Medical Law Postgraduate Certificate 
1 Year Part-Time | September Start

This course is primarily delivered online to provide flexibility and the ability for you to study at times convenient to you.

Prior to the commencement of the programme, you will have access to an online learning package which will give an overview of the English legal system and acquaint you with the necessary legal study skills. You will then have the opportunity to attend an online surgery to discuss your progress and learning needs before the commencement of the programme and again early after the programme begins.

We believe that opportunities to engage with your tutors and with fellow students are an important part of your learning experience. For each module you will be offered the opportunity to meet your tutors and attend lectures and workshops at the University at an optional study day. All content will be available online should you not be able to attend.

In response to specific requests from hospital doctors, the three modules of ‘Clinical Negligence’, ‘Consent and Confidentiality’ and ‘Medical Law in Context’ are designed to give you an in depth understanding of the legal problems which arise in a hospital setting and arm you with the necessary skills to formulate reasonable solutions. All modules are taught from a practical viewpoint, enabling you to understand and apply the relevant law. Each taught module is assessed by a written assignment. As part of the assessment process, you will be expected to undertake a critical evaluation of the law, and to consider medical law in your own medical practice.

Northumbria has built up an enviable reputation for practical, innovative law courses. The combination of teaching excellence and workplace relevance ensures that standards remain consistently high. We are committed to postgraduate studies that will enhance your professional career.

The programme is taught by a team of academics and clinicians with extensive experience in medical law, who are actively researching the area.

You will develop your intellectual skills through modules that have been designed with input from the medical profession and shaped by internationally excellent research to ensure the content is up-to-date and relevant. Lecturers have research expertise and practice-based experience in all the areas covered by the programme.

The quality of our law teaching has been recognised through a variety of awards and nominations. These include Law Teacher of the Year Award, the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Award, and Northern Law Awards.

As a distance learner you will have full access to our eLearning Portal, ‘Blackboard Learn’. Blackboard Learn brings together all aspects of course management as well as assessment and feedback. You can contact tutors in other ways too, including by email and telephone.

You will also have online access to Northumbria’s library, which has half a million electronic books that you can read whenever or wherever you need them. The 24/7 University Library achieves some of the highest levels of student satisfaction in the UK and has held the Cabinet Office accreditation for Customer Service Excellence since 2010.

Our specialist Law Practice Library contains practitioner materials as well as a wide variety of journals and law reports. The range and depth of resources reflects our position as the largest law school in the North East region.

Northumbria’s strong research ethos is an essential aspect of how you will develop as a critical, reflective and independent thinker.

Your student journey commences with the pre-attendance online learning package which will help you to gain a clear awareness and understanding of appropriate legal research methods. In your subsequent modules your tutors will expose you to a range of academic literature covering substantive medical law. You will also develop your legal research skills further as your tutors encourage you to discuss, evaluate and critically examine relevant principles and frameworks and as you undertake your own research in order to complete your module assignments.

This course provides academic recognition of your knowledge of medical law and your ability to apply that knowledge to practice.

In addition to enhancing your understanding of medical law, the Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Law enables you to apply the skills, knowledge, understanding and research from this course to common problems you are likely to experience in a clinical environment.

The programme offers career development by improving your academic profile and allows you to undertake continuing professional development. The programme is designed to be practical and directly applicable to your medical practice and career goals, focusing upon the skills and knowledge that you require in employment as a doctor.