Entry requirements

A good (UK first class or upper second class honours) bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline and a master's degree in ethics, law, or a cognate discipline. Validated professional experience in a relevant field may aslo be excepted. For further information about transcripts required by the University, please see the course website.

Months of entry

January, April, July, September

Course content

National, regional, and local governments, organisations, and authorities are beginning to realise that they need highly trained people in healthcare ethics and law. This means that it is now a good time to aim for the highest academic qualifications in the field.

Traditional graduate studies for a research degree do not offer the ethical and legal knowledge or the comprehensive methodological training needed for cutting-edge research into bioethics and medical jurisprudence. A more structured approach is called for.

This programme is designed to provide a solid skills basis for independent research, and to guide participants steadily towards the completion of a structured doctoral thesis, which is based on publishable journal articles and book chapters.

The programme itself is unique in its combination of taught elements, which are designed to ensure a genuine sense of community among the participants, and friendly but relentless supervision by world-class scholars in the field.

The topics and themes which are covered during the taught period and which are suitable for the students' postgraduate research include classical and contemporary issues like abortion, euthanasia, resource allocation in health care, public health activities, life-style regulation, assisted reproduction, gene therapy, genetic testing, human enhancements, cloning, stem cell research, the doctor-patient relationship, professional responsibility, and the legal and ethical status of living, dead, and unborn bodies; as well as central principles and doctrines like autonomy, rights, sanctity of life, justice, utility, self-determination, dignity, solidarity, precaution, self-governance, and the role of society and community in medicine and health care. All of these are approached in a uniquely analytical and structured way, combining the methodological strengths of medical law and philosophical ethics.

This programme is offered by The Centre for Social Ethics & Policy in The School of Law - one of the leading bioethics and medical jurisprudence institutes in the world, with two decades of experience in campus-based and distance-learning MA programmes, and a lively and productive research environment.

Information for international students

Students whose first language is not English are required to hold IELTS 7.0 with a minimum writing score of 7, or TOEFL 625 paper-based (with a minimum score on "Test of Written English" of 5.0) or 263 computer-based, or TOEFL 106 internet-based, or Cambridge Certificate Grade C.

Qualification and course duration

PhD

part time

72 months

full time

36 months

Course contact details

Name: Postgraduate Admissions Secretary
Email: research-law@manchester.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)161 306 1279

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