| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-09-16 | - |
| 2025-01-20 | - |
Program Overview
The Healthcare Ethics and Law program provides a comprehensive understanding of ethical and legal issues in healthcare. Participants develop skills in applying this knowledge to real-world scenarios and enhance their research and writing abilities. The program is offered online in various formats, allowing healthcare professionals, legal practitioners, and others to pursue their studies at their own pace while gaining valuable insights into this critical field.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Healthcare Ethics and Law program is designed for healthcare professionals, those working in law and regulation, and graduates with an interest in healthcare ethics and law. The program aims to develop students' understanding of ethical and legal issues in a range of real-world scenarios and diverse contexts. It covers topics such as allocating healthcare resources, protecting patients' rights, handling patients' consent, matters relating to prolonging life, and issues around reproductive choices. The program helps students develop their understanding and enhance their decision-making skills.
Objectives:
- Gain a comprehensive knowledge and firm understanding of healthcare ethics and healthcare law.
- Develop the skills needed to apply understanding to real-world scenarios in a diverse range of contexts.
- Enhance research and academic writing skills.
Outline:
Content:
The program covers a wide variety of ethical and legal subjects in both a domestic and global context, including:
- Autonomy
- Consent
- Refusal of treatment
- Mental capacity
- Confidentiality
- The moral status of the foetus
- Resource allocation
- Genetic testing
- Genome sequencing
- Clinical negligence
- Organ and tissue transplantation
- Fertility treatment
- Genetic manipulation
- Research ethics
- Disability screening
- Euthanasia
- End of life care
Structure:
The program is offered in various formats:
- MA (Master of Arts): 24 months, part-time, 100% online
- LLM (Master of Laws): 24 months, part-time, 100% online
- PGDip (Postgraduate Diploma): 18 months, part-time, 100% online
- PGCert Ethics (Postgraduate Certificate in Ethics): 15 months, part-time, 100% online
- PGCert Law (Postgraduate Certificate in Law): 15 months, part-time, 100% online
- CPD (Continuing Professional Development): Flexible duration, 100% online
Course Schedule:
- MA, LLM, PGDip, PGCert Ethics: September enrolment
- PGCert Law: January enrolment
- CPD: Flexible enrolment dates
Modules:
Mandatory Modules:
- Philosophical Bioethics (30 credits): Covers ethical decision-making in healthcare, respect for autonomy, informed consent, confidentiality, coercion, resource allocation, status of the embryo, pregnancy, and euthanasia.
- Medico-Legal Problems (30 credits): Explores the role of law in regulating healthcare practice, including human rights law, consent, patient autonomy, confidentiality, clinical negligence, and alternative systems of redress.
- International Issues in Health Care Law and Ethics (30 credits): Examines global concerns in healthcare, such as public health and healthcare tourism, and the role of international law in regulating areas like biotechnology and organ donation.
Optional Modules:
- Research Ethics (15 credits): Covers the history of research ethics, current law and regulation, and case studies.
- Ethics, Genetics and Genomics (15 credits): Explores ethical debates surrounding genetic technologies, including genetic engineering, genome editing, genetic research, biobanks, genetic testing, and screening.
- Mental Health Law and Policy (15 credits): Focuses on the legal response to managing the health and welfare needs of people with mental disorders or learning disabilities, covering topics like admission to institutional care, medical treatment, community support, and legal rights.
- Medicine, Law and Society (15 credits): Examines decision-making about children's healthcare, reproduction and the law, and human embryo and stem cell research.
Dissertation (60 credits):
- MA and LLM: Students must submit a supervised 10,000 to 12,000-word dissertation on a topic related to healthcare law and ethics.
Assessment:
- Coursework: All course units are assessed by written coursework.
- Dissertation: MA/LLM students must submit a dissertation.
Teaching:
- Teaching Methods: The program utilizes a blended learning approach, combining online materials with interactive activities, podcasts, and access to the University's extensive online library.
- Faculty: The program is led by experienced and approachable academics in the fields of bioethics and medical law. Students can also attend optional study days on campus and research seminars.
Careers:
The program prepares students for a variety of career paths in healthcare, law, and related fields, including:
- Healthcare professionals
- Legal professionals
- Researchers
- Policymakers
- Educators
Other:
- The program is delivered 100% online, allowing students to study from anywhere in the world at their own pace.
- The program is flexible and can be combined with work and other commitments.
- The program provides students with the opportunity to build a network of peers and engage in discussions with tutors and fellow students.
MA/LLM: UK £13,000 EU/international £25,000 PGDip: UK £8,667, EU/international £16,667 PGCert: UK £4,333, EU/international £8,333 Fees (full course) UK: £13,000 EU/international: £25,000 Fees (full course) UK: £8,667 EU/international: £16,667 Fees (full course) UK: £4,333 EU/international: £8,333 Fees (per course) £600 Tuition Policies: Early application discount (10%): Apply on or before 24 June 2024 to receive 10% reduction on your tuition fee. NHS employee discount (10%) Payment by instalments During registration you will have the opportunity to pay your fees in three equal instalments. Postgraduate loans (UK/EU)
