DEB Bioethics Requirement
DEB students are required to take one of the bioethics courses listed below before their qualifying exam. Alternatively, DEB students may opt to attend eight of the Research Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research Program seminar sessions offered through the Office of Research. RCR training satisfies federal bioethics training requirements and students will be issued a certificate upon completing the minimum number of sessions. Presenting the RCR certificate to our Administrative Team will satisfy the DEB bioethics course requirement.
Regularly offered campus courses that satisfies the DEB bioethics requirement include:
ECH289E - Bioethics and Professionalism in Biotechnology (2-units, Spring Quarter 2026) - This course was developed by Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung as part of a three-quarter series for the NSF NRT Bioindustrial Engineering for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) training program and will have a topical focus on industrial biomanufacturing. Course modules will include 1) Bioethics and Societal Impacts (based on industry-mentored Capstone Team Design Projects developed in the fall and winter quarters), 2) Science Communication, and 3) Professionalism and Internship Preparation. This course is open to all STEM graduate students, including DEB students and BEST trainees, and is being offered in this format for the first time in Spring 2026 (CRN 37058). Note, ECH289E is a variable unit course so enrolling students should be sure to sign up for two units. Dr. Somen Nandi (Chemical Engineering) will lead the course with Dr. Jamison-McClung.
- Biomedical Engineering course BIM209 - Scientific Ethics and Integrity. Discussion - 2 hours. Scientific integrity and ethics for biomedical scientists, with emphasis and discussion on mentoring, authorship and peer review, use of humans and animals in biomedical research, conflict of interest, intellectual property, genetic technology and scientific record keeping, communicating science.
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics course GGG296 - Scientific Professionalism and Integrity. Discussion - 2 hours.
- Animal Biology course ABG401 - Ethics and Professionalism in Animal Biology. Discussion - 2 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing; first pass Animal Biology graduate group students. Case studies and discussion of ethical and professional issues for animal biologists, including the use of animals in research and teaching, patenting and intellectual property, consulting and conflict of interest, scientific integrity, dealing with the media, and mentoring relationships.
- UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education CLH204 - Research Ethics. This is a course offered through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education intended for clinical practitioners.
New graduate level courses in bioethics, scientific professionalism and integrity arise (and then disappear) with regularity. If you believe that one of your graduate group's required courses would be a suitable elective to satisfy the DEB bioethics course requirement, please contact our Administrative Team and we will inquire with the DEB Executive Committee.