Medical Humanities (Online)

Teaching is delivered through a combination of online lectures, workshops and scaffolded assignments – the latter format being where large-scale topics are broken down into smaller units which are delivered online by subject experts and discussed collaboratively with peers. For some modules you will also form online study groups with other students to work on group projects.

You will also complete a 15,000-word dissertation for which you will receive one-to-one guidance from a dissertation tutor to support you through the planning and writing process.

Assessment is challenging and comes in a variety of formats for this course. You will be expected to produce essays, annotated bibliography entries and Student Devised Assessments (SDA) when you will deliver your study findings using creative and context-appropriate methods. 

A number of modules include presentations followed by written peer reviews of presentations. You will also compile learning logs and complete a major 15,000-word dissertation.

At least one of the following:

• A 2:1 undergraduate degree
• Active enrolment on an intercalated UG/PG medical degree programme
• At least five years work in a professional environment with relevance to health and/or medicine, with at least two years in some form of leadership role
• Successful completion of the associated PG Certificate programme

A 500-word personal statement which should include the following:

• An outline of your interest in an interdisciplinary MA in Medical Humanities
• What skills and knowledge you would bring to the course
• What skills and knowledge you would hope to acquire
• An indication of your planned area of research

English language requirements

Full Time Fees

Part Time Fees

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only. More information is available here: Tuition fees - how much are they - Durham University

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Our taught MA degrees provide a strong foundation for a future in research and many postgraduates stay with us to undertake PhD studies.

Graduates who progress into the workplace take with them a range of professional and transferable skills that are valued in the public and private sectors. As well as advanced communication and analytical skills they are equipped to understand complex scenarios from multiple perspectives.

An increasing number of employers are incorporating sustainable and wellbeing goals into their organisations which open up pathways into a wider range of sectors. For Environmental Humanities graduates, career options include government agencies, corporate responsibility and sustainability, sustainability management, policy research, environmental journalism, environmental tourism, conservation work, environmentally oriented NGOs and charities.

The Medical Humanities suite of qualifications opens the door to roles in medicine, non-profit organisations, policy settings, bioethics, and contexts where health inequality and critical medical debates are vital. For those in early career roles in the sector, a postgraduate qualification can also lead to more senior roles and responsibilities.

From health and the human experience to responses to the environmental crisis, our flexible and accessible postgraduate qualifications are centred around areas that are highly relevant in the world today.

These innovative qualifications in Environmental Humanities and Medical Humanities take a non-scientific approach to real-world challenges, considering them from a range of social, historical, ethical and anthropological perspectives.

Our courses extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries, drawing on methods and insights from the arts, humanities, social sciences and the natural sciences to develop effective responses to climate and environmental crises and to health and wellbeing challenges.

Students learn directly from many of the UK’s leading academic experts in these rapidly developing fields. Our team takes a collaborative approach that enables more effective communication across disciplines to address the intersecting nature of these problems.

All of our courses, from postgraduate certificate through to MA, are designed to nurture thoughtful, critical and engaged graduates who are equipped with the academic knowledge and skills to make a meaningful contribution in a rapidly changing and complex world.

Facilities

The interdisciplinary nature of our courses combined with the flexibility in modules gives our students access to a range of teaching and learning facilities across the wider University as well as the specialist archives and collections in arts and humanities.

These facilities are located throughout Durham within easy access of the historic city centre with its castle and cathedral and beautiful riverside.

We are home to a number of related research centres and institutes including the Centre for Culture and Ecology, a group of researchers who explore the effects of changing climate on the location, abundance, behaviour and physiology of populations and communities. The Institute of Medical Humanities is a pioneering research institute that explores the everyday experiences of health and illness from the emergence of symptoms to the cultural contexts and constructs of health.

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