Medical Ethics and Law at Keele University - UCAS

Keele University

Degree level: Postgraduate

Medical Ethics and Law (Taught)

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

From prioritising scarce resources and life/death care decisions, to regulation and conduct in clinical trials and vaccinations, healthcare management poses multiple ethical and legal challenges. Our MA explores the diverse moral problems facing those involved, including clinicians, policymakers, law makers and lawyers. You’ll gain a deeper and more systematic understanding of these issues, together with the knowledge and tools to identify potential legal liability and help solve problems. Popular among various medical, healthcare and legal professionals, as well as recent graduates, this course can be studied flexibly over one, two or five years in short, intensive teaching blocks. Why choose this course?

  • A pioneer in medical ethics and law education, Keele’s programme is one of the longest-running in the UK, delivered continuously since 1987
  • Block teaching delivery (typically three days every two months or so) allows you to study and work full-time and this course benefits from essay-based assessment (no exams)
  • Enjoy rich ethical debates with diverse student cohort which typically includes professionals with medical, legal, religious, voluntary, social, research, education, even media backgrounds
  • Taught by trained philosophers, educators and lawyers
New developments in treatments and technology, coupled with shifting social attitudes, mean that the legal and ethical issues around healthcare and medicine are constantly changing, posing serious moral dilemmas for those involved. Practical in focus and regularly updated to reflect new issues that arise, most recently from COVID-19, our MA aims to help you navigate the complex moral and legal considerations of healthcare planning, delivery, patient contact and associated activities, such as medical research. Is it acceptable, for example, to disclose a patient’s medical history to protect others from infectious diseases like HIV? At what point do health professionals stop trying to prolong life? Or, to save a life, should doctors overrule refusal of treatment based cultural or religious reasons? Undertaking a medical ethics course cannot provide all the answers – not least because there are far too many questions to consider, but also because there often is no easy answer. However, it can prepare you to work out the answers yourself responsibly, professionally and with integrity. By drawing on real-life through case studies, research, news and shared experiences, our MA introduces you to relevant concepts, theories and frameworks – highlighting their pros and cons – as well as providing you with a range of analytical tools with which to assess different ethical and legal claims. You’ll also learn to communicate ethical and legal arguments more clearly to others. About Keele Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university. We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level. Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.

Modules

For information regarding modules for this course, please visit the course page on the Keele University website.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • The Law Society
  • The Bar Council

Entry requirements

Applicants should have at least a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant subject such as medicine, nursing, law, philosophy or medical sciences. We will also consider applicants with equivalent work experience and/or professional/international qualifications in healthcare. Please enquire if you don't have the relevant qualifications but have a professional or other serious interest in health care ethics and law, including (but not limited to) doctors, nurses, midwives, health care managers, intercalating medical students, physiotherapists, radiographers, chaplains, and voluntary workers. Applicants will need to provide 1 academic reference. If you have been out of study for a number of years, an employment reference will be suitable instead. The English Language entry requirement for International students is 6.5. The University also accepts a range of internationally recognised English tests. Students who have graduated from a country where English is the first language and the degree was taught and assessed in English are not normally required to take an IELTS or other English language test. If you do not meet the English language requirements, the University offers a range of English language preparation programmes to help you reach the required level of English. During your degree programme you can study additional English language courses. This means you can continue to improve your English language skills and gain a higher level of English.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Additional fee information

Information relating to the tuition fees and funding options for this course can be viewed on the Keele University website. https://www.keele.ac.uk/study/postgraduatestudy/tuitionfeesandfunding
Medical Ethics and Law at Keele University - UCAS