Medical Law and Ethics LLM

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Law

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • LLM | 1 year | Start date: September 2026
Part-time
  • LLM | 2 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Edinburgh Law School

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Study location

Old College

Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

Individual and population health is a matter of growing social concern. Achieving good health and delivering effective healthcare demands scientific, medical and policy innovation. A variety of fields have a role to play, including law and ethics.

As a student on this programme you will examine topics that reflect some of the main contemporary legal and ethical challenges faced by those working in healthcare and health research, and place them in their social and historical context. These include issues that arise in the context of:

  • genetics
  • assisted reproduction
  • abortion
  • standards of medical treatment
  • transplantation medicine
  • mental health
  • advance decisions
  • assisted suicide
  • health research
  • the allocation of scarce resources

We offer you the opportunity to study the fundamentals of medical law and ethics, both international and domestic, at an advanced level, and the opportunity to take more specialised courses on issues of contemporary significance, encouraging and supporting the development of research skills necessary for a career in medical law or ethics.

The legal and ethical experts who deliver this programme come from a wide range of disciplines from across the University, and they benefit from a close association with the J Kenyon Mason Institute for Medicine, Life Sciences and Law.

Study options

This programme can be studied full-time over one year, or part-time over two years subject to visa restrictions. 

Programme rankings

  • 16th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings: Law 2025
  • 21st in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Law and Legal Studies

Programme benefits

Maddie studied the LLM Medical Law and Ethics in the 2023-24 academic year, graduating in 2024. In this interview she talks about her experiences of studying for the LLM at the University of Edinburgh's Law School and life in Edinburgh.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time
Part-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Edinburgh Law School offers a range of scholarships for our on-campus LLM programmes. 

Edinburgh Law School funding opportunities 

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law, politics, medicine, medical humanities, or life sciences.

In evaluating your application for postgraduate study, greater emphasis may be placed upon results of prior learning in subjects relevant to the intended degree programme.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

Supporting your application

Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

Relevant professional qualifications will be considered.

Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 8 in writing and 7 in all other components.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 155 in writing and 145 in all other components.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

You must complete 180 credits of study – 60 credits are taken in the compulsory dissertation and the remaining 120 credits are taken in taught courses.

You will experience a range of teaching styles on these courses, led by members of Edinburgh Law School's academic community and experienced legal and industry practitioners.

You are expected to prepare in advance by reading the required materials and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed, and your participation in classes will be assessed.

Compulsory courses

You must study these courses:

  • Fundamental Issues in Medical Jurisprudence (20 credits, must be taken in semester 1)
  • Fundamental in Bioethics (20 credits, must be taken in semester 1)
  • Contemporary Issues in Medical Jurisprudence (20 credits, must be taken in semester 2)
Core courses

You must study between 40 and 60 credits from the courses listed below:

  • Mental Health Law (20 credits)
  • Public Health Ethics (20 credits)
  • Ethics of Health Technologies (20 credits)
  • End of Life, Ethics and Law (20 credits)
  • Reproduction and the Law (20 credits)
  • Shaping and Regulating Modern Healthcare (10 credits)
  • Clinical Negligence and the Law (10 credits)

Option courses

Optional courses from the Law School

You will also have the option to take between 0 and 20 credits from the Law School which will include the courses listed below, depending on availability and with the express permission of the Programme Director.

Full details of the programme structure and course options are available on the Law School's website.

View programme structure and course options

Disclaimer

Courses shown above are scheduled to run in the 2025-26 academic year and are subject to change in future academic years. Courses for the 2026-27 academic year will be confirmed by May 2026.

Due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Most of our postgraduate courses are taught by way of two-hour interactive seminars. These normally take place weekly over the course of each semester. 

You are expected to actively participate in discussions and to prepare for classes in advance by reading the materials that have been assigned in advance of the seminar. Questions for reflection and discussion, or other exercises, will be provided. Preparing effectively will allow you to engage fully and make the most of your seminars.

You may also learn through lectures, class debates, individual presentations, or group exercises, depending on the subject being studied.

Assessment

Our postgraduate courses use a range of assessment formats, including essays, reports, oral presentations and class participation. These assessments are designed to help you develop writing, analytical, and legal research skills that will be essential in professional life after completion of your degree.

Courses at postgraduate level are not assessed through written exams.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

  • identify areas of law relevant to contemporary issues in the broad healthcare setting
  • identify gaps, inconsistencies, or instances of inappropriate or over-regulation in healthcare and nascent fields
  • build on your understanding of key values in medical law and ethics, such as autonomy, solidarity, justice, reciprocity
  • build on your understanding of key mechanisms in medical law and ethics, such as consent, confidentiality, human rights, and so on
  • appreciate the international dimensions of medicine and its regulation, including the growing importance of European regulation and international agreements
  • appreciate the limits of law in discerning appropriate social responses to new medical and technical advances
  • develop critical thinking informed by legal, ethical, and social science analysis, and apply that thinking to comment upon the law’s role and appropriate responses to contemporary issues
  • experience the benefits of undertaking study in different learning environments (both on-campus and online)

You will engage with different learning environments and modes of class participation, and will draw upon and develop a range of skills. The programme will foster imaginative ways of unpacking and responding to contemporary issues in ways that do not necessarily follow or merely apply existing paradigms or legal constructs.

You will demonstrate a sound grasp of the foundational elements of medical law and ethics, including the role of the law and its various mechanisms (for example: consent, confidentiality, reasonableness, negligence) and the cross-cutting human rights dimensions.

You will develop critical thinking informed by ethical analysis, and apply that thinking to comment on and critique the law’s role in regulating medicine, healthcare services, research, and nascent fields.

Other skills you will develop include:

  • general intellectual skills, such as independent critical analysis, interdisciplinary understandings of common problems, problem-solving through reasoned and well-justified ethical and legal discourse, synthesis of complex information and ability to subject to informed critique
  • personal skills, such as written and oral skills, group working and interaction skills, intellectual development through interdisciplinary engagement and blended learning environment
  • study-derived personal virtues, such as autonomy, critical self-reflection, consideration of others and academic integrity

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Where you will study

Study location

The Law School is based in the historic building of Old College. Law has been taught here for over 300 years, and with the highest courts in Scotland and the Scottish Parliament minutes away, it is ideally placed for students studying law.

Old College was built between 1789 and 1827, with the iconic dome added later in 1887. In 2019 after an ambitious refurbishment project, the building was transformed into a 21st century campus for the School, reflective of our world-class teaching and research, while preserving the history of Old College.

Academic facilities

Teaching and study spaces

Designed for the way you study, our facilities include spacious seminar rooms, and dedicated student social and study spaces providing plenty of options for individual or group work.

Please note that classes will take place across a range of buildings in the University’s central campus including the Law School.

The Law Library 

Edinburgh Law School is proud to house one of the largest Law Libraries in the UK and Europe. The Law Library saw one of the biggest changes as part of the School’s refurbishment project. It now occupies the entire northwest corner of Old College and boasts spectacular study and reading spaces such as the Senate Room. 

Social spaces 

The heart of the Law School features an open social space with a modern and bright cafe providing a space for students to meet. There is also a dedicated social space for undergraduate students on the lower level.

Find out more about Edinburgh Law School

Career opportunities

This programme can lead to a range of employment opportunities and specialised academic work, including: 

  • specialised training for solicitor or advocate work with an emphasis on health-related issues
  • professional care providers
  • ethics review panel members
  • health policy and/or patient advocates (such as NGOs)
  • health policy designers (such as governmental legal advisers, consultants, and so on)

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.

Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we will make as many offers as possible to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding or a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.

Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Selection deadlines

RoundApply byReceive decision by
1Monday 15 December 2025Thursday 19 March 2026
2Monday 4 May 2026Tuesday 30 June 2026

After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open. As this is not guaranteed, however, you are advised to apply by the application deadlines above.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.

There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

Our community

During your studies you will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities, groups and societies alongside your studies.

Mooting Opportunities

Edinburgh Law School has a number of mooting teams and regularly takes part in mooting competitions.

Mooting at Edinburgh Law School

Edinburgh Law School Student Societies

There are a number of societies at Edinburgh Law School covering a wide range of subjects and interests across the study of law.

Edinburgh Law School Student Societies

University Societies and Clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

If you have any questions about the LLM in Medical Law and Ethics please don't hesitate to contact us.

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk 

Phone:+44 (0)131 650 2386

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