Ethics in Engineering Practice

Engineering as a profession is meant to serve the public by strictly adhering to codes of conduct and placing paramount the health, safety and welfare of public. However it raises few conflicting questions like : who is the public? Does it include future generation? Who decides what is best for public? Do engineers have managerial and technical responsibilities? What is the acceptable risk? Do Engineers have responsibilities towards the environment also? Engineering ethics is the study of moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations engaged in engineering and the study of related questions about the moral ideals, character, policies and relationships of people and corporations involved in technological activity. To prepare students for their professional responsibilities as Engineers. To help them recognize and think through ethically significant problem situations that are common in Engineering and to evaluate the existing ethical standards for ENGINEERING Practice.INTENDED AUDIENCE: Any interested studentPREREQUISITES : Basic understanding of business managementlINDUSTRY SUPPORT : Being ethical is an integral part of being a good engineer. So this course will have strong industry support.

Week 1: Introduction to Ethical Reasoning and Engineer Ethics
Week 2: Professional Practice in Engineering
Week 3:Ethics as Design - Doing Justice to Moral Problems
Week 4: Central Professional Responsibilities of Engineers
Week 5: Computers, Software, and Digital Information
Week 6: Rights and Responsibilities Regarding Intellectual Property
Week 7: Workplace Rights and Responsibilities
Week 8: Responsibility for the Environment