ENGRG 3600 - Ethical Issues in Engineering Practice

(crosslisted) ECE 3600, STS 3601
(KCM)

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Enrollment open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

P. Doing.

Studies major ethical and social issues involved in engineering practice. The issues include responsibility for designing products that do not harm public health, safety, and welfare; rights of engineers in large corporations; risk analysis and the principle of informed consent; conflict of interest; whistle blowing; trade secrets; and broader concerns such as environmental degradation, cost of health care, computer ethics, and working in multinational corporations. Codes of ethics of the professional engineering societies, ethical theory, and the history and sociology of engineering are introduced to analyze these issues.