Applicants frequently ask, “Where do I go from here?”
Our answer: “Anywhere you want.”
Demand for professionals who can navigate the complex ethical, policy, and social questions presented by modern science and emerging technology continues to grow across every sector. Graduates of Duke’s interdisciplinary Applied Ethics & Policy Master’s Program (MA-AEP) are uniquely positioned to lead in some of the most consequential and rapidly evolving fields of the 21st century.
With two concentrations in Bioethics & Science Policy, or Tech Ethics & Innovation Policy, the MA-AEP degree opens career opportunities across the workforce in government agencies, healthcare organizations, technology companies, consulting firms, research organizations, startups, nonprofit organizations, and international institutions.
Graduates pursue careers such as:
- Clinical Ethicist
- Director of Clinical Research
- Technology Policy Analyst/Bioethics Policy Analyst
- AI Governance Specialist
- Chief Innovation Officer
- Responsible AI Program Manager
- Digital Ethics Advisor
- Privacy and Data Governance Manager
- Technology Risk Consultant
- Healthcare Ethics Consultant
- Trust and Safety Manager
- Public Policy Advisor
- Compliance and Governance Leader
- Government Affairs Specialist
- ESG and Responsible Innovation Leader
- Researcher Assistant
- Nonprofit and International Organization Policy Specialist
Where do our graduates end up?
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.
Duke’s Master Of Arts In Applied Ethics & Policy Sets Graduates Up for Success
The interdisciplinary training provided by Duke equips graduates with the critical thinking, leadership, and communication skills needed to influence decision-making at the highest levels, ensuring that technological and scientific progress advances human well-being, equity, and public trust. In a world increasingly shaped by innovation, the career possibilities are virtually limitless for professionals who can bridge ethics, technology, and policy.
Sample Post-Graduation Career Outcomes
| Grad. Year | Degree | Post-graduation Career |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | MA | Blackrock Neurotech |
| 2024 | MA | Clinical Research Coordinator, Columbia University Irving Medical Center |
| 2024 | MA | Program Coordinator, Duke Deep Tech |
| 2024 | MA | Howard University School of Medicine, joint JD/MD degree |
| 2024 | MA | University of Louisville School of Medicine |
| 2024 | MA | Science & Technology Analyst, US Army Futures Command |
| 2023 | MA | Global AI Associate, DIA |
| 2023 | MA | Vanderbilt Law School |
| 2023 | MA | Regional Ethicist, Ottawa Hospital & Champlain Centre for Healthcare Ethics |
| 2022 | MA | SAS Sr Trustworthy AI Specialist |
| 2022 | MA | Emory University Law School |
| 2022 | MA | AI Policy Specialist, Sony AI |
| 2022 | MA | Chief Strategist, Moral IT |
| 2022 | MA | Sr. Analyst, Goldman Sachs |
| 2021 | MA | Sr. Research Associate. BioMADE |
| 2021 | MA | Stanford Medical School |
| 2021 | MA | Medical School, Washington University St. Louis |
| 2020 | MA | Invitae Genetic Testing, Lake Forest, CA |
| 2020 | MA | Duke Lab: Peter Ubel |
| 2019 | MA | Duke Margolis Center, Durham, NC |
| 2019 | MA | Gorgias, San Francisco, CA |
| 2018 | JD/MA | Clerk, Judge Allyson K. Duncan, US Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit |
| 2018 | JD/MA | Clerk, Judge Hardiman, US Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit |
| 2018 | MA | Research Associate, Duke SciPol, Duke Humans & Autonomy Lab |
| 2018 | MA | Associate Regulatory Scientist at 23andMe |
| 2018 | JD/MA | Clerk, Chief Judge James C. Dever III, US District Court, Eastern District of NC |
| 2018 | MA | Policy Analyst at NHGRI |
| 2018 | JD/MA | Clerk, Judge Guzman, Supreme Court of Texas |
| 2018 | MA | IQVIA, Analyst in Real World Enriched Studies |
| 2018 | MA | Proposals & Contracts Specialist, Nuventra Pharma Sciences |
| 2018 | MA | Medical School, Duke School of Medicine |
| 2017 | MA | Senior Clinical Research Specialist, Duke Global Digital Health Science Center |
| 2017 | MA | Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
| 2017 | JD/MA | Associate, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP |
| 2017 | MA | Keenan Fellow, Duke |
| 2017 | MA | Associate, Pew Charitable Trusts |
| 2017 | MA | SSU & Regulatory Specialist, Syneos Health |
| 2017 | MA | Health Policy Fellow, Future of Privacy Forum |
| 2017 | MA | Environmental Science & Policy Associate, EPA |
| 2017 | MA | Medical School, East Tennessee State University |
| 2017 | MA | Medical School, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University |
| 2017 | MA | Legislative Asst, US Senate, Senator Jeff Flake (AZ) |
| 2017 | JD/MA | Associate, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP |
| 2016 | MA | Policy Analyst at Helix |
| 2016 | MA | Senior Policy Advisor, Milieu Ltd |
| 2016 | MA | Editas Medicine |
| 2016 | MA | Duke Neurobiology Lab |
| 2016 | MA | Health Sciences Grad School, Erasmus University |
| 2016 | MA | Bioethics & Science Policy, Quintiles |
| 2016 | MA | Fellow, Duke Center on Law & Technology |
| 2016 | JD/MA | IP (Patent) Litigation Specialist, Cooley LLP |
| 2016 | MA | Field Tech, National Ecological Observatory Network |
| 2016 | MA | Cornell Law School |
| 2015 | MA | Duke Law School |
| 2015 | MA | Health policy analyst, NHGRI |
| 2015 | MA | IRB specialist, science writer, Duke IRB |
| 2015 | MA | Stanford Program in Neuroscience and Society, Harvard Law School |
| 2015 | MA | NeuroVice |
| 2015 | MA | Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service |
| 2015 | MA | Helix, Bain & Company |