Course features

What ethical dilemmas arise at the intersection of medicine and the military? How do healthcare professionals navigate conflicting responsibilities in war zones?

In this self-paced course, you will explore the ethical principles guiding military healthcare practice. Led by Professor Martin Bricknell, a leader in professional military medical ethics, the course examines real-life dilemmas and policy issues, including:

• Dual loyalty to patient and military mission
• Medical neutrality and treatment of non-combatants
• Resource allocation and triage under operational constraints
• Ethical issues in disaster response, pandemics, and humanitarian missions

Through global case studies and ethical frameworks, you’ll gain tools to reason through challenging medical decisions in conflict and crisis settings.

Course format

This course is delivered through the edX learning platform and is designed to be completed in approximately 5 hours.

This course is also available as part of the Professional Certificate in Ethics and Security.

What you'll learn

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the foundations of biomedical ethics and their relevance to military healthcare
• Identify ethical dilemmas unique to conflict zones, such as dual loyalty and informed consent
• Examine real-world scenarios involving battlefield triage, prisoner care, and resource scarcity
• Explore the role of military medical personnel in humanitarian and public health emergencies
• Apply ethical reasoning to complex situations involving competing professional obligations
• Assess institutional support structures for ethical healthcare delivery in military settings
• Use an analytical framework for navigating ethical tensions in operational environments

Entry requirements

No formal requirements. English proficiency recommended (IELTS Level 6).

Further information

King’s College London has partnered with the online education platform edX to deliver self-paced short courses to learners worldwide. Anyone can audit the course materials for free, excluding graded assessments, for a limited time.

For full access to the course, including graded assessments, and to obtain a verified certificate upon successful completion, the USD fee is $249.

The GBP course fee displayed on this page is for illustrative purposes only and subject to change in line with current exchange rates.

Payment for verified access to the course is made directly via edX. Please see edX Terms of Service for further information.