Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3170: Medical Ethics and Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • Introduction to health care provision
  • Ethical foundations
  • Confidentiality
  • Consent and mental capacity
  • Beginning of life
  • End of life
  • Mental Health and Capacity Law
  • Abortion and Surrogacy
  • Assisted Dying

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
532470

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities4422 x 2 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities96 x 1.5 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study110Individual Reading and Lecture Preparation
Guided independent study36Workshop Preparation
Guided independent study 21Formative Assessment preparation
Guided Independent study 80Summative Assessment Preparation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Online databases, including LexisLibrary and Westlaw.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay1,000 words1-9Written feedback, supplemented by group feedback and individual oral feedback on request.

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay 1503,000 words, to be submitted in Term 1.1-9Written feedback, supplemented by group feedback and individual oral feedback on request.
Essay 2503,000 words, to be submitted in Term 2.1-9Written feedback, supplemented by group feedback and individual oral feedback on request.

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Essay 1Essay (3,000 words)1-9August/September reassessment period
Essay 2Essay (3,000 words)1-9August/September reassessment period