Teaching Engineering Ethics

Instruction in engineering ethics is an important aspect of professional development. For universities, it is an element of program assessment and is considered for accreditation. For engineering students, it addresses relationships in professional life and is a topic for professional licensure. A common instructional objective is for students to have an ability to continue developing their ethical knowledge and judgment. Topical content typically includes an introduction to principles of applied ethics with supporting examples of related engineering situations. This paper discusses the organization of the ethics component in a senior seminar course. Key topics are ethics principles in the context of the engineering profession, codes of ethics as developed by professional societies, and ethical judgment in case studies