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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2017/2018

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Biotechnology, Bioethics and Society (LAWS11371)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course considers the ethics of biotechnology and the life sciences. It begins by giving the student an ethics toolbox with which to approach, analyse and assess current bioethical controversies and discourses. It then addresses specific topics to further explore ethical issues arising from biotechnology and its uses, as well as an exercise to explore crucial ethical concepts and arguments. Finally, in an age of moral pluralism, it can be difficult for stakeholders to secure social consensus on how new biotechnologies should be controlled and exploited. As a result, the regulation of biotechnology has often been a site of sharp disagreement. This module will also examine how the bioethical discussion feeds into the regulatory and governance considerations of biotechnology.
Course description Session 1- Biotechnology and critical bioethics: a toolbox for ethical and normative analysis and discussion.
Session 2- Assisted reproductive technologies: reproductive freedoms and procreative imperatives
Session 3: The embryo in research: stem cell technologies and gene editing.
Session 4: Neuroethics: interventions in the brain, peripheral nervous system and brain-machine interfaces
Session 5: Genomics : smart pharmacology and customised therapeutics and non-medical use of genomics
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2, Formative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 84 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) One essay of up to 4,000 words (60%); one piece of assessed work (20%); contribution to class discussions (20%).
Feedback Students can expect to receive timely feedback on their assessments
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Appreciate the range of competing considerations and interests at play in the ethics and regulation of biotechnology and the life sciences;
  2. Formulate well-reasoned and coherent arguments relating to biotechnology and bioethics;
  3. Show a solid understanding of current bioethical debates, concepts and arguments relating to bioethics, as well as their normative and regulatory implications where applicable
Reading List
Readings will be provided on a weekly basis
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Keywordsbiotechnology,bioethics,genomics
Contacts
Course organiserDr Agamoni Ganguli Mitra
Tel:
Email:
Course secretaryMr David Morris
Tel: (0131 6)50 2010
Email:
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