Professional Doctorate in Medical Ethics - Keele University
Sunlight mountain  

 

The Centre for Professional Ethics

(PEAK)

Why Study Ethics at Keele?

Professional Ethics at Keele

Professional Doctorate in Medical Ethics

Introduction

This course is designed for health care professionals who already have a Masters Level qualification in Medical Ethics or a related subject, or who have substantial experience at a senior level. There are two different qualifications available, the Professional Doctorate in Medical Ethics (DMedEth), which is taken part-time, and the Master of Research in Medical Ethics (MRes), which may be taken part-time or full-time.

The professional doctorate is equivalent in status to the traditional PhD, and professional doctorates in subjects such as pharmacy, business administration, and finance, have been available for a number of years. The DMedEth is the UK’s first professional doctorate to focus specifically on medical ethics.

Entry requirements

In general, it is expected that most applicants will have:

  • A good Masters degree in ethics or a closely-related subject
  • Five years practical experience in the health care field

Non-standard alternatives to the first criterion could include a combination of a high level of professional seniority or experience with a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject at high level, or an outstanding postgraduate diploma result.

Applicants will be asked to supply a recent sample of written work and are likely to be invited to an interview.

Please note that the course pre-assumes quite a lot of knowledge about applied ethics and ethical theory. Potential applicants with an M level qualification in another subject and no formal background in ethics should consider taking one of our PgDip or MA courses first.

Aims of the course

This course aims to provide you with advanced critical, analytical and argumentative skills, to deliver personal fulfilment, professional development and career enhancement, and to encourage reflective practice. It will provide you with knowledge of a range of research methods in and approaches to medical ethics, which can be applied fruitfully to moral problems and dilemmas that you encounter in their your own professional practice. You will also learn how to produce independent policy- and practice-relevant medical ethics research.

A full list of course aims and objectives or a full downloadable information pack are available.

Course structure

This is a part-time course, which has been specially designed so that it can be combined with the demands of full-time employment and be available to healthcare professionals from all over the country and beyond. The teaching in Part I (the first two years of the course) take place in three short intensive teaching blocks per year, usually in November, February, and May. In Part II you will have a personal supervisor to advise and assist you with your research. Contact with your supervisor can be by phone and email but there is an expectation that there will be at least one face-to-face meeting per semester.

Dates of teaching blocks for the next intake can be found here.

We regard high levels of participation in discussion as particularly important for learning in this area, and employ techniques which encourage this whenever possible. Your own work and academic experience will enable you to make an important and distinctive contribution to the seminars.

See the full course structure document.

Course Content

Part 1 Modules (each worth 20 credits at level 4)

Module 1 - Moral Theory in Medical Ethics Research

What is moral theory? What moral theories are there? How (if at all) should moral theory be used in medical ethics research? How, (if at all) can moral theory be used to assess and develop health care policy and practice? How have medical ethics researchers used moral theory? What are the main criticisms of moral-theoretical approaches?

Module 2 - Philosophical Medical Ethics

What is philosophical research? What philosophical techniques and research methods are available? How (if at all) should philosophy be used in medical ethics research? How (if at all) can philosophy be used to assess and develop health care policy and practice? How have medical ethics researchers applied philosophy to medical ethics? What are the main criticisms of philosophical approaches?

Module 3 - Ethical Appraisal

In this module, you will be invited to use ethics and analytical-philosophical techniques as ways of evaluating policy documents and producing clear and coherent policy documents of your own. The module also addresses the following questions. How can ethics be used to appraise professional practice? How can ethics be used to critically assess policy? How can ethics and analytical-philosophical techniques be used to scrutinise healthcare law?

Module 4 - Contemporary Research in Applied Ethics


Module 5 - Interdisciplinary Approaches to Medical Ethics

What is interdisciplinary medical ethics research? What kinds of interdisciplinary medical ethics research are there? How can interdisciplinary work be used in medical ethics research? How can interdisciplinary work be used to assess and develop health care policy and practice?

Module 6 - Thesis Proposal Conference

This represents the conclusion of almost two years work on your thesis proposal. You will be invited to present the proposal (which will, by then, be well worked out) to your peers and to a panel of supervisors and/or guest experts.

Assessment

Part I

Part I is taught in six intensive blocks over two years.  These are assessed in a variety of ways, including essays, reports, ethical appraisals, and short presentations.  In order to proceed to Part II, you must satisfactorily complete Part I.

Part II

Part II is the thesis component.  Part II of the DMedEth is a thesis of up to 60,000 words, and takes an additional 2-5 years.  Alternatively, you may decide to develop your thesis proposal into a 15,000 word dissertation in just one year.  This, if successful, will lead to the award of an MRes (Master of Research) in Medical Ethics. In Part II you may either meet with your supervisor at mutually convenient times, or keep in touch by email or telephone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When should I apply? Is there a closing date for applications?

Please see our Course Dates and Applications Deadlines page for the latest information on closing dates. The closing date for applications will also be stated in the information pack. Occasionally we can accept late applications but this will mean a delay in obtaining access to the library and computer systems etc. We do advise that you apply as early as possible as our courses are on occasion over-subscribed.

Click here for more information about making an application.

What are the fees? Is there any funding available?

Please contact us for the latest fees information. Like all UK universities, Keele has different rates for "home" (UK and EU students) and "overseas" students. Fee status is determined by residency rather than nationality. More information on what your fee status is likely to be can be found on this "ready reckoner" produced by the Department for Education and Skills.

Unfortunately, Keele University is not currently able to offer any assistance with fees. We would recommend that students enquire whether any training funds are available from their employers, as many of our current students have been successful in obtaining whole or part funding for the course.

Do you accept students from outside the UK?

We do. Fees from students from all EU Member States are the same as for home students. The same admissions criteria apply to overseas applicants, but we would also normally expect English language test scores of at least IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) from students from non-English-speaking countries.

Is accommodation provided during the taught blocks? Do the course fees include accommodation?

Students are responsible for booking their own accommodation, and this is not included in the course fees. However, a list of accommodation in the local area will be provided before the course starts. Students may be able to obtain accommodation at a discounted rate from the University Management Centre during teaching blocks. The Management Centre is a conference venue (not a student hall of residence) and is located about fifteen minutes walk from the main university campus.

I live a long way away from Keele. How will I be able to get access to books and journals?

As well as Keele library, our students also have online access to a wide range of books, journal articles and other materials through the ATHENS password system. Keele is a member of the UK SCONUL scheme, which means that our students can borrow books from most other university libraries in the UK. Keele students also have access to the Blackwell Reference Online, The Philosophers' Index, Lawtel, Westlaw, LexisNexis Butterworths, and netLibrary. A Library and IT training session is included in the first module of the course. More information on electronic resources can be found on our Information for Current Students page.

Course tutors regularly check the availability of books on the reading list for each assignment, and try to recommend readings that are not only in the Keele library, but which are also either available online or as part of a reasonably-priced edited collection. Assignment questions and reading lists for the whole first year are contained in the course handbook in order to allow students to plan ahead.

Are Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points available for this course?

CPD points may be available. Please see our CPD page for details.

Career destination information

The course will make a significant contribution towards professional development and career progression. Graduates will have developed their analytic and reasoning skills and have gained substantial new knowledge. Moreover, many health sector employers now recognise the importance of medical ethics.

PEAK equal opportunities statement

How to Apply?

Please note that the application form is a generic one used for traditional PhDs as well as professional doctorates. It therefore contains a section asking for "an outline of your research proposal identifying the field of research, key research questions, possible methodologies, and some background to the proposal". Since the aim of Part I of the DMedEth is to teach you about the various methodologies that might be applied in writing your thesis, you are not expected to have a fully worked-out methodology. You should use this space to tell us as much as possible about the ethical topic that you hope to address in your thesis, and the questions that you will be aiming to answer. You will not, however, be committed to the particular research questions or approaches that you identify here.

More information about making an application 

Taking things further

Applications and enquiries for Autumn 2012 are very welcome.

Applications should be made online.

If you have any questions please contact us.

Those students who had been interested in taking the (suspended) MA in Ethics of Policing and Criminal Justice should contact the Course Director for further information. There will be no intake to this programme in 2011/12.