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Studies & Degrees in Ethics

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Do you have a strong interest in the fields of personal and professional ethics?  Do you enjoy studies that combine subjects such as philosophy, logic and critical thinking, subjects whose origin date back to the Ancient Greeks and before?  If so, you may be a perfect candidate for the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Ethics.  To give you a better idea about what this degree path covers and what you’ll learn as a participant, below we have provided a synopsis of the Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethics, including a brief overview, a sample of some of the courses and their description and the typical eligibility requirements for admission into the program.
 
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ethics:  Course Overview
 
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethics is a full-time undergraduate course of study offered through the philosophy departments at major colleges and universities throughout the world.  The program, which generally spans four to five years in duration depending on the institution, is designed for students who want to learn the principles of ethics and moral philosophy and how they are applied professionally across any number of employment sectors.  Coursework in the program teaches students how to systemize, defend and recommend concepts of right and wrong behavior, and is divided into three main operational areas:  meta-ethics, the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined; normative ethics, a study into the practical means of determining a moral course of action; and applied ethics, a course in how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations.
 
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ethics:  Coursework
 
Like all undergraduate programs, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethics involves both core and elective coursework, in addition to the general education requirements of the college or university.  Below we will take a closer look at several of these courses and provide a brief description of each:
 
  • Ethics.  The course in Ethics features an analysis of the basic moral concepts of goodness, right, and obligation and an overview of the ways in which these concepts operate in such contexts as society, religion, and the law. 
  • Formal Logic.  The analysis and construction of arguments using strict rules which
    determine valid from fallacious reasoning.
  • Critical Thinking. This course looks at the informal logic of the use of language in everyday contexts. Emphasis is placed on variable factors within ordinary argument situations, such as disagreements, ambiguity, generalization, and analogy.
  • Ancient Philosophy.  An examination of philosophical speculation through its origins in the Greek and Roman worlds. Special emphasis is placed on the idealism of Plato and the realism of Aristotle as the systematic foundations of Western thought.
  • Environmental Ethics. Environmental Ethics studies how human beings conceptualize their concern for the environment, their place in nature, and the kind of world in which people might flourish.
  • Business Ethics. Business Ethics is the philosophical examination of business and business life and their relationship to the good life. The course includes an analysis of economic justice, corporate and personal responsibility, moral conflicts, human rights, and the meaning of work.
To qualify for admission into the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Ethics students must possess at least a high school diploma.  Most colleges and universities will also require students to take an entrance examination prior to being admitted to the institution.