Help Shape Saudi Arabia's Future
Duke University’s Master of Arts in Applied Ethics & Policy prepares you to build a better future through responsible innovation. Join an Information Session Contact an Advisor
Prepare to lead responsible innovation with a Master of Arts in Applied Ethics & Policy from Duke University.
Saudi Vision 2030 is transforming the Kingdom through investments in human capability, healthcare, technology, industry, financial development, digital transformation, and new economic sectors. Achieving that vision requires more than technological progress. It requires leaders who can evaluate risk, develop effective policy, navigate complex ethical questions, and ensure that innovation serves people and society.
Duke University’s Master of Arts in Applied Ethics & Policy (MA-AEP) prepares you to become one of those leaders.
Through a practical, interdisciplinary education spanning ethics, science, technology, law, and public policy, you’ll develop the skills to help organizations innovate responsibly and translate ambitious ideas into policies and practices that create lasting public value.
One Program. Two Concentrations.
Shape the Future of Patient Care and Biomedical Innovation
Duke’s Master of Arts in Applied Ethics & Policy with a concentration in Bioethics & Science Policy provides an interdisciplinary foundation in ethics, health law, and science policy, equipping graduates to address complex moral questions arising from advances in healthcare, biotechnology, and scientific research.
The Bioethics & Science Policy concentration offers the knowledge and skills required to shape practices and policies about biomedical research and patient care by contributing to ethics committees, advising policymakers, developing institutional guidelines, and helping ensure that scientific innovation is guided by ethical principles. The degree prepares graduates for careers in hospitals, academic institutions, government agencies, research organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and nonprofit organizations in roles such as clinical ethicist, research ethics specialist, policy analyst, or healthcare administrator.
Learn more about the Bioethics & Science Policy concentration
Lead The Future of Responsible Technology
Technology is changing the world at an unprecedented pace. The decisions made today will define how technology shapes society for decades to come. From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to digital privacy and climate innovation, today’s biggest challenges require leaders who understand both technology and its impact on society.
Duke’s Master’s Degree in Applied Ethics & Policy with a concentration in Technology Ethics & Innovation Policy will prepare you to join the growing community of professionals committed to ensuring that innovation advances human well-being, promotes equity, and supports a more sustainable future. The interdisciplinary curriculum positions our graduates to be leaders in some of the most consequential and rapidly evolving fields of the 21st century. Whether your goal is influencing tech policy, guiding ethical corporate strategies, or advancing academic research, the Tech Ethics and Innovation Policy concentration provides the knowledge and practical skills to help get you there.
Learn more about the Tech Ethics & Innovation Policy concentration
About Duke University
Duke University is one of the world’s top research institutions and a leader in transforming its knowledge into solutions for the world.
- Duke is reshaping the way we educate tomorrow’s leaders in science and technology.
- The university encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and a free-flowing exchange of ideas by connecting researchers across schools, units and departments.
- Duke is located in Durham, NC, a city on the east coast of the United States. Durham is consistently rated as one of the top areas to live in the country.
- Duke is near Research Triangle Park (RTP). RTP is the largest research park in the United States and a premier global innovation center located at the geographic center of three Tier-1 research universities.
- Your time in the classroom is only one part of your experience at Duke. Our students become part of one of the world’s leading research universities and a vibrant, interdisciplinary community.
Turn Vision Into Impact
Saudi Vision 2030 is built around a vibrant society, thriving economy, and ambitious nation, and is being implemented through programs designed to develop human capabilities, transform healthcare, strengthen government, diversify the economy, expand industry, and create new opportunities for Saudi citizens.
Those ambitions create a need for a new kind of leader: professionals who understand not only what innovation can make possible, but how to develop, govern, and implement it responsibly.
At Duke, you’ll learn how to:
- Evaluate the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies
- Design policy and governance frameworks that support responsible innovation
- Assess risks involving privacy, security, fairness, transparency, and accountability
- Navigate legal, regulatory, and international policy environments
- Communicate across technical, business, government, and public audiences
- Lead interdisciplinary teams confronting complex, real-world problems
These capabilities can prepare graduates to contribute across many of the sectors and institutions at the center of Saudi Arabia’s transformation.
Saudi Students at Duke & Scholarship Support
Duke University has an established Saudi student community, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in the United States lists the Saudi Student Association at Duke University among its recognized student organizations.
Saudi students may pursue external scholarship sponsorship through Saudi government scholarship programs for study at approved international universities. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education advises students to confirm that their university and specialization meet the requirements of the relevant scholarship pathway.
An Education Aligned with a Changing Saudi Arabia
Human Capability Development
Vision 2030 places human capability at the center of Saudi Arabia’s long-term success. Duke’s MA-AEP develops critical thinking, ethical reasoning, policy analysis, communication, and leadership skills that can help graduates contribute in government, industry, healthcare, research, technology, and other emerging fields. The program is intentionally interdisciplinary. Students can draw on courses, faculty, research, and resources across Duke’s 10 schools and colleges while tailoring their education to their individual academic and professional goals.
Technology, AI and Digital Transformation
Artificial intelligence and other emerging digital technologies are changing economies and institutions worldwide.
Duke’s Technology Ethics and Innovation Policy concentration examines how governments, businesses, and organizations can develop and deploy these technologies responsibly, safely, and effectively. Students learn to analyze technological risks, design governance frameworks, navigate regulatory environments, and develop policies that encourage innovation while protecting people and society.
Healthcare and Biomedical Innovation
Transforming healthcare is another major Vision 2030 priority. Saudi Arabia’s Health Sector Transformation Program seeks to improve healthcare access, quality, prevention, and system effectiveness.
Duke’s Bioethics and Science Policy concentration prepares students to address difficult questions arising from healthcare, biotechnology, biomedical research, health policy, and emerging technologies. Students develop an interdisciplinary foundation in ethics and science policy and learn how to translate ethical analysis into institutional practices and public policy.
Policy, Governance and Responsible Growth
Vision 2030 calls for collaboration across Saudi Arabia’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors, supported by effective and accountable governance. Its National Transformation Program alone has been responsible for a substantial portion of the Vision’s strategic objectives.
The MA-AEP trains students to work at precisely these intersections. You’ll learn to approach difficult decisions from multiple perspectives, weigh competing interests, manage risk, and turn ethical principles into practical policies and governance systems.
Study the Questions That Define the Future
- How should artificial intelligence be governed?
- How can organizations encourage innovation while minimizing harm?
- How should governments regulate technologies that evolve faster than policy?
- How can healthcare innovation improve lives while protecting privacy, autonomy, fairness, and human dignity?
- Who should be accountable when emerging technologies create unintended consequences?
These are not abstract questions. They are increasingly the questions facing policymakers, technology companies, healthcare organizations, research institutions, and business leaders around the world.
Prepare to Bring Your Skills Home
Duke MA-AEP graduates develop transferable skills for careers such as:
- AI governance specialist
- Responsible AI program manager
- Privacy and data governance manager
- Technology risk consultant
- Healthcare ethics consultant
- Public policy advisor
- Compliance and governance leader
Whether your goal is influencing public policy, guiding corporate strategy, or advancing academic research, this degree provides the expertise and flexibility to pursue meaningful opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s Practical: Apply ethical reasoning and policy analysis to real problems through cases, projects, research, and experiential learning.
It’s Interdisciplinary: Study across ethics, technology, science, law, healthcare, and public policy rather than approaching complex problems through a single discipline.
It’s Customizable: Choose between concentrations in Technology Ethics and Innovation Policy or Bioethics and Science Policy and explore electives across Duke.
It’s Forward-thinking: Study AI, biotechnology, cybersecurity, privacy, healthcare innovation, governance, and other issues transforming societies and economies.
It’s Connected to practice: Learn from faculty with experience working with technology companies, research institutions, trade associations, Congressional committees, and government agencies.
The degree develops skills in responsible innovation, technology governance, healthcare and science policy, ethical decision-making, risk management, and policy analysis. These capabilities are relevant to Vision 2030 priorities involving human capability development, healthcare transformation, digital transformation, industrial development, financial innovation, and effective governance. The program is not a Saudi Vision 2030 program or a formal partner.
Students can pursue a concentration in Technology Ethics and Innovation Policy or Bioethics and Science Policy while drawing on interdisciplinary courses and resources across Duke University.
Yes. The Technology Ethics and Innovation Policy curriculum covers areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy, data governance, technology risk, responsible innovation, and policy design. However, the program does not provide technical training on model or application development.
Yes. The Bioethics and Science Policy concentration examines ethical, legal, and policy questions involving healthcare, biomedical research, biotechnology, clinical ethics, and scientific innovation.
The program is designed as a one-year master’s consisting of two academic semesters and a summer capstone experience. Students have the option of extending their studies for an additional semester with significantly reduced tuition.
Yes. The program welcomes international applicants whether they are abroad or already studying in the United States.