PHIL 2207

PHIL2207 Engineering Ethics

Three (3) credit hours

The course offers a problem-centered approach to engineering ethics.  It provides the conceptual and theoretical tools and aims at developing the skills for recognizing and addressing ethical issues in engineering practice.  The ideas and skills are developed in part through analysis of a wide range of real-life scenarios.

None

Ahmad Rahmanian, PhD
Department of Philosophy
University of New Brunswick - Fredericton

Office Location: Carleton Hall

Phone: (506) 458-7503
E-mail: arahmani@unb.ca

The course materials include a textbook, the instructor’s notes on each chapter, and videos of chapter summaries.  The approach taken to the evaluation of the students’ work is designed to facilitate one-on-one student-instructor dialogue and to enrich the students’ learning experience. To enhance the interactive process, there is also a forum for the exchange of ideas.

The course is organized so as to meet the following objectives:

1. Know what engineering ethics is and why it is important to study it.
2. Explore the sense in which engineering is a profession, study the professional engineering codes of ethics, and apply those codes to engineering situations.
3. Discuss several ethical theories and see how they apply to engineering situations.
4. Explore several ethical problem-solving techniques and see how they can be applied to engineering situations.
5. Understand the meanings of risk and safety, examine how safety issues arise, and discuss various types of accidents in engineering and how to ensure design safety.
6. Discuss the central rights and responsibilities of engineers and their basis and scope.
7. Explore the meaning of a conflict of interest and how to manage such conflicts.
8. Discuss the impact of engineering on the environment and various approaches to     resolving environmental problems.
9. Discuss the challenges that the use of computers pose in engineering practice, and how best to respond to those challenges.
10. Learn about the ethical concerns that arise in engineering research, and explore ways of meeting them.

Charles B. Fleddermann, Engineering Ethics, third edition (Prentice Hall, 2008). 

Textbooks can be ordered from the UNB Fredericton Bookstore:
506-453-4664
unb.bkstr.ca

The assessment is based on seven sets of tasks, a midterm exam, and a final exam.  The tasks require analysis of real-life cases and application of the ideas to them.  Together the tasks cover the entire course, the midterm the issues related to the first three objectives listed above, and the final the issues related to the rest of the objectives.  Both the midterm and the final are open- book, as most questions will be based on the cases, and one on a code of ethics, included in the text.  The questions require paragraph answers.  The students will have three hours to complete the midterm and three hours the final.  The exams are supervised; they will be scheduled by each student separately online.  The three components of the assessment are weighted as follows:

Click here to find more information on fees for this course.

Fees are subject to change by the Board of Governors.

Once you complete the Apply Now form below, please send payment. Methods of payment accepted:
Cash (Do not send in the mail. Please deliver to the College of Extended Learning, 2nd Level, Wu Centre, UNB Fredericton Campus)
Cheque or money order (Mail to UNB College of Extended Learning, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3)
MasterCard / VISA / American Express (Please call the College of Extended Learning at 1-866-599-4646  or 506 453-4646 with your credit card number, expiry date, and the name as it appears on the card. Please do not send credit card information via email).

Apply Now!