PHVIT9000 Health Sciences I Course description

This course adopts a critical perspective of the empirical and theoretical basis for the significance of health for people as individuals and as participants in society. Looking at how the concept of health is constructed through interaction between health sciences, health service actors and professions, and members of society allows for important discussions that can raise awareness within multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields of health sciences. The course covers the development of different views of health and places these concepts in a complex physical, psychological, behavioral, and social context. The ethical and policy challenges posed by new health technologies are also discussed. 

Admission to the PhD programme.  

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme. 

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The PhD candidate 

• can critically assess different theories of and approaches to health
• can assess the usefulness and application of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in health sciences
• can assess the usefulness and application of health technology developments
• address complex theories of health and challenge established knowledge in the health sciences and in their own discipline and/or profession 

General competence 

The PhD candidate can 

• identify relevant ethical and health policy issues 
• identify and discuss research-based knowledge on health
• assess the need for new research to promote health and prevent illness
• participate in debates about health policy and ethics

Work and teaching methods consist of lectures, seminars, and self-study. The outcomes of the seminars are presented and discussed in plenary sessions. 

None

Individual home examination, to be submitted no more than two weeks after the end of the course, in which candidates discuss their own research projects from different perspectives of health and/or illness. Answer papers must consist of up to 3500 words.  

All

Grades are awarded on the basis of pass or fail. 

One internal and one external examiner will assess the answer papers submitted by all candidates. 

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.