History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine University of Cambridge

Overview

The History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine course from the University of Cambridge  is a full-time one year course that provides students with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by senior members of the University. 

Students acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests, as well as a critical and well-informed understanding of the roles of the sciences in society. Those intending to go on to doctoral work learn the research skills needed to help them prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal. 

During the course students gain experience of presenting their own work and discussing the issues that arise from it with an audience of their peers and senior members of the Department; they attend lectures, supervisions and research seminars in a range of technical and specialist subjects central to research in the different areas of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine.

The MPhil course is taught by lectures, supervisions, and seminars and assessed by three research essays and a dissertation.

The educational aims of the programme are:

• to give students with relevant training at the first-degree level the opportunity to carry out focused research in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine under close supervision

• to give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests

• to enable students to acquire a critical and well-informed understanding of the roles of the sciences in society

• to help students intending to go on to doctoral work to acquire the requisite research skills and to prepare a well-planned and focused PhD proposal

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

• By the end of the course, students will have:
• developed a deeper knowledge of their chosen areas of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine and of the critical debates within them
• acquired a conceptual understanding that enables the evaluation of current research and methodologies
• formed a critical view of the roles of the sciences in society

Skills and other attributes

• By the end of the course, students should have:

• acquired or consolidated historiographic, linguistic, technical and ancillary skills appropriate for research in their chosen area

• demonstrated independent judgment, based on their own research

• presented their own ideas in a public forum and learned to contribute constructively within an international environment