Engineering Ethics

Catalog description

In this course, students will study the social, political, environmental and economic context of engineering practice. Students will develop an analytical toolkit to identify and address ethical challenges and opportunities in the engineering profession, including studies of risk and safety, professional responsibility, and global perspectives. The course will begin with a foundation in the history of engineering practice and major Western ethical and philosophical theories. Students will then apply this material to both historical case studies, such as Bhopal, the NASA Shuttle Program, and Three Mile Island, as well as contemporary issues in big data, artificial intelligence, and diversity within the profession. Students will consider how engineers, as well as governments, the media, and other stakeholders, address such issues.