Overview

The aim of the course is to train bioethics and medical law experts who will display skill and proficiency in the fields of bioethics & health law. The course aims to develop capacity and excellence in the ethical & legal analysis of issues arising in health care and research. Graduates will be able to apply their knowledge to the evaluation and management of bioethical and medico-legal problems and to propose solutions that are ethically acceptable and within the constraints of the law.

Curriculum

The curriculum comprises two parts:

• Part 1, the coursework component, entails the successful completion of 5 taught units.
• Part 2 consists of a written research report of at least 15 000, but no longer than 20 000 words in length. Part 1 constitutes 50% of the degree and Part 2 the remaining 50%.

The curriculum extends over two years of part-time study. Students complete the following four units in their first year: Foundations of Bioethics, Foundations of Health Law, Advanced Health Ethics and Advanced Research Ethics.  In their second year they complete the Research Methods unit and Research Report.

Successful completion of the units and the written Research Report will lead to the degree of Master of Science in Medicine in the field of Bioethics and Health Law.  

Description of Units (Part 1)

The units are taught in block release form. The block release for each unit is 5 days, with the exception of Foundations of Bioethics. After the teaching blocks have been completed, students are expected to produce written work in the form of tests and essays, for assessment.  These must be submitted by the specified submission due dates.

• Research Methods 

This course will provide students with rigorous training in independently designing, implementing and evaluating research, including research design, sampling procedures and data analysis. It will cover both research projects of an essentially normative and legal nature, as well as empirical projects (qualitative or quantitative) that include a normative and legal element.  Students will be trained in every part of the research cycle (question formulation; literature review; use of secondary sources; primary and secondary argumentation; ethical and legal analysis; methodology to collect and analyse primary data), including the writing of reports. In terms of values and attitudes, the course aims to instil in students a commitment to ethical research. The course will prepare them to produce a research protocol/proposal suitable to their project, and ultimately a research report.

• Foundations of Bioethics

This unit is designed to enable you to analyse and evaluate issues in bioethics within the context of a solid ethical framework. Major theoretical, non-theoretical and other ways of viewing the world will be taught. The course intends to provide a foundational understanding of the relationship between concepts, logic & argumentation and fallacies of reasoning. 

• Foundations of Health Law

This unit will cover sources of South African law, the Constitution, statutory and common law in the context of health. Criminal, civil and family law and their interaction with health will be explored. The National Health Act will be discussed as well as the amendments to the Medicines & Related Substances Act. International law in relation to health is included in this unit.  

• Advanced Health Ethics

This unit addresses a number of important issues in bioethics and health law critically and in depth. Three to four important issues will be focussed on each year relating to ethical and medico-legal issues in clinical contexts, reproductive health, policy and public health, resource allocation, genetics, health and human rights, environmental bioethics and others. Students will learn how to apply the ethical theories, ethical and legal principles, and their critical and analytical skills learnt in the foundations units to specific ethical and medico-legal questions.

• Advanced Research Ethics

This unit introduces and explains a number of topical ethical issues in research ethics, including what constitutes unethical research, standards of care in a study, authorship guidelines and plagiarism. The role and modus operandi of Research Ethics Committees are outlined.  Finally, clearly articulated standards of good clinical practice in research relevant to local realities and contexts are provided.  These include obtaining valid informed consent, considering specific subgroups, standards of care for trial participants, access to study medications following completion of a clinical trial, issues pertaining to incentives affecting researchers and participants, releasing and publishing research results and the implementation of research findings.

Description of the Research Report (Part 2)

Students apply what has been taught in the research methods course, as well as the other units in the programme,  and carry out a supervised  research study on an approved topic. This research project may be either essentially normative and legal in nature, or empirical with a normative and legal component.

Entry Requirements

For admission into this course, a minimum of 65% average in final year courses of your highest degree obtained is required to be considered as a student. This does not guarantee a place in the course, as numbers are limited.

• Any of the following may be admitted as a candidate:
  • A graduate of the University of Witwatersrand who has been awarded any of the following degrees:
  • Bachelor of Dental Science
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
  • Bachelor of Nursing
  • Bachelor of Science in Occupational therapy
  • Bachelor of Pharmacy
  • Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy
  • Bachelor of Science with Honours, or
• A graduate who has been awarded any other qualification, the normal curriculum of which extends over not less than four years’ full-time study, of the University, who in the opinion of Senate, is sufficiently qualified to undertake the field of study proposed or research (or both) required for the qualification, or
• Any person who has satisfied Senate, by means of written or oral test (or both), or by any other mode of assessment to be determined from time to time by Senate, that s/he is sufficiently qualified to undertake the line of study proposed or research (or both), required for the qualification.

For admission into this course, a minimum of 65% average in final year courses of your highest degree obtained is required to be considered as a student. This does not guarantee a place in the course, as numbers are limited.

University Application Process

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.