Hello, my name is Dr. Kirsty Morton, and I'm the Program Director for the MA in Medical Ethics and Law here at Keele. This is a fantastic program; it's one of the most long-running programs of its kind in the UK, and we've been teaching this program continuously for the last 34 years.
So, what's special about this program, and why should you come to study with us here at Keele? Who is this program for? This program is a program that attracts a really diverse range of students. We have students coming straight from their undergraduate degrees right the way through to those nearing retirement, of all ages and stages of their academic and professional lives. They come from diverse backgrounds, including healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, midwives, vets, dentists, lawyers, those with a scientific background, those with a philosophical or theological background, and sometimes those working in healthcare management or journalism. Anyone with experience and passion for these issues of healthcare ethics and law.
What does the program cover? This program will help equip you to deal with challenging questions that we face both in life and within the professional context. You'll gain an in-depth understanding of ethical questions and challenges, as well as how the law responds to and governs these areas. We have a fantastic teaching team made up of philosophers and lawyers with specialist backgrounds and research interests in bioethics and medical law.
The program itself is also special because it's taught on an intensive basis. There are four taught modules, each taught over just three days. You can opt to study on a full-time basis, completing all four modules and the dissertation in one year, or you can choose part-time study with the modules in year one and the dissertation in year two. There's also a modular basis option, allowing up to five years to complete the program.
In terms of the content, the first module covers foundational ethics, diving deep into ethical and moral frameworks. Module two covers foundational law, including principles, negligence, consent, capacity, information provision, and more. Modules three and four are responsive to current research interests and hot topics, covering issues like the beginning and end of life, questions around the body, healthcare justice, society, resources, conscience, and more.
Each module is assessed by a 5000-word essay, offering flexibility in choosing your topics. The dissertation allows you to research a topic of your choice under the guidance of a supervisor. Our teaching style is interactive, promoting debate, case studies, film viewing, article reports, and practical application of academic study.
I'm looking forward to seeing some of you on the course in September. If you have questions or want to discuss the course further, please contact me via email. Thank you for now, take care, and goodbye.
