Overview

Course overview

  • Study an LLM in Healthcare Ethics and Law at a UK Top 10 university for Law (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
  • No law background required – open to graduates from any discipline.
  • Study on campus at the University of Manchester, building strong connections with our expert academic staff and fellow students through a rich, face-to-face learning experience.
  • Apply legal and ethical theory to healthcare challenges, including consent, clinical negligence, reproductive rights, end-of-life care and research ethics.
  • Gain hands-on legal experience through our Justice Hub, offering pro bono opportunities and community outreach.
  • Graduate from one of the most targeted universities by top UK employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024) with the legal insight and global perspective to lead in law firms, corporations, NGOs and policy spaces.
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Explore Healthcare Ethics and Law at Manchester

Open days

The University organises open days every year in June, September, and October.

These are an opportunity to find out about the course, meet students and staff, and tour the campus and facilities.

If you receive an offer, we will invite you to a visit day where you learn about the School, teaching and learning, study opportunities and student life.

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Social Sciences
Contact name
Postgraduate Taught Admissions Team
Telephone
+44 (0) 161 306 5500
Email
Website
https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/law/
School/Faculty overview

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require an Upper Second (2:1) Class Honours degree (or the overseas equivalent) in Law. We will also accept a UK 2:1 Honours degree, or its international equivalent, in medicine or other health related area (such as nursing or dentistry), or philosophy, sociology, theology, other social sciences or humanities subject areas, or other fields relevant to health.

English language

Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

  • IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
  • TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70

Further information on accepted language requirements can be found here .

Pre-Sessional English Courses

We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.

To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:

6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.

10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill

If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries

If you are a national of a   majority English-speaking country   (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our   country-specific information page   for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.

Fees and funding

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2026, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • LLM (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £16,800
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £31,000
  • LLM (part-time distance learning)
    UK students (per annum): £7,600 per annum, £15,200 in total
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £7,600 per annum, £15,200 in total

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

For information on available scholarships please visit: Master’s Fees and Funding

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

If you would like to study this course 100% online, please check out the Healthcare Ethics and Law online learning page. 

Staged admissions

As there is a high demand for our courses we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application to avoid a delay in processing.

Applications for 2026 entry:

Stage 1:Application received by 7th December 2025 ; Application update by 20th February 2026

Stage 2:Application received by 1st March 2026 ; Application update by 1st May 2026

Stage 3:Application received by 3rd May 2026 ; Application update by 19th June 2026

Stage 4:Application received by 5th July 2026 ; Application update by 31st July 2026

Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.

Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.

Please note:All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.

Tuition fee deposits

If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £2,500 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

Study an LLM in Healthcare Ethics and Law and explore how ethical and legal principles shape healthcare practice and policy. This course is designed for graduates from any background - you don’t need a law degree, and is ideal for healthcare professionals, lawyers, policy advisors or anyone working in related fields.

You’ll gain expert knowledge in both medical law and bioethics, with a strong focus on applying theory to real-world healthcare challenges.

You’ll study topics such as:

  • autonomy, consent, refusal of treatment and patient confidentiality;
  • clinical negligence, medical malpractice and professional accountability;
  • reproductive ethics, including fertility treatment, the moral status of the foetus and genetic manipulation;
  • organ and tissue transplantation, stem cell research and end-of-life decision-making;
  • public health law, resource allocation and ethical issues in global health;
  • research ethics, genetic testing and emerging technologies.

This is an interdisciplinary course with a strong legal foundation. On the on-campus Healthcare Ethics and Law LLM, you'll choose from a mix of ethics and law course units, with the majority focused on law and get the opportunity to build strong and supportive connections to our staff and student body. If you're looking for a more flexible way to study, our distance learning Healthcare Ethics and Law course offers a variety of qualification routes — including LLM, MA, PGDip, PGCert and CPD options — so you can shape your study around your career and interests.

You’ll leave with the critical thinking, analytical and research skills needed to influence policy, support ethical decision-making, or pursue further study.

Aims

On this course, you will:

  • Develop expert knowledge of bioethical and medico-legal theory
  • Build the skills to apply ethical and legal reasoning to real-world healthcare scenarios
  • Strengthen your ability to analyse complex policy, legal and clinical issues across diverse contexts
  • Gain advanced research and academic writing skills, including the ability to complete a master’s-level dissertation
  • Prepare for further study or research in medical law, ethics or healthcare policy

Special features

Widely accessible

No legal background? No problem. This course is designed for professionals and graduates from a wide range of fields, making complex legal and ethical issues understandable and applicable across sectors.

Globally recognised

Study at a UK Top 10 university for Law (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) and gain a qualification that carries weight across industries and international borders.

Justice Hub

Engage with hands-on experience through our purpose-built Justice Hub, where you can contribute to meaningful pro bono work on cases involving wrongful incarceration, mental health challenges, and access to care.

International impact

Learn from academic staff with direct links to global institutions like the United Nations and World Trade Organization, bringing international relevance to your studies.

Teaching and learning

We don’t stick to traditional lectures. Each class combines formal teaching with:

  • interactive, challenge-based discussions;
  • student-led debates;
  • group work;
  • individual research.

Coursework and assessment

All course units are assessed through essays:

  • 4,500 words for each compulsory unit;
  • 3,000 words for each optional unit.

Course unit details

A master's degree is formed of 180 credits.

120 of these credits are made up of taught course units, each valued at 15 or 30 credits.

On the full-time course, you can choose how to split these 120 taught credits:

  • 60 credits in each semester; or
  • 75 credits in semester one and 45 credits in semester two.

If you are registered on the LLM Healthcare Ethics and Law, the majority of your optional course units must be selected from the law-focused options:

  • Mental Health Law and Policy;
  • Medicine, Law and Society;
  • Children, Medicine and the Law.

The unit Global Health Law and Bioethics can count as either an ethics or law course.

The remaining 60 credits will be gained through a compulsory research component, which takes the form of a dissertation of up to 12,000 words. You will complete your dissertation between May and September.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
CSEP60012 60 Mandatory
CSEP60201 30 Mandatory
CSEP60211 30 Mandatory
CSEP60022 15 Optional
CSEP60102 15 Optional
CSEP60192 15 Optional
CSEP60222 15 Optional
CSEP60312 15 Optional
CSEP60962 15 Optional

What our students say

Meet some of our postgraduate students studying for a master's in International Law, Healthcare Ethics and Law and Financial Law in Student Spotlights .

Facilities

At The University of Manchester Law School, you are supported by the first-class resources you would expect of a top law school. 

In addition to the networked study spaces at the Williamson Building, you can access a specialist moot courtroom, enabling future legal minds to hone your debating skills in a realistic court setting. 

You also have access to The University of Manchester Library , which houses a substantial collection of law books and periodicals, as well as texts to support you.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

The University of Manchester is one of the most targeted universities by the UK’s top graduate employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024).

Our LLM in Healthcare Ethics and Law equips you with specialist knowledge and analytical skills that are valued across legal, healthcare and policy sectors. Graduates go on to roles in:

  • healthcare regulation and clinical governance;
  • public health policy and ethics committees;
  • medico-legal advisory roles;
  • NGOs, human rights and social justice organisations;

You’ll also develop transferable skills that open doors across a range of sectors, including:

  • policy and research;
  • academia and teaching;
  • law and consultancy;
  • global health and bioethics;

Many students use this course as a foundation for further study, including a PhD in Bioethics and Medical Jurisprudence

The University has its own dedicated, award-winning Careers Service where you can benefit from tailored careers support, practice interviews, CV and application support, job listings for Manchester students, and much more. Better yet, you will have access to our Careers Service both during your course and for two years after you graduate, so we know you’re on the right path.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.