Master of Applied Ethics

Overview

The course aims to provide professionals and others who have a general interest in applied ethics with a philosophical education in one or more areas of applied ethics.  Applied areas on offer in 2005 (subject to enrolments) are: Bioethics, Theoretical Ethics, Applied Ethics Topics, Environmental Ethics and Ethical Issues in Research.  It would be expected that students undertaking the course would benefit at least in the following ways. Firstly, they would sharpen their critical reasoning skills.  Secondly, they would gain a good grounding in ethical theory and a comprehensive understanding of the specific issues in their chosen applied area.  Thirdly, they would enhance their ability to make difficult, ethically sensitive decisions. 

It has become increasingly obvious with the proliferation of ethics committees and the demand for public accountability, that health care professionals, public policy makers, lawyers, public servants, business people, researchers, and others, are required to make well-reasoned, informed judgements about issues that are essentially ethical.  Such judgements require philosophical expertise – one needs to be able to recognise the factual and evaluative complexity of the issues, critically evaluate competing ethical claims, and reason to a conclusion soundly.  Yet the development of such expertise is typically not included in the professional training of people who are called to act as ethical decision-makers.  The Master of Applied Ethics helps address this deficiency.

The Master of Applied Ethics is a course in applied philosophy, in which ethical theory is applied to various areas of practical concern.  The course may be co-taught by members of the Philosophy Program and lecturers from the Faculties of Law and Health and Behavioural Sciences.  The core subjects, Applied Ethics and Theoretical Ethics, provide students with the key normative theoretical concepts and approaches required for further study.  The electives provide issues, debates and topic focus for developing the application of ethical theory, concepts and approaches to specific issues.  Two of the elective areas: Bioethics and Environmental Ethics, relate to areas of significant expertise and undergraduate teaching in the Program.  Ethical Issues in Research is related to a third research strength.  The research project is an extended essay on a topic under supervision by a member of the Program with relevant expertise; this allows students to develop the application of the philosophical material to concrete ethical issues and, especially for those with professional experience, to link the student’s previous professional work with the conceptual/theoretical work in the coursework subjects.

Entry Requirements

Admission is open to holders of a Bachelor's degree (pass or honours) in any field or others who satisfy the Master of Applied Ethics course co-ordinator of comparable professional standing or attainments.

Course Requirements

The Degree is available by Coursework. Candidates shall successfully complete a program of 48 credit points, normally comprising two 8 credit point core subjects, a 16 credit point research project and two 8 credit point elective subjects.

Candidates who have completed the undergraduate subject PHIL206, or equivalent, are required to take one core subject PHIL955 and three electives. Candidates who have completed the undergraduate subject PHIL251/301, or equivalent, are required to take one core subject PHIL935 and three electives.

All students enrol in PHIL905 Research Project.