Program Overview

MPhil in Health, Medicine and Society

The MPhil in Health, Medicine and Society is a full-time 9-month course run jointly by the Departments of History and Philosophy of Science, Sociology, and Social Anthropology. It introduces students from a range of backgrounds to research skills and specialist knowledge relevant to their research interests, and provides them with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by senior members of the University.

Course Overview

Students develop a critical and well-informed understanding of discourses and practices of history, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology of health and medicine, and those intending to go on to doctoral work learn the skills needed to help them prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal.

Course Structure

During the course, students attend lectures, supervisions, and research seminars in a range of subjects central to research in the different areas of history, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology of health and medicine. These include core and optional modules covering each of these areas, as well as opportunities to attend research seminars across the Departments and the wider University.

Assessment

Students complete three essays over the course of 9 months, working closely with supervisors to address a range of topics covered by the core and optional modules. They also write a dissertation on a topic of their choice, refined in consultation with their supervisor. Dissertation seminars give students the opportunity to gain experience in presenting their own work and discussing the issues that arise from it with an audience of their peers and senior members of staff.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the course will have developed a deeper knowledge of their chosen areas of history, philosophy, sociology, and social anthropology of health and medicine and of the critical debates within them. They will have acquired a conceptual understanding that enables the evaluation of current research and methodologies in these disciplines, and formed a critical view of interactions between health, medicine, and society.

Technical and Transferable Skills

By the end of the course, graduates will also have acquired a range of technical and transferable skills. They will have acquired or consolidated methodological, linguistic, technical, and ancillary skills appropriate for research in their chosen area. They will also have demonstrated the ability to make independent judgements based on their own research, presented their own ideas and arguments in a public forum, and learned to contribute constructively within an international environment.

Continuing to PhD

Students admitted for the MPhil can apply to continue as PhD students. The usual preconditions for continuing to the PhD are a final mark of at least 70, a satisfactory performance in an interview, and agreement of the PhD proposal with a potential supervisor.

Key Information

• Duration: 9 months full-time
• Study Mode: Taught
• Degree: Master of Philosophy
• Departments:
  • Department of History and Philosophy of Science
  • Department of Sociology
  • Department of Social Anthropology

Dates and Deadlines

• Applications open: September 3, 2025
• Application deadline: February 26, 2026
• Course starts: October 1, 2026
• Funding deadlines:
  • Course funding deadline: December 3, 2025
  • Gates Cambridge US round only: October 15, 2025

Similar Courses

• History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine (MPhil)
• History and Philosophy of Science (PhD)
• Social Anthropology (MPhil)
• Social Anthropological Research (MPhil)