Master of Commerce and Master of International Relations

Program Overview

The Master of Commerce is a practical and flexible program designed to meet the needs of employers and is intended to broaden business knowledge, making graduates highly employable in a range of careers. Students can choose from various specializations in business and commerce, including accounting, business management and organizations, finance, or marketing. The program combines theoretical learning with practical and professional experience, including a supervised workplace internship in commerce.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program, the Biomedical and Healthcare Ethics MA, is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the complex ethical issues faced by professionals in the biomedical and healthcare sectors. The program delves into current issues, debates, and theories surrounding ethical principles in medicine and healthcare. Students gain a critical understanding of concepts like trust, confidentiality, autonomy, and consent, applying these principles to real-life case studies. The program benefits from input from healthcare professionals and incorporates the latest social, technological, and political developments. Students learn from experts actively engaged in research in this field. The program fosters a diverse community of students from various backgrounds and offers support for career advancement, career changes, and exploration of new subject areas. Students can choose to study on campus or through distance learning, at the Masters or PGDip level, with both full-time and part-time options available.

Outline:

The program's curriculum is structured to provide a solid foundation in theoretical knowledge and advanced research skills. Students apply their learning through an independent research project on a topic of their choice. Part-time students study over a longer period, taking fewer modules each year.

Year 1 Compulsory Modules:

• Reason, Virtues and Obligation: This module explores the foundations of ethical reasoning, including virtue ethics, deontological ethics, and consequentialism.
It examines the role of reason and emotion in ethical decision-making and explores the nature of moral obligation.
• Conscience, Codes and Professional Issues: This module examines the role of conscience in professional ethics, focusing on the development and application of ethical codes in healthcare.
It explores ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals, such as conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and informed consent.
• Autonomy, Rationality and Psychiatric Issues: This module explores the concept of autonomy in healthcare, considering the challenges of respecting patient autonomy in cases of mental illness or cognitive impairment.
It examines the ethical implications of psychiatric treatment, including medication, therapy, and involuntary commitment. It explores ethical frameworks for resource allocation, such as need, merit, and equality, and examines the challenges of balancing competing claims to healthcare resources.
• Current Developments in Health Care Ethics: This module explores emerging ethical issues in healthcare, such as the use of artificial intelligence, genetic testing, and end-of-life care.
It examines the ethical implications of these technologies and practices and considers the role of ethical frameworks in guiding their development and application.
• Health Care Ethics: Dissertation: This module provides students with the opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic of their choice related to biomedical and healthcare ethics.
Students will develop a research proposal, conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze data, and write a dissertation that presents their findings and conclusions. It explores the ethical implications of these technologies and practices and considers the role of ethical frameworks in guiding their development and application. It explores the ethical implications of these practices and considers the role of ethical frameworks in guiding their development and application.

Teaching:

Taught modules are delivered through weekly group seminars led by tutors. Each module typically involves four hours of contact time per week. Some modules may include group project work. Independent study is also a crucial component of the degree, allowing students to enhance their research and analytical skills and gain diverse perspectives on key issues. Assessment is primarily through essays and coursework assignments. Students receive support from tutors and can discuss their work before submission. Group projects and presentations may also be used to assess progress in some modules.

Careers:

A postgraduate qualification in biomedical and healthcare ethics can enhance confidence in handling workplace decisions with ethical implications. It also improves transferable skills such as research, analysis, and oral and written communication. Graduates pursue careers in research, including academic appointments at universities, PhD studies, and research roles in organizations like the King's Fund. Others enter healthcare management, join research or clinical ethics committees, or teach medical or healthcare ethics at medical schools.

Other:

The University of Leeds Library, a major academic research library, provides extensive resources to support student studies. Students can access a wide range of books, journals, and other materials online, as well as webinars on academic skills.

UK: £11,500 (Total) International: £24,500 (Total)