PhD Bioethics and Medical Jurisprudence

University of Manchester

Bioethics, healthcare ethics and medical law are increasingly central to decisions made by governments, regulators, healthcare organisations, professional bodies and public authorities. This creates a growing need for researchers who can combine rigorous ethical analysis with legal and policy expertise. The PhD in Bioethics and Medical Jurisprudence offers an opportunity to develop the highest level of academic qualification in this important and fast-moving field. The programme is distinctive in combining a publication-based doctoral route with structured research training and close supervision. Rather than following a conventional PhD model, you will work towards a structured doctoral thesis built around publishable journal articles or book chapters. From the outset, you will be supported to develop research capable of making an original contribution to bioethics, medical jurisprudence, health law and policy. You will join the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy , founded in 1986 and recognised nationally and internationally for interdisciplinary ethico-legal research in health. The Centre brings together expertise in philosophy, bioethics, medical jurisprudence, healthcare law and policy, and offers a lively research environment in which doctoral scholars are an integral part of the intellectual community. In Year 1, group research-methods sessions address the key challenges of doctoral research in health law and ethics, including refining your research question, scoping the literature, undertaking interdisciplinary research, exploring methodologies in bioethics and law, and preparing work for publication. Alongside this training, you will benefit from regular supervision, presentation events and opportunities to discuss your work with staff and postgraduate researchers at different stages of their careers. The programme is available full-time or part-time, in person or by distance learning. This flexibility, combined with structured training, a publication-focused thesis model and the research culture of CSEP and the Law School, makes the programme especially well-suited to candidates who want to produce high-quality, publishable research while developing as independent scholars in bioethics and medical law.