LLM in Health, Law and Society

Programme overview

This distinctive LLM programme examines how to approach some of the greatest challenges and opportunities for law and policy as mechanisms to address health and wellbeing. It looks at questions including reproductive justice, social and mental health and wellbeing, health inequalities, and the diverse roles of social and political institutions in shaping health, law and society.

It, therefore, goes beyond traditional courses on healthcare law to look at the relationships between law, governance and health across society and governmental sectors. Students will enjoy the opportunity to study wide-ranging questions concerning the impacts of law, regulation, policy and practice on health and wellbeing.

The attraction and advantage of studying for this LLM lie in both its subject coverage and the range of transferable skills it promotes. It would be of benefit in many different practical settings and careers. It is suitable for anyone working or planning a career in policy, healthcare management, health regulation (including at local authority level), healthcare and social care provision, legal practice, public health, advocacy, NGOs, special interest groups or legal/policy research.

You will be taught by academics who combine internationally recognised research profiles with wide experience within organisations responsible for policy development, professional regulation and social advocacy. The programme includes core teaching in health law and governance, along with specialist units.

We have a large and vibrant international community and our LLM students benefit from small class sizes taught by world-renowned experts.

Programme structure

You will take four taught units (30 credit points each, 120 credit points overall) and a compulsory dissertation (60 credit points). The programme comprises two compulsory core health law units, an optional specialist health law unit and an open choice for your fourth LLM unit.

Exit awards

All taught masters programmes unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to exit from the programme with a postgraduate diploma or certificate.

To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.

To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.

Degree classifications:

An award with Merit or Distinction is permitted for postgraduate taught masters, diplomas and certificates, where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications. An award with Merit or Distinction is not permitted for exit awards where students are required to exit the programme on academic grounds. An exit award with Merit or Distinction may be permitted where students are prevented by exceptional circumstances from completing the intended award.

The classification of the award in relation to the final programme mark is as follows:

Award with Distinction*: at least 65 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation. **Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.

Award with Merit*: at least 60 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 60 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.

*The MA in Law has separate regulations for awarding distinction and merit.
**For the award of Distinction, the Faculty of Engineering requires at least 70 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation.

Diploma/certificate stages:

All taught masters programmes unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to choose, or be required, to leave at the postgraduate diploma or certificate stage.

To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.

To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.

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Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold an upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent professional experience) in disciplines associated with the focus of the programme. A degree in law is not a prerequisite.

Applicants intercalating from professional medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences programmes must have successfully completed year three to be eligible for this programme. Graduates of these professional clinical programmes are also eligible.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you need to meet this profile level:

Profile B

You need to achieve required levels of English to qualify for a place on your chosen course/programme.

Different courses/programmes need different levels of language skills. We refer to these skill levels as ‘profiles’. The profile for your chosen course/ programme is shown on the course/programme page.

The tests and levels you need to achieve to meet the requirements are on each profile page.

English language proficiency tests should have been obtained within two years of the start date of your programme/course.

Careers

This programme will develop your specialist knowledge and understanding and transferable skills. Its content and approach to teaching and assessment support diverse career paths in healthcare practice and management, health policy and regulation, healthcare provision, legal practice, public health practice, social advocacy (for example, in pressure groups or NGOs) and legal/policy research.

The LLM can be a starting point for careers in these fields, while also providing an appropriate programme of study for people already working in these areas.

This programme would be of interest to recent graduates in law, policy, politics and cognate fields, and of interest to anyone aiming to pursue a career in research.