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Why choose the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Education
A ground-breaking Master’s offering the only university-accredited law and ethics course specifically for dental professionals.
Taught by an interdisciplinary team of university academics and visiting experts with wide-ranging legal and ethical expertise.
Our healthcare courses (‘Allied to Medicine’) rank 11th overall in their subject field in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024; they rank 2nd for engagement, with top 10 rankings for learning community, assessment and organisation.
About the course
This flexible, part-time course offers a seamless progression from our highly regarded PgCert Dental Law and Ethics, extending your knowledge of fundamental concepts and theories of law and ethics as well as exploring how they are applied in practice. Encompassing both clinical and business settings, it provides you with the opportunity to examine your own practice, particularly when it comes to enhancing patient care and delivering excellent service.
To take this course, you must have a relevant qualification in the field and be working in the profession.
Facilities and specialist equipment
- 24/7 access to our library services with 194,000 e-books and 192,000 e-journals
- Guided learning materials and e-learning resources on the University’s virtual learning platform
Your student experience
The course combines eight study days with online and self-directed learning.
Develop insights into the impact of legal and ethical considerations on everyday decision-making in a practice setting.
Gain an understanding of ways to address patient safety issues, and how you can develop and manage your dental team.
At final Master’s stage, move to greater levels of independence undertaking a supervised research project related to legal and/or ethical issues in dental practice.
Benefit from a wide range of learning and teaching methods including small-group workshops; micro-teaching; case studies; critical-incident analysis; and action learning sets.
Our academic team are research active and have published widely in their fields, in journals including the British Dental Journal.
Benefit from being at a University with a successful track record of supporting those returning to study after long periods in the workplace or after a career break.
Our Bedford campus is a small, thriving academic community where academic staff get to know you well.
Course schedule
The PgDip Dental Law and Ethics includes 2 units, over two semesters.*
For students who have completed their PgCert units (total 60 credits) in Dental Law and Ethics and wish to progress.
| Time | Location | Date |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Monday 23/9/2024 |
| 10:00 - 1:00 | Online | Friday 11/10/2024 |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Thursday 7/11/2024 |
| 10:00 – 1:00 | Online | Monday 25/11/2024 |
| Time | Location | Date |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Thursday 30/1/2025 |
| 10:00 - 1:00 | Online | Monday 10/2/2025 |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Friday 7/3/2025 |
| 10:00 – 1:00 | Online | Thursday 20/3/2025 |
The final year of the MA Dental Law and Ethics includes 2 units, over three semesters.*
For students who have completed their PgCert and PgDip units (total 120 credits) in Dental Law and Ethics and wish to progress.
| Time | Location | Date |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Wednesday 25/9/2024 |
| 10:00 - 1:00 | Online | Thursday 17/10/2024 |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Tuesday 12/11/2024 |
| 10:00 – 1:00 | Online | Friday 29/11/2024 |
| Time | Location | Date |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | Online | Friday 31/1/2025 |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Tuesday 25/2/2025 |
| 10:00 - 4:00 | Bedford campus | Monday 28/4/2025 |
*All units are core, face to face contact takes place at Bedford campus, exact teaching rooms will be communicated via our online system (BREO) – dates may be subject to minor changes
Get in touch
For more information please contact the course lead Dr Hoda Wassif via email hoda.wassif@beds.ac.uk
Course Leader - Dr Hoda Wassif - Associate Professor in Medical & Dental Education
I am a Principal Lecturer in Medical & Dental Education and Portfolio Lead Pre-Professional & Continuing Health Education Portfolio, part of the School of Nursing and Health Education.
As portfolio lead, I offer academic leadership and support related to a range of courses in Pre-Professional and Continuing Health Education including; Advanced Nursing Practice, Nursing Associates, short courses in health systems as well as Medical & Dental Education.
What will you study?
Studying our Dental Law and Ethics MA course will equip you with the basic and fundamental concepts as well as the contemporary and practical applications of legal and ethical knowledge relevant to dental care and practice, with an emphasis on enhancing patient care and delivering excellent service. Our Dental Law in Practice unit will introduce you to aspects of law related to dental care and practice while enabling you to adopt a critical, analytical and reflective approach. Moreover, you will develop an awareness of the risks associated with legal issues and learn how this can be managed in a dental team. With a similar approach, our unit in Ethical Dental Practice will develop your knowledge of ethical issues in the provision of high-quality dental care. Furthermore, you will explore these ethical dilemmas in more depth to understand how it impacts patient care.
Bringing these two units together, you will further explore fundamental concepts, principles and ideas of law and ethics with a critical approach towards how they are interlinked in our Law and Ethics, Concepts and Theories unit. This will provide you with the skills to identify and evaluate ethical and legal challenges in the field. Building on your professional skills, you will learn to explore issues related to regulating dental teams and how to ensure high-quality, professional and ethical service in our Regulating the Dental Team unit. This builds on a range of professional skills to work collaboratively and effectively in a dental team while encouraging you to prioritise the safety and care of your patients.
To add to the list of core skills on this course, you will be given an Introduction to Research Methods that will allow you to explore quantitative and qualitative research methods, critically consider key ethical issues in health-related research and develop your ability to synthesise and critique literature. In particular, you will be supported to construct a research proposal that feeds into the Research Project Dissertation where you will develop and conduct an individual research project into a topic of your own interest relevant to dental law and ethics.
How will you be assessed?
You will have an opportunity to tailor assessment tasks in ways that allow you to deal with real issues you encountered in your professional lives. Tutor support for assessment activities is provided. This course is designed to address the various needs of those who are relatively new to dental practice as well as those who are more experienced.
Careers
This course is designed to develop the skills and practices of dental care professionals with an interest in legal and ethical dental practice. After completing the course you will be able to demonstrate a systematic understanding of the wide range of legal and ethical concepts and issues that directly or indirectly impact patient care. Your expertise will allow you to present your ideas and opinions in a structured planned and supported way.
As a graduate in this field you can enhance your legal role in dental practice (such as practice manager or clinical lead); indemnity organisations; primary care organisations; or as an expert witness to legal firms.
Entry Requirements
Fees for this course
UK
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £10,000 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees and living costs. Visit www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan
Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk
International 2024/25
The full-time standard fee for a taught Master's degree for the Academic Year 2025/26 is £16,900
If you have any questions around fees and funding, please email international@beds.ac.uk
