Monash University: University Handbooks: Distance Education 2001: Subjects indexed by faculty
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Master of Bioethics by Coursework


General information

Course code: 0122 Clayton campus Australian and NZ citizens (and permanent residents): HECS fees applicable International students: unit fee for 12-point units $3250; for eight-point units $2167; course fee $13,000 Attendance not required

Aims

The course aims to give students a clear understanding of current philosophical views about the nature of ethics, including the role that reason can play in ethical debates; broad familiarity with the major ethical approaches to decisions about right and wrong; skills that enable them to think critically about key issues in some of the most controversial areas of bioethics, eg life-and-death decisions in health care, and issues relating to patient autonomy and confidentiality; and the ability to apply what they have learnt to practical questions in bioethics, so as to reach a coherently thought-out decision that can be explained to others and defended in writing.

Entry requirements

The course is available to those with:
(a) a degree, gained with at least a credit average in the final year of the course, in medicine or any other health science, in law, the biological or social sciences, or in a branch of the humanities, such as philosophy (or other degree approved by the faculty board), requiring the equivalent of not less than four years full-time study in an approved tertiary institution; or
(b) a degree, gained with at least a credit average in the final year of the course, in any of the fields referred to in (a) requiring the equivalent of not less than three years full-time study in an approved tertiary institution, plus not less than three years of documented relevant practical experience (or equivalent), eg working as a health care professional at a senior level in an area in which dealing with ethical problems in health care was a component of the duties undertaken; or
(c) qualifications and experience which, in the opinion of the faculty board, are a suitable preparation for study in bioethics.

Course structure

The course is normally taken part-time over two years by distance education. Full-time admission may be possible in certain cases, such as where an applicant has already completed some formal study in ethics or philosophy.
There are five separate units in the Master of Bioethics by Coursework, which are taken in the following sequence:

Year one

Year two

The last unit, CHB5206, is taken simultaneously with CHB5203 and CHB5204.

Note

To qualify for the degree of Master of Bioethics at Monash University, students will need to achieve a grade of credit (60 C) or above in all units.

Assessment

Assessment for each unit, except the last, is based on a combination of essays and a take-home exam. Students must also keep a journal, in which they complete set activities.

Credits/exemptions

Applicants who have completed relevant units at fifth-year (postgraduate masters) level with grades of distinction or above may apply for a maximum of 50 per cent credit. Credit cannot be obtained for units which were part of a course for which a degree or an award of any kind has been taken out. Those who have completed an ethics unit at an approved tertiary institution may apply for exemption from CHB5101 (Ethics).

Further information

For more information, contact Dr John McKie, Centre for Human Bioethics, telephone (03) 9905 4278, fax (03) 9905 3279, or email john.mckie@arts.monash.edu.au

Completed applications

Completed applications are to be forwarded to Dr John McKie, Graduate Coordinator, Centre for Human Bioethics, PO Box 11A, Monash University, Victoria 3800, by 22 September 2000 to be considered for a first-round offer.

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