The MSC in Healthcare Ethics and Law is delivered part-time over a two-year period. All lectures will be delivered online for 2023-24.
In Year 1, five modules are delivered are assessed, in nine teaching blocks from October to June.
In Year 2, three modules are delivered and assessed, in five teaching blocks from October to February.
Lectures, tutorials and case studies across Year 1 and 2 are delivered once a month on a Friday and Saturday from 9am - 5pm each day. A sample timetable is available below.
All lectures and seminars will continue to be delivered online for the 2022-23 academic year. This is subject to review for the 2023-24 academic year.
Modules
| Introduction to Healthcare Ethics and Law |
This module is a foundation module and introduces you to the philosophical and legal principles that underpin healthcare ethics and law. |
| Autonomy and Paternalism |
This module explores in detail the many changes that have occurred in the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients and examines the implications of these changes. Important themes such as patient and professional autonomy are explored as well as the implications of autonomy for confidentiality and consent |
| The Beginning of Life – Ethical and Legal Issues |
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the moral and legal status of the human foetus, the issues involved in termination of pregnancy and the various ethical and legal issues that arise in a range of assisted reproduction technologies. |
| The End of Life – Ethical and Legal Issues |
This module explores the issues which occur in the care of patients at the end of their lives. The aim of this module is to ensure that you gain a good understanding of the different ethical and legal issues that may arise in end-of-life care. It also explores how autonomy has increasingly affected decision making at the end of life and how this impacts on the responses of healthcare professionals. |
| Public Health |
This module introduces you to the ethical issues that arise when the topic of resource allocation is addressed. It examines the legal and ethical issues in mental healthcare, intellectual disability and neuro-ethics. Legal and ethical issues that arise in human enhancement are also explored. |
| Research Methods |
This module provides you with the tools and skills necessary to apply appropriate research methodologies and to complete a dissertation to MSc standard. It explores the legal and ethical issues when conducting human and animal research. |
| Implications of the New Genetics |
This module addresses the issues arising in genetic testing, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, human stem cell research and human cloning. |
| Dissertation |
At the end of the programme, you are required to submit a dissertation of 16,000 words on a topic of your choice. You will be assigned a dissertation director who will assist you in your work. The dissertation aims to encourage you to engage in more in-depth and systematic research in your chosen topic. |
A comprehensive overview of each module is available here.
Assessment
Your learning on each module is assessed by one of a number of methods, including coursework assignments, research proposal and a research dissertation.
