Outline

Overview

As the capstone, this Unit of Study allows Masters of Bioethics students to draw together their learning and reflect on the place that bioethics should have in society. This unit provides the opportunity to take a deep and critical look at the relationship between bioethics and advocacy; the contribution of bioethics to policy; the role of bioethics researchers in multi-disciplinary collaborations; how bioethics issues are discussed in the media, popular culture and literature; and the role that the public should play in discussions of bioethics issues. Students will respond to a range of topical examples throughout the semester. They will also have the opportunity to determine their own assessment topic. Learning activities include intensive workshops and small group discussion.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Public Health
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	BETH5101 and BETH5000
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Kathryn MacKay, kathryn.mackay@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Essay Topic & Literature Review For this assignment, you will submit your essay topic or question and a short literature review of 3-4 papers relevant to your topic. This should not be more than 1200 words.	20%	Week 06 Due date: 11 Sep 2025 at 23:59	1200 words , +/- 10%	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Presentation & Peer Feedback One 10-minute presentation about your essay topic using no more than 6-7 PowerPoint slides, paired with 2-3 bullet point comments or questions in peer review of 2 peer presentations.	30%	Week 10 Due date: 16 Oct 2025 at 23:59	One 10 minute video; 2-3 comments	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Essay Written essay submission on the topic of your choosing.	50%	Week 13 Due date: 07 Nov 2025 at 23:59	3500 words, +/-10%	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

The assessments in this unit of study build on each other and follow the process of academic research and publication.

Essay topic and literature review: 1200 words, +/-10%. Your essay question plus 3-4 relevant papers in a critical literature review.
Presentation & Peer Feedback: a 10-minute presentation, and 2-3 comments or questions on 2 presentations by your peers
Essay: 3500 wrods, +/-10%. Your essay topic, fully argued, incorporating the feedback you have received in the essay topic and literature review and the presentation assignments.

Further details regarding all Asssessments are available on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result Name	Mark Range	Description
HD	85-100	Awarded when the relevant learning outcomes for assessments are demonstrated at an exceptional standard.
DI	75-85	Awarded when the relevant learning outcomes for assessments are demonstrated at a very high standard.
CR	65-74	Awarded when the relevant learning outcomes for assessments are demonstrated at a good standard.
PA	50-64	Awarded when the relevant learning outcomes for assessments are demonstrated at an acceptable standard.
FA	0-49	Awarded when the relevant learning outcomes for assessments are not satisfactorily demonstrated.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late penalties will be applied in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedures 2011, Clause 7A(4): https://www.sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/267&RendNum=0. Without an approved simple extension or special consideration, a penalty of 5% of available marks will apply per day late, to a maximum of 10 days (after which the mark awarded will be zero).

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Multiple weeks	Topics change per seminar	Seminar (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

For each module, students are expected to:

Do the readings in preparation for the seminars.
Attend the seminars in person or remotely. They will be held biweekly on Mondays in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, & 10 from 14:00 - 18:00
- Location: F07 Carslaw Building, Level 3, Seminar Room 374
Be prepared with questions and comments, and engage actively in discussions during seminar.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Module 1: Taking stock of Bioethics

Required:

Anderson W. The Whiteness of Bioethics. Bioethical Inquiry 18, 93–97 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-020-10075-y

Garrett JR. Two Agendas for Bioethics: Critique and Integration. Bioethics. 2015 Jul;29(6):440-7. doi: 10.1111/bioe.12116

Viaña JNM. (2024) Interrogating Sites of Knowledge Production: The Role of Journals, Institutions, and Professional Societies in Advancing Epistemic Justice in Bioethics, The American Journal of Bioethics, 24:4, 63-66, DOI:10.1080/15265161.2024.2308144

Vogelstein E. The nature and value of bioethics expertise. Bioethics. 2015 Jun;29(5):324-33. doi: 10.1111/bioe.12114

Recommended:

Iltis AS, Carpenter A. The “s” in Bioethics: Past, Present and Future. In: Engelhardt HT, ed. Bioethics Critically Reconsidered: Having Second Thoughts. Springer Netherlands; 2012:123-149. 

Ives J, Dunn M. Who’s arguing? A call for reflexivity in bioethics. Bioethics. 2010;24(5):256-265. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8519.2010.01809.x  

Kopelman LM. Bioethics and Humanities: What Makes Us One Field? The Journal of medicine and philosophy. 1998;23(4):356-368. doi:10.1076/jmep.23.4.356.2576

Priaulx N. Vorsprung durch Technik: On Biotechnology, Bioethics, and Its Beneficiaries. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2011;20(2):174-184. doi:10.1017/S0963180110000824  

Priaulx N. The troubled identity of the bioethicist. Health Care Analysis. 2013;21(1):6-19. doi:10.1007/s10728-012-0229-9

Module 2: Bioethics and Influence

Required:

Danis M, Wilson Y, White A. Bioethicists Can and Should Contribute to Addressing Racism. The American Journal of Bioethics. 2016;16(4):3-12. doi:10.1080/15265161.2016.1145283  

Dawson A, Jordens CFC, Macneill P, Zion D. Bioethics and the myth of neutrality. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. 2018;15(4):483-486. doi:10.1007/s11673-018-9885-2  

De Vries, R. G., & Keirns, C. C. (2008). Does Money Make Bioethics go ‘Round? The American Journal of Bioethics, 8(8), 65–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265160802342931

Chattopadhyay, S., Myser, C., Moxham, T., & De Vries, R. (2017). A Question of Social Justice: How Policies of Profit Negate Engagement of Developing World Bioethicists and Undermine Global Bioethics. The American Journal of Bioethics, 17(10), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2017.1365185

Recommended:

Elliott C. Why Clinical Ethicists Are Not Activists. The Hastings Center report. 2021;51(4):36-37. doi:10.1002/hast.1272  

de Vries, R. G., & Bosk, C. L. (2004). The Bioethics of Business: Rethinking the Relationship between Bioethics Consultants and Corporate Clients. The Hastings Center Report, 34(5), 28–32. https://doi.org/10.2307/3527588

Module 3: Bioethics, Policy, and Politics

Required:

Brown MB. Three Ways to Politicize Bioethics. The American Journal of Bioethics. 2009;9(2):43-54. doi:10.1080/15265160802617811

Campbell AT. Bioethics in the public square: reflections on the how. Journal of Medical Ethics. 2012;38(7):439-441. doi:10.1136/medethics-2011-100057

Ross K, Dodds S, Ankeny RA. Conscience Votes in Australia: Deliberation and Representation. In: Big Picture Bioethics: Developing Democratic Policy in Contested Domains. Springer International Publishing; 2016:37-58.  

Solomon MZ, Jennings B. Bioethics and populism: how should our field respond? Hastings Center Report. 2017;47(2):11-16. doi:10.1002/hast.684

Recommended:

Devolder K, Douglas T. The epistemic costs of compromise in bioethics. Bioethics. 2018 Feb;32(2):111-118. doi: 10.1111/bioe.12418. Epub 2017 Dec 27. PMID: 29280164.

Holm S. The grand leap of the whale up the Niagara Falls: Converting philosophical conclusions into policy prescriptions. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2015;24(2):195-203. doi:10.1017/S0963180114000504

Ortiz-Millán G. How Populism Affects Bioethics. Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics. Published online 2024:1-15. doi:10.1017/S0963180124000161

Module 4: Bioethics and a Diverse Public

Required:

Brummett A. What is the appropriate role of reason in secular clinical ethics? An argument for a compatibilist view of public reason. Med Health Care Philos. 2021 Jun;24(2):281-290. doi: 10.1007/s11019-021-10004-9. Epub 2021 Jan 21. PMID: 33475924.

Duivenbode, R. and Padela, A. (2019), Contextualizing the role of religion in the global bioethics discourse: A response to the new publication policy of Developing World Bioethics. Developing World Bioeth, 19: 189-191. https://doi.org/10.1111/dewb.12242

Kahn PA. Bioethics, Religion, and Public Policy: Intersections, Interactions, and Solutions. Journal of Religion and Health. 2016;55(5):1546-1560. doi:10.1007/s10943-015-0144-0  

Kirchhoffer DG, Lui CW. Public reasoning about voluntary assisted dying: An analysis of submissions to the Queensland Parliament, Australia. Bioethics. 2021;35(1):105-116. doi:10.1111/bioe.12777

Recommended:

Kopelman LM. Bioethics as Public Discourse and Second-Order Discipline. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. 2009;34(3):261-273. doi:10.1093/jmp/jhp019

Schicktanz S, Schweda M, Wynne B. The ethics of ‘public understanding of ethics’—why and how bioethics expertise should include public and patients’ voices. Medicine, health care, and philosophy. 2011;15(2):129-139. doi:10.1007/s11019-011-9321-4

Module 5: Bioethics, Media, and Culture

Required:

Bolzon J. What do Sci-Fi, Literature, and Art have to do with Bioethics? On Bioethics and Art. Voices in Bioethics. 2016;2. doi:10.7916/vib.v2i.5970

Cohen IG. What Should ChatGPT Mean for Bioethics? American journal of bioethics. 2023;23(10):8-16. doi:10.1080/15265161.2023.2233357

Couture V, Bélisle-Pipon J-C, Cloutier M, Barnabé C. Merging arts and bioethics: An interdisciplinary experiment in cultural and scientific mediation. Bioethics. 2017; 31: 616–630. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12391

Simonson P. Bioethics and the rituals of media. The Hastings Center Report. 2002;32(1):32-39

Recommended:

Bueno Pimenta, F.J., García Gómez, A. Contemplating the principles of the UNESCO declaration on bioethics and human rights: a bioaesthetic experience. International Journal of Ethics Education 8, 249–274 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40889-023-00176-8

Shapshay S, ed. Introduction and Chapter 1. In: Bioethics at the Movies. Johns Hopkins University Press; 2009:1-31

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Deliberate about the role that bioethics has, and should have, in society
LO2. Understand the relationships between bioethics and other related domains
LO3. Articulate and critically reflect on how bioethics issues are generated and shaped

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit of study has been substantially revised since previous delivery. The changes reflect updates to the mode of delivery, the reading list, and the assessment structure.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

BETH5103: Bioethics in Society

Semester 2, 2025 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links