Should I care whether ethics is built into an engineering curriculum?
Yes, it is worth considering. Ethics education can help students think about how engineering affects safety, personal information, the environment, and society, and make judgments when interests conflict. However, do not look only for a course with “ethics” in its title. Check whether ethical issues are addressed through specialized subjects, experiments, or design work, and whether students learn through cases and discussion.
Key points
- It provides a foundation for considering the effects of engineering decisions on safety, privacy, the environment, and society.
- Look at how ethics connects with specialized subjects, experiments, and design, not only whether there is a separate ethics course.
- Check whether the program uses real cases and discussion to compare competing interests.
Things to check
- Whether the teaching is required or elective, as well as its topics, timing, and assessment, varies by university, faculty, and academic year; check the official curriculum and syllabi.