Ethics and Engineering

Catalog description

Credits 3. 2 Lecture Hours. 2 Lab Hours. Philosophy challenges students to understand, articulate and evaluate arguments from multiple points of view. Students explore ethical and social theories, principles and engineering codes of ethics and their application to ethical challenges faced by engineers. Students engage with issues, such as satisfying responsibilities to an employer, client, fellow employees, one’s profession and the public; managing project pressures, risks, liability, regulations and environmental concerns. Students practice resolving challenges that arise from varying norms found in international and cross-cultural initiatives, especially on gifts, bribes and extortion. Students critically consider the ways engineers and engineering change the human experience, cultures and the environment. Students practice respectful and thoughtful dialogue on contemporary issues, become aware of their own perspectives and understand how power and authority are exercised in and shape institutions so that they can competently navigate a variety of cultural environments. Coursework focuses on independent ethical analysis of real and hypothetical cases and on the techniques that can be used to evaluate them. Prerequisite: Junior classification.