Medical and Health Humanities
MA
Application options include:
Course Overview
Our MA Medical and Health Humanities offers you the chance to explore human health through the richly faceted lenses of culture and history, covering topics including infectious disease, diet and exercise, disability, and mental health and wellbeing.
Why choose this course?
- This course draws together the diverse experience and interests of students and staff, working across different disciplines, different historical periods and different geographical regions, to offer an interdisciplinary approach to the fascinating, complex relationship between medicine and the humanities.
- It is ideal if you are interested in, or working within, health studies and wish to deepen your understanding of how patients and practitioners interact and how these narratives are negotiated in contemporary culture, theory and artistic practice.
- It gives you the chance to consider further how scientific and technological advances are constantly pushing the bounds of medical possibility. You will explore the role played by the humanities, and how the practice of medicine represented in art, literature, film and other media determines how we understand and experience our own bodies and the realities of sickness and health.
What you will learn
On this MA Medical and Health Humanities you will explore the timely and urgent matters facing people, patients, stakeholders, practitioners and artists as they address issues including identity, gender, sexuality, autonomy, rights, equality and diversity in the broad field of medicine.
You will also consider the development of clinical practices and institutions, the formation of medical expertise and authority, and the role of medical ethics and law.
How you will learn
This course is available to study full- or part-time and has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening. You will learn on this course through lectures, seminars and workshops. You will also engage with a range of materials from academic criticism to narratives of lived experience and explore archives and a diversity of literary and artistic works.
The core module for this course examines key themes between medicine and culture and uses them to build a sense of the canonical issues, discourses and methods of the medical humanities. You will explore topics like the birth of the clinic, genetics and ethics, disability studies, assisted reproduction and reproductive loss, narrative medicine, and memoir and lived experience. You will then be able to choose three additional modules to complement your own unique learning journey.
Discover the career opportunities available by taking Medical and Health Humanities (MA).
Key information and modules
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Medical and Health Humanities MA: 1 year full-time, on campus, starting October 2025
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Medical and Health Humanities MA: 2 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025
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Highlights
- The course has been awarded a number of fully funded MA studentships by the Wellcome Trust as part of its commitment to building an influential and diverse population of future researchers in the medical humanities.
- All Master’s students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement. We also offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.
- Birkbeck is at the heart of academic London with easy access to world-class research resources such as the British Museum and the British Library. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group.
- This course grows out of Birkbeck’s Centre for Medical and Health Humanities, an interdisciplinary and cross-College research group that brings together academics and students of all levels to work on issues both critical and clinical. We host visiting speakers, give talks, run a regular reading group, and provide a hub for the College’s diverse research in the field.
- Birkbeck has a number of institutes specifically designed to foster work across disciplines: Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Birkbeck Institute for Social Research, Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality and Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. These institutes are driven by the work of world-class scholars including Laura Mulvey, Slavoj Žižek, Lynne Segal and David Feldman.
Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.
Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the Key Information section under Attendance.
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Entry Requirements
A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in an arts, humanities or social sciences subject.
Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.
Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Visa and funding requirements
If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.
The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:
- Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
- Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa
International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).
For full information, read our visa information for international students page.
Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.
Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.
Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)
If you have studied at university, you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied. It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.
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Fees
Medical and Health Humanities MA: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26
Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025
To be confirmed
Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.
If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.
Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.
International scholarships
We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship.
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Teaching
At Birkbeck, most of our courses are taught in the evening and all of our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.
Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.
In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.
Methods of teaching on this course
Mainly through seminars, but also workshops, lectures, discussion groups and museum and archive visits.
Teaching hours
Our evening hours are normally between 6pm and 9pm (6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm). Some programmes also offer teaching during the day and this will be clearly signposted to you where it is available.
On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Scheduled teaching sessions may include lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory work. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and field trips. On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project (if applicable).
Alongside your contact hours, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. The amount of time you need to allocate to study both for taught sessions (this might include online sessions and/or in-person sessions) and personal study will depend on how much you are studying during the year and whether you are studying full time or part time.
Birkbeck’s courses are made up of modules and allocated ‘credit’. One credit is equivalent to ten hours of learning time. Modules are usually in 15, 30 or 60 credit units. A 15-credit module will mean around 150 hours of learning, including taught sessions and independent study or group work. This is spread out over the whole period of that module and includes the time you spend on any assessments, including in examinations, preparing and writing assessments or engaged in practical work as well as any study support sessions to help you in your learning.
On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students is encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies.
Timetables
Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).
Indicative class size
Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.
Independent learning
On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.
Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.
Study skills and additional support
Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:
- academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
- written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
- numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).
Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.
Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.
Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.
Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.
Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.
Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.
Methods of assessment on this course
Close-reading commentaries, essays, research scrapbooks and a 15,000-word dissertation.
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Careers and employability
On successfully graduating from this MA Medical and Health Humanities, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- a sophisticated use of written and spoken English
- an advanced critical ability in the use of theoretical perspectives
- facility and precision in the use of analytical tools
- strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments.
Graduates can pursue career paths in a wide range of different fields. including in:
- medicine
- academia
- research
- publishing
- journalism
- healthcare education or administration
- community health
- education
- law.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
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How to apply
You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.
You will need to prove your identity when you apply - read more about suitable forms of identification.
When to apply
You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places on your chosen course and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.
You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.
You will also receive information about subject-specific induction sessions over the summer.
Help and advice with your application
Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.
Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.
Apply for your course
Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section.
Related courses
Course structure
Course structure listing
Course structure and modules for Medical and Health Humanities MA: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025
You must complete modules worth a total of 180 credits, consisting of:
- a core module (30 credits)
- three option modules (30 credits each)
- two further option modules (30 credits each) or a dissertation (60 credits).
Core module
Indicative option modules
- A Confusion of Tongues: Illness, Language, Writing
- Being Human: Posthumanism and the 21st Century
- Death in Victorian Culture
- Disciplining Sex: Sexuality, Society and Modern Literary Culture
- Early Modern London: Society and Culture
- Exhibiting the Body
- Mental Health Past and Present
- Queer Histories/Queer Cultures
- Theorising Gender