Course content - Learning outcome - Admission - Prerequisites - Teaching - Examination - Evaluation - Other

Course content

This course introduces the norms guiding medical and health care research applied to implementation of research projects in poor and low-income countries. It discusses also controversial questions of maintaining ethical standards and “standard of care”, respect for human rights, justice, exploitation and how to provide safeguards for patients and informants.

The course has been developed in cooperation between The Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo and The National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics. It received support from the Ethics Programme to develop the teaching modules. Dr Ahmed Bedru Omer from The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was given a scholarship to adapt and finalize the course to the context of developing countries.

The course content is authored by Dr. Ahmed Bedru Omer and Prof. Knut Ruyter, and has been revised in 2012 by Prof. Jan Helge Solbakk.

Learning outcome

Upon completion of this course, the participant would:

• understand the central events of the development of health research ethics that influenced the ethical standards to protect research participants
• know the main international guidelines
• know the ethical principles and be able to interpret and use them in research practice
• know the responsibility of a researcher when involving human subjects
• be attentive to how to include vulnerable groups in research
• be able to discuss ethical concerns when doing research in a developing country
• understand ways to protect human participants during the implementation of a study
• know what is needed to gain approval from an ethical review board

Admission

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Students enrolled at the M.Phil in International Community Health programme will get first priority to the courses. The deadline for register in Studentweb and apply for courses is February 1, 2013.

External applicants

External applicants are welcome to apply. Please contact Linda Andreassen if you want admission to this course.

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Prerequisites

Formal prerequisite knowledge

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• A completed Bachelor’s degree or a period of study comparable with a Norwegian Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution. Applicants with foreign education, please refer to the country list
(The applicants must have a specialization either within health sciences or social sciences).
• a minimum grade point average (GPA) of C (in Norwegian scale) or equivalent from the specialization in your degree.
• An internationally recognised English language proficiency test

Note: all documents must be official certified copies

International applicants or external applicants without a Norwegian ID number:

In order to be evaluated for admission, applicants must fulfill the basic entrance requirements to Norwegian universities, called Higher Education Entrance Qualification or generell studiekompetanse in Norwegian. Applicants from most European countries are eligible for admission upon completion of the secondary school leaving certificate that provides the basis for admission to university studies in the home country. Entrance requirements for applicants from non-European countries may include one or two years of university studies in addition to secondary school. Read more about admission for international applicants

You must submit the Basic Qualifications Registration Form if your Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) for studies in Norway has not already been evaluated. In order to be evaluated, all documents must be submitted within the deadline December 1, 2012.

Send the documents to:
The University of Oslo
The Section for International Health
Department for Community Medicine
University of Oslo
P.O.Box 1130 Blindern
0318 Oslo

Teaching

The course is based on the internet platform called Fronter. It makes it possible to attend the course regardless of domicile, as long as the student has access to internet. Lessons are presented in Fronter, with reading assistance, cases, links, tasks, reference to curriculum and recommendations for further reading.

The course establishes a classroom in Fronter in which there will be required tasks to fulfill during the semester. The course offers supervision of exchange between students as well as of exam preparation.

The course offers seminars for the participants, held at the University of Oslo. The first seminar (2-3 hrs) will introduce the students to necessary skills to use Fronter. The Fronter introduction and the first Introduction day of this course has, however, compulsory attandence. The course will also have a mid-term seminar (full day) on ethical issues related to the students own projects.

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Examination

Home exam. The students write an individual essay over the entire semester. Further instructions will be given in class.

Examination support material

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Language of examination

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English

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Explanations and appeals

You may request an explanation of your grades, and you may also appeal against your grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals.

Resit an examination

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.

Withdrawal from an examination

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Special examination arrangements

If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

Evaluation

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Other

Collaborating course between the Department of Community Medicine and the Centre for Medical Ethics, both at the Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine