At which campus can I study this program?
Requirements for a minor may be completed at any campus location offering the specified courses for the minor. Students may not change from a campus that offers their major to a campus that does not offer their major for the purpose of completing a minor.
Program Description
This interdisciplinary minor, housed in the Department of Philosophy, is designed to provide students with training in ethical frameworks and methods, as well as offer the opportunity to work in various fields of applied ethics. In addition to the requirements for the student's major department the minor consists of 18 credits selected from a wide range of disciplines (including philosophy, communication, engineering, law, psychology, sociology, anthropology, public policy, international studies, and environmental studies). Courses deal with ethics from various perspectives including research ethics, media ethics, environmental ethics, bioethics, and business ethics.
Students in the minor will begin with two core courses. The first will cover basic ethical approaches and the application of ethical analysis. The second will provide a grounding in ethical leadership. The core courses will be followed by a choice of other relevant ethics courses. The minor will be suitable for students in almost any major, especially students going on to further academic work or careers in medicine, communication, business, law, the health or life sciences, health administration, informatics or engineering.
What is Ethics?
The interdisciplinary Ethics minor at Penn State University includes fields such as philosophy, communication, engineering, law, psychology, sociology, anthropology, public policy, international studies, and environmental studies. Students will have the opportunity to learn about various ethical perspectives and challenges that relate to research ethics, business ethics, bioethics, media ethics, and more.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You want to learn about ethical frameworks and methods to guide successful execution of both professional and personal endeavors.
- You want to understand ethical issues involved in global situations such as the collapse of the stock market and global financial systems.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 18 |
Requirements for the Minor
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Courses | ||
| Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| PHIL 103 | Introduction to Ethics  | 3 |
| PHIL 119 | Ethical Leadership | 3 |
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select 12 credits (at least 6 credits at the 400 level) from an approved list in consultation with the undergraduate adviser for the ethics minor 1 | 12 | |
| 1 | Courses must be selected from at least two different departments. |
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
http://starfish.psu.edu
http://www.la.psu.edu/current-students/undergraduate-students/education/majors-and-minors
Career Paths
Philosophy students learn the kinds of critical, interpretive, analytical, and argumentative skills highly prized by employers in a wide variety of fields, including publishing, non-profit work, consulting, information technology, law, business, education, journalism, medicine, and public service.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES WITH A MINOR IN ETHICS
Opportunities for Graduate Studies
Philosophy students score consistently higher than other majors on LSAT, MCAT, and GMAT exams. The study of philosophy provides students with an outstanding preparation for law school, medical school, and other advanced degrees.
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
234 Sparks Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-6397
npr109@psu.edu