Bioethics and Medical Law

Entry requirements

Students are normally required to achieve a 2:2 degree from a UK university, or equivalent, in a relevant subject.

Additional requirement information

Alternatively, a professional qualification in teaching, medicine or law is also accepted.

Medical students can also take the full-time MA programme as an intercalated option during their studies usually in their third of fourth year of training.

If you don't meet these requirements you may be admitted if you show evidence of sufficient experience and aptitude for academic study at Master's Level. You'll need to provide a portfolio of suitable work and experience.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Whether you realise it or not bioethics is relevant to all our lives. Even if we never work in healthcare it touches us when we are most vulnerable - when we or those we care for are unwell.

Almost every day, it seems some new ethical dilemma appears in the news; whether to do with assisted dying, stem cell therapies or three-parent IVF, resource allocation, nanotechnologies, human cloning or health and climate change. Having a greater understanding of the issues involved can enable more in-depth public engagement.

Reflection on the ethical principles that underlie medical and allied practice is an important part of continuing career development for healthcare professionals.

Ethics and values are becoming central themes in many boardrooms and planning meetings across all sectors of life. From civic leadership to business, from politics to healthcare, new developments in medicine, biotech, genetics and other sciences are stretching traditional ethical understanding to the limit.

If you are working in any of these areas, or aspire to in the future, the MA in Bioethics and Medical Law is an excellent way to be equipped to play your part.

Many of our students study for the MA as a form of professional development and advancing their career prospects. The degree sharpens your ability to critically engage and contribute to the world around you: the study of a contemporary and universally relevant subject such as medical ethics and law is excellent preparation for any profession that requires graduates with high levels of human understanding, critical skills and knowledge of current affairs.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any section (or equivalent).