University of Mary Bioethics Program

10/06/2026

Can an algorithm make a moral decision—or is that a responsibility ...

09/26/2026

When AI enters health care, what happens to the human person?

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way health care is delivered, from diagnosis and decision-making to research and patient care. But alongside the possibilities come some important questions:

Who is responsible when AI makes or influences a medical decision? How do we protect human dignity? And what should never be handed over to a machine?

Pope Leo XIV takes up questions like these in his encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.

“Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it.”

The National Catholic Bioethics Center recently explored the encyclical and its implications for bioethics. These are exactly the kinds of questions we'll be exploring at the University of Mary's Catholic Bioethics Education Seminar, including a speaker Q&A on “Catholic Perspectives on AI in Health Care.”

Read what the NCBC has to say about AI, human dignity, and the new encyclical from one of the featured speakers here: https://umary.life/47nG3es

Then come explore the questions with us October 1–2.

📍 University of Mary | Bismarck
🎓 10 Continuing Education Credits Available
📝 Registration deadline: September 27

Learn more: umary.edu/NCBC

09/08/2026

📚✨First Day of School… Mom’s Edition!✨📚

Amy’s teenagers decided it was only fair that Mom get a first-day-of-school photo, too—and we couldn’t agree more!

Fall classes for our online learners began Monday, and Amy is a beautiful example of lifelong learning in action. As a wife, mother, healthcare professional, and student, she is embracing God’s call to keep growing in wisdom and using her gifts in service to others.🙏

We’re proud of the many mothers and adult learners in our Master of Science in Bioethics online program at the University of Mary who show their families that learning, faith, and vocation can grow together.💗

Here’s to Year 2, Amy! 🎓✨

08/31/2026

08/25/2026

Join us on October 1-2 for the NCBC Two-Day Seminar at the University of Mary. You won't want to miss it!

Save your spot by visiting www.umary.edu/NCBC

07/29/2026

You won't want to miss the 5th Annual Saint Gianna Medical Professionals Conference! Please join us for what is sure to be a great event. 🤩

07/07/2026

This June, we had the privilege of welcoming the newest cohort of Master of Science in Bioethics students to campus for the Bioethics Summer Institute. For many, it was their first opportunity to experience the University of Mary in person and to meet classmates and faculty face-to-face as they begin their second year of study.

Throughout the week, students participated in engaging discussions and interdisciplinary learning focused on public policy, law and bioethics, and faith and reason. Together, they explored today's most pressing bioethical questions while strengthening their ability to integrate rigorous scholarship with a commitment to the dignity of the human person.

Beyond the classroom, the Summer Institute provided an opportunity to build meaningful friendships and foster a community rooted in shared faith, intellectual curiosity, and a desire to serve others. We are grateful to journey alongside this outstanding group of scholars and look forward to all they will accomplish in the year ahead.

05/18/2026

Nearly one month ago, the Master of Science in Bioethics Class of 2026 crossed the commencement stage — a moment that marked not only the completion of a degree, but the culmination of countless conversations, challenges, late nights, and moments of profound growth.

As we reflect on commencement season, we are reminded that bioethics is far more than an academic discipline. It is a calling to serve with wisdom, compassion, courage, and truth in a world that deeply needs thoughtful leaders.

To our graduates: thank you for the way you challenged ideas, pursued truth with integrity, and supported one another throughout this journey. Your dedication to the dignity of the human person and the ethical pursuit of healthcare, research, and leadership gives us great hope for the future.

Though commencement is now behind us, the mission continues. May you move forward with confidence, humility, and the conviction to lead where ethics and humanity matter most.

Congratulations again to the University of Mary Master of Science in Bioethics Class of 2026. 💙

04/21/2026

This is real now.

On April 25, we’ll celebrate the largest graduating class in University of Mary history: 1,081 graduates.

Behind that number are stories of perseverance, calling, and community. Students who balanced work and family. Who found their purpose in nursing, leadership, social work, business, and beyond.

This class also marks several “firsts” for Mary:
• our first Nursing Academy cohort
• our first Master of Social Work graduates
• our first Nazareth Seminary undergraduates

We’ll also pause to remember Cecilia Beiter, a nursing student whose life and witness continue to impact this community. She will be honored alongside her classmates.

This day belongs to every graduate, every family, every mentor who helped them get here.

Learn more at https://umary.life/4tZ0uaT and join us live on April 25 at 2:30 p.m. at www.lifeatmary.com