins in September and ends in May. For those pursuing NCBC certification, there is a final paper requirement with a due date in July.

Bioethics Course Sequence & Course Requirements for the Concentration in Catholic Bioethics

The following courses in bioethics comprise Holy Apostles' bioethics sequence and the new offerings for the Catholic bioethics concentration offered through the Master of Theology Degree Program. Students pursuing NCBC certification and/or the concentration in Catholic Bioethics must take four out the five bioethics courses in the sequence described below:

 * These are new courses and comprise the Catholic bioethics sequence. These courses must be taken in the sequence presented above.

¹Part of the bioethics course sequence for students not pursuing NCBC certification. For such students, this course is a prerequisite for the remainder of the bioethics course sequence.

²Part of the bioethics sequence of courses for students pursuing NCBC certification. This course is comprised of 3 curricular components the first of which begins at the start of the bioethics sequence (attendance at a regional NCBC Seminar in Bioethics), the second is held at the end of the bioethics sequence (attendance at the Case Studies Day/Mock Ethics Committee Session in Philadelphia), and the third is comprised of a final paper due in July. Students who are enrolled in the Master of Theology degree program and who are not pursuing NCBC certification must take Introduction to Medical Ethics in lieu of this course to fulfill the Catholic Bioethics concentration requirements.

NOTE: For all students, the new bioethics courses must be taken in the sequence offered and within the same academic year.

For students interested in pursuing both NCBC certification and graduate-level college credit through Holy Apostles' continuing education tract, the courses asterisked above must be taken in the sequence offered and within the same academic year. Students not pursuing NCBC certification but who seek to fulfill the requirements for the Concentration in Catholic Bioethics at Holy Apostles must take the course entitled Introduction to Medical Ethics in lieu of Directed Studies in Catholic Bioethics. As for all students, the above asterisked courses (with the exception of Directed Studies in Catholic Bioethics) must be taken in the sequence offered and within the same academic year.

Students pursuing both NCBC certification and graduate credits for the bioethics sequence, whether as a matriculated or non-matriculated student, must attend a two-day seminar conducted at the beginning of the academic year. The two-day seminar is held at various locations throughout the United States (please visit the NCBC website at National Catholic Bioethics Center for the specific locations and dates available for the 2010-11 academic session). Following the initial 2-day seminar, students then interact independently with Father Tad (via web-based distance learning) as they progress through the course curriculum during the one-year program of study. The program ends with an intensive one-day seminar of case studies at the NCBC offices in Philadelphia.

Students pursuing the Master of Arts degree in theology with a concentration in Catholic bioethics but not NCBC certification will not be required to attend the initial or final seminars. Instead, such students must take a prerequisite course entitled Introduction to Medical Ethics, via distance learning, prior to beginning the online bioethics course sequence with Fr. Tad.

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A description of each of the new bioethics courses is provided immediately below:

IV. Bioethics Course Descriptions

STM660-D Guiding Principles of Catholic Medical Ethics (3 Credits)

Students will explore the extraordinary challenges, both medical and moral, currently facing health care in the United States. The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, will be used to help acquire an overview of critical topics in Catholic medical ethics. In these revised Directives, the bishops reaffirm the Church's commitment to health care ministry and to the ethical standards of behavior that flow from the Church's teaching about the dignity of the human person. The clear formulations of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services will serve as a reference point for the content covered in subsequent courses.

STM662-D Catholic Bioethics and the Dignity of the Human Person (3 Credits)

Students will examine key areas of modern bioethics, and be able to articulate the major ethical concerns raised by these issues. Topic areas include assisted reproductive technologies, abortion, contraception, informed consent, euthanasia and assisted suicide, organ transplantation, and ectopic pregnancies. Students will examine areas where ethical ambiguity may still exist from the vantage point of Catholic teaching, like Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, and be able to articulate a reasoned position and coherent approach to dealing with such questions in the practical sphere.

STM665-D Case Studies and Applied Topics (3 Credits)

Students will examine a number of bioethical topics and critically analyze case studies from a Roman Catholic perspective. Subject areas include research ethics, ethics committee process topics, beginning and end-of-life ethical issues, selected clinical issues, and institutional issues. The course will emphasize the application of ethical reasoning and connections with Church teaching.

STM670-A Directed Studies in Catholic Bioethics (3 Credits)

Specialized studies in Catholic bioethics directed to the individualized needs of the student. A paper is required. For students pursuing certification with the NCBC as well as graduate college credit, this course is comprised of the initial two-day seminar, the final seminar and a graded paper. For students pursuing the Master Degree in Theology with a Concentration in Bioethics, the specific requirements for this course will be discussed and determined between the student and professor and will be conducted via distance learning. This course may be repeated by students pursuing the Master Degree in Theology with a Concentration in Bioethics for a total of six (6) graduate credits.

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V. Admission/Registration Requirements & Deadlines

Those wishing to receive graduate-level college credit for the coursework completed in pursuit of NCBC certification in Health Care Ethics must, by August 31, submit a completed application form and the required tuition and fees (see below) to the Distance Learning Program at Holy Apostles College & Seminary.

Students pursuing certification with NCBC may matriculate into the Master of Theology Degree Program at Holy Apostles anytime during the certification program or within two (2) years following completion of the bioethics course sequence.

Those wishing to register as a matriculated student in the Master of Theology Degree Program at Holy Apostles must submit the following completed materials to Holy Apostles College & Seminary:

• A completed and signed application form available online here or through the Distance Learning Office.

• Official transcripts of all college records including record of highest degree earned. Transcripts must be sent to the Distance Learning Coordinator at Holy Apostles directly from the issuing institution.

All transcripts, records and amounts must be submitted and sent directly to:

Distance Learning Coordinator
ATTN: Bioethics
Holy Apostles College & Seminary
33 Prospect Hill Rd.
Cromwell, CT 06416-2027

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VI. Tuition and Fees

Effective July 1, 2009 the non-refundable application fee for all Holy Apostles' programs will be increased to fifty dollars ($50) which is due at the time the application form is submitted. For students applying before the aforementioned date, the application fee is twenty-five dollars ($25).

For those seeking both certification from the NCBC and 12 graduate (continuing education) credits from Holy Apostles, tuition for the sequence of bioethics courses is $3,250.  This amount may be subject to change for the Fall 2010-11 course sequence.

For students pursuing a Master of Theology Degree, Concentration in Bioethics, the tuition and fees can be found here.

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VII. General Information About Holy Apostles' Graduate Programs

The campus of Holy Apostles College & Seminary is located in Cromwell, Connecticut. Holy Apostles offers fully accredited educational programs in strict compliance with Catholic Church teaching. The Distance Learning Program at Holy Apostles has no residency requirement.

NEASC Accreditation

Holy Apostles College and Seminary is accredited by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education, and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, a non-governmental, nationally-recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through collegiate institutions offering postgraduate instruction.

Accreditation of an institution by the New England Association indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the New England Association is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding the status of an institution's accreditation by the New England Association should be directed to the administrative staff at the College. Individuals may also contact the Association at: Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, 209 Burlington Road, Bedford, MA 01730-1433.
(Telephone: 617-271-0022)

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