Information for Current MA Students
Welcome, students! The Medical Humanities & Bioethics graduate faculty and staff are committed to your continued success in the program. We want you to have the tools—available via the links below—needed to make the most of your time with us.
MA Course Schedule
Our master of arts program follows the Northwestern University academic calendar, which divides the year into quarters, with some changes made to accommodate the Feinberg School of Medicine's academic calendars. A TGS calendar of administrative deadlines includes dates on when to register and apply for degree completion.
Fall 2025
MHB 401: Foundations of Bioethics
Instructor: Tod Chambers, PhD and Mark Sheldon, PhD
Wednesdays, 6 to 8:30pm
September 17 through December 3 (no class November 26)
For first-year MA students
MHB 405: Anthropology & Medicine
Instructor: Megan Crowley-Matoka, PhD
Thursdays, 6 to 9pm
September 18 through December 4 (no class October 2 or November 27)
For second-year MA students
MHB 410: Special Topics in MH&B
Instructor: Megan Crowley-Matoka, PhD
Thursdays, noon to 12:45pm
September 18 through December 4 (no class October 23 or November 27)
For both first and second-year MA students
Winter 2026
MHB 404: Literature, Medicine, & Bioethics
Instructor: Catherine Belling, PhD
Day TBD, 6 to 9pm
January 5 through March 12
For first-year MA students
MHB 406: The Practice of Bioethics
Instructor: Katie Watson, JD and Preya Tarsney, JD, HEC-C
Day TBD, 6 to 9pm
January 5 through March 12
For second-year MA students
MHB 410: Special Topics in MH&B
Instructor: Megan Crowley-Matoka, PhD
Thursdays, noon to 12:45pm
January 8 through March 12
For both first & second-year MA students
Spring 2026
MHB 402: Law, Medicine, & Bioethics
Instructor: Katie Watson, JD
Wednesdays, 6 to 9pm
April 1 through June 3
For first-year MA students
MHB 410: Special Topics in MH&B
Instructor: Megan Crowley-Matoka, PhD
Thursdays, noon to 12:45pm
April 2 through June 4
For both first and second-year MA students
Summer 2026
MHB 403: The History of Medicine
Instructor: Sarah Rodriguez, PhD
Days and dates TBD (Will likely be a compressed schedule with two classes per week in some weeks)
For first-year MA students
MA Student Handbook
Our MA Student Handbook contains valuable information about our courses, policies, deadlines, and opportunities within the program.
The Graduate School Details and Resources
Students in the master’s program are students in The Graduate School of Northwestern University (TGS) and are subject to TGS’s policies and procedures. Find more information related to student life and responsibilities via The Graduate School website links below.
- TGS Academic Services
- Tuition and Fees (applies to freestanding students only)
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Satisfactory Academic Progress and Exclusion Policies
- Continuous Registration and Other Registration Policies
Helpful Links
- Canvas (learning management system)
- CAESAR (for registering for MHB courses & viewing your account)
- Help with CAESAR
- University Shuttles