This course provides students with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by senior members of the University. Students will 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 history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology of health and medicine. Those intending to go on to doctoral work will 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 will attend lectures, supervisions and research seminars in a range of technical and specialist subjects central to research in the different areas of history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology of health and medicine. The MPhil is jointly run by the Departments of History and Philosophy of Science, Sociology and Social Anthropology. It is a full-time course and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. Its main aims are: to give students with relevant training at first-degree level the opportunity to carry out focussed research in Health, Medicine and Society (HMS) 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 history, philosophy, sociology and anthropology of health and medicine; and to help students intending to go on to doctoral work to acquire the requisite research skills and to prepare a well planned and focussed PhD proposal.