Course summary
Ethics, professionalism and law strongly impact the practice of medicine, while and ethical, regulatory and legal matters permeate modern scientific practice. Medical Ethics, Law and Humanities Postgraduate programme introduces students to key perspectives in medical ethics, law and humanities to problems arising in current healthcare practice and biomedical research. Students will learn and apply humanities, ethics and legal analysis to address ethical, legal and social challenges in medical and scientific practice. Healthcare provision and fruits of research in biomedical sciences are strong contributors to our wellbeing, and an important part of modern societies. Scientific and technological developments, resource distribution pressures and challenges such pandemics and demographic changes require those systems to adapt. Assuring such adaptation will require a coordinated effort from health sector, policymakers, scientists, communities and variety of professions in order to promote common good. Could you be part of helping science and medicine to adapt and to work for the common good? If you are looking to make a real difference in adding to a reflective, ethical and informed healthcare and scientific practice, our stimulating MA in Medical Ethics, Law and Humanities will help you to better understand ethical, legal and social challenges in science and medicine and related policy practices. Reflecting contemporary concerns and areas of research and teaching excellence at St George’s, we offer a course that takes us from insights of history of medicine and scientific innovation, through contemporary problems in medicine, science and global health, to considering future of medicine, biomedical sciences and their regulation. Highly applied in nature, drawing on experiences of our own faculty and the many practitioners we have links with, this course will be of particular interest to those who already work or wish to pursue a career in healthcare, science, health or science policy, administration, or management, as well as ethics, philosophy, history, law, politics, and science popularisation and writing.
Modules
By designing the course as a series of related but independent modules, we can deliver a highly flexible programme allowing you to tailor your studies to match your interests and career aspirations. You can also accrue the appropriate amount of credits to achieve the intermediate awards of Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip), building on each qualification over time to achieve your full master’s degree. The MA is made up of 180 credits and can be studied over one year full-time or two years part-time. You will study four 15-credit compulsory modules common to all students, which will introduce you to applied reasoning in medical ethics and law (Medical Ethics and Law), methods in humanities (Introduction to Medical Humanities) and provide a historically grounded and future-looking perspective on medicine and biomedical sciences (History of Medicine, Future of Medicine Ethics). In addition, you will be able to choose from a range of optional modules. When selecting optional modules, you will need to ensure that half the optional modules focus primarily on the humanities and that half the modules focus primarily on ethics and law. You will undertake a research project in a topic linked to your themed degree. To achieve the PgCert (60 credits), you must study the four compulsory modules. For the PgDip (120 credits), in addition to the compulsory modules, you must choose additional modules to the value of 60 credits. Half of these optional modules must focus primarily on the humanities and half must focus primarily on ethics and law. Module availability It is possible that certain modules listed on the course page may not be able to run due to a variety of reasons, such as availability of specialist academics or patterns of student demand, including limitations due to minimum or maximum class sizes. The University will ensure that all affected parties are notified of any changes as soon as possible and propose relevant alternative options if necessary. Core modules Medical Ethics and Law (15 credits) Introduction to Medical Humanities (15 credits) History of Medicine (15 credits) Future of Medicine Ethics (15 credits) Research Project (60 credits) Optional modules Clinical Ethics and Law (15 credits) Research Ethics and Law (15 credits) Global Health Ethics and Law (30 credits) Humanitarian Action Ethics (15 credits) Finding a Leg to Stand On (30 credits) Neuroethics (15 credits) Culture and Mental Health (15 credits) Global Health Humanities (15 credits) Imagining the Other (15 credits)
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
International applicants
You can find extensive information about the support St George's provides for International students on our website: https://www.sgul.ac.uk/study/offer-holders/international-student-support. This includes guidance on the visa application process, preparing for your studies, enrolment, support during your studies, and English language requirements.
Entry requirements
You should have or be expected to achieve, a minimum of a second class degree (2:2). For healthcare graduates, a pass is required. All degrees must be awarded before 1st August on the year of entry.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £6000* | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £6000* | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £6000* | Year 1 |
| Wales | £6000* | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £6000* | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £6000* | Year 1 |
| EU | £12750* | Year 1 |
| International | £12750* | Year 1 |
*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Sponsorship information
Information on our PG Scholarships can be found on our website: https://www.sgul.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-study/postgraduate-scholarships
Provider information
St George's, University of London
Cranmer Terrace
Wandsworth
SW17 0RE