Skip to main content
Santa Clara University
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President
Core Curriculum

Applied Ethics

  1. Home
  2. Office of the Provost and EVP
  3. Core Curriculum
  4. Integrations
  5. Pathways
  6. Pathway Listings & Courses
  7. Applied Ethics

Applied Ethics

Facilitator: Karen Peterson-Iyer, Religious Studies

This pathway invites students to explore the application of critical ethical thinking to real world problems, thereby deepening their understanding of their vocational and educational choices. Courses in this pathway address ethical issues in areas such as communication, economics and business, healthcare, politics, gender, sustainability, diplomacy and war. All pathway courses include intentional and sustained discussion of the practical ethical dimensions of course content. Courses raise a wide range of applied ethics problems in diverse fields and professional arenas. Ethics is by nature interdisciplinary, drawing on diverse theories, methodologies, and traditions in various disciplines, including biology, engineering, gender studies, literature, organizational theory, philosophy, and religious studies. Pathway courses support students critical consideration of specific real life dilemmas and their exploration of methodologies and reasoned solutions to controversial practical moral issues. (Please note most courses in this Pathway do not satisfy the Core Ethics requirement.)

Associated Courses

Foundations Courses
(Please note that only the specific Foundation course topics qualify for the Pathway requirements,
and only one Foundations course may be applied to a Pathway)

ENGL        2A        Ethics & Activism (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL        2A        Ethics & Daily Life (effective 9/1/09)
PHIL         12A      Personal Identity & Community (Vallor; effective Fall 2012)
PHIL         12H      Personal Identity & Community (effective Fall 2012)

Accounting
*ACTG      144      Accounting Ethics (effective 9/1/09)

Arts and Sciences
*ASCI       198      Applied Ethics Internship: Health Care (cross-listed with ELSJ 198)

Biology
*BIOL        171     Social and Ethical Dimensions of Biotechnology (effective 9/14/2015)

Business 
BUSN         132     Contemplative Leadership and Sustainability Program (effective 09/1/22)

Communication
*COMM      149B    Science News: How to Report on Topics (effective 9/1/09)
COMM        167      Communication Law & Responsibility (effective 9/1/09)

English
*ENGL        26       Introduction to Writing in STEM (effective 2/22/2017)
*ENGL        108     Writing in STEM (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL          123/H  Studies in the History of Literary Theory: Ethics and Literature (effective 9/1/09)

Environmental Studies & Sciences
*ENVS        84       Spirituality and Sustainability (cross-listed with TESP 84; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS        152     Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with TESP 152; effective 9/1/09)

Ethnic Studies
ETHN          156     Environmental Racism, Gender, and Justice (cross-listed with WGST 113; effective 9/1/09)

Experiential Learning for Social Justice
*ELSJ         198     Applied Ethics Internship: Healthcare (cross-listed with ASCI 198; effective 9/1/09)

Finance
*FNCE        130     Ethics in Finance (effective 1/1/15)
FNCE          180     Open Book Management (effective 9/1/09)

History
HIST          21       Saving the World?: A Critical History of Human Rights and Humanitarianism (effective 3/25/21)
HIST          121     Saving the World?: A Critical History of Human Rights and Humanitarianism (effective 1/1/16)

Management
*MGMT       6        Business Ethics (effective 9/1/09)
*MGMT       6H      Business Ethics: Honors (effective 9/1/09)
*MGMT       132     Contemplative Leadership and Sustainable Practice (effective 9/1/22)
*MGMT       160    Organization and Management (effective 9/1/09)
*MGMT       160S  Management of Organizations LSP (effective 9/1/09)
MGMT         178    Business and Human Rights (effective 1/1/23)
MGMT         181    Conscientious Capitalism (effective 9/1/21)

Philosophy
PHIL           2H      Introduction to Ethics: Honors (effective 9/1/14)
PHIL           3A      Ethics in the Digital Age (effective 1/9/2017)
PHIL           3H      Ethics in the Digital Age (effective 1/9/2017)
PHIL           4A      Ethics and Gender (effective 10/8/2012)
PHIL           4AH    Ethics and Gender - Honors (effective 4/7/2014)
PHIL           4B      Ethics and Gender in Film (effective 10/28/2016)
PHIL           5H      Ethics in Society: Honors (effective 11/25/2015)
PHIL           7B      Ethics and Public Health (cross-listed with PHSC 7; effective 1/1/16)
PHIL           9        Ethics and the Environment (effective 9/1/2015)
PHIL           9H      Ethical Issues & Environment (effective 11/25/2015)
PHIL           10H    Ethical Issues in the Law: Honors (effective 11/25/2015)
PHIL           21      Introduction to Ethics (effective 9/1/14; formerly PHIL 2)
PHIL           22      ​Ethics in the Digital Age (effective 1/1/17; formerly PHIL 3A)
PHIL           23      Ethics & Gender (cross-listed with WGST 58; effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 4A)
PHIL           24      Ethics and Gender in Film (effective 1/1/17; formerly PHIL 4B) 
PHIL           25      Ethics in Society (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 5)
PHIL           26      Ethics in Business (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 6)
PHIL           27/H   Ethics in Healthcare (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 7/A, Ethics in Medicine)
PHIL           28      Ethics in Politics (formerly PHIL 8; effective 1/1/17)
PHIL           29      Ethics & the Environment (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 9)
PHIL           30      Ethics and the Law (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 10)
PHIL           33      Ethics and Race (effective 9/1/18)
PHIL           40      Science, Technology, and Society (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 80)
PHIL           41      Diversity and Disability (formerly PHIL 70)
PHIL           70      Philosophy and Disability (effective 9/1/09)
PHIL           80      Science, Technology, & Society (effective 1/5/2011)
PHIL           108    Special Topics: Applied Ethics (The Moral and Legal Status of Prenatal Humans (Nelson), Issues in Reproductive Ethics (Steinbock) topics only; formerly PHIL 119)
PHIL           111    Bioethics and the Law (effective 9/1/2009)
PHIL           112    Ethics, Authenticity, Freedom and Vocation (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 116)
PHIL           113    Ethics and Constitutional Law (effective 5/26/2011)
PHIL           114    Ethics and Criminal Law (effective 1/22/2013)
PHIL           115    Feminism and Ethics (effective 2/14/2017)
PHIL           116    Ethics, Authenticity, Freedom (effective 4/1/2013)
PHIL           117    Bioethics and the Law (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 111)
PHIL           118    Ethics and Constitutional Law (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 113)
PHIL           119    Ethics and Criminal Law (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 114)
PHIL           120    Feminism and Ethics (cross-listed with WGST 184, effective 9/1/15; formerly PHIL 115)
PHIL           121    Political Philosophy and Ethics (formerly PHIL 122)
PHIL           122    Virtue Ethics (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 124)
PHIL           122B  Political Philosophy and Ethics: Contemporary (effective 9/1/09)
PHIL           123    Philosophy of Law (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 154)
PHIL           130    Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (effective 01/01/22)
PHIL           174    Uncertainty, Conflict & Self Development: Chinese Perspectives (effective 01/01/18)
PHIL           185A  University Ethics Bowl Team (effective 3/2/2017; formerly PHIL 180A)
PHIL           199L   Ethical Dilemmas: Business and the World (London Semester Program)

Note: The normal prerequisite for all philosophy upper-division courses is upper-division standing.

Political Science
POLI           30      Introduction to Political Philosophy (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI         167     Making Public Policy (effective 9/1/09)
*POLI         173     Sports & Politics in the U.S. (effective 03/25/18)

Psychology
*PSYC        114     Ethics in Psychology (cross-listed with PSYC 114EL; effective 9/1/09)
*PSYC        114EL  Ethics in Psychology ELSJ (cross-listed with PSYC 114; effective 9/1/09)

Public Health Science
PHSC          7        Public Health and Ethics (cross-listed with PHIL 7B; effective 1/1/16)

Religious Studies
*RSOC        135     Architects of Solidarity (effective 9/1/09)
*RSOC        157     Religious Traditions and Contemporary Moral Issues (effective 9/1/09)
*RSOC        170     Religion, Gender & Globalization (cross-listed with WGST 146; effective 9/1/09)
SCTR           39      Biblical Women and Power (cross-listed with WGST 47; effective 3/28/16)
*SCTR         128    Human Suffering and Hope (effective 9/1/09)
*SCTR         148    From Babylon to Birmingham: Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible and Modern America (effective 3/25/24)
*TESP          26      Sustainable Theologies (effective 3/25/18)
*TESP          46      Faith, Justice & Poverty (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          46H    Faith, Justice & Poverty: Honors (effective 11/25/15)
*TESP          64      Environmental Justice in Catholic Imagination (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          69      Christian Social Ethics (effective 3/25/20)
*TESP          84      Spirituality & Sustainability (cross-listed with ENVS 84; effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          88      Hope & Prophetic Politics (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          108    Human Trafficking and Christian Ethics (effective 3/25/20)
*TESP          119/R Theology, Sex & Relationships (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          119B  Theology, Sex & Relationships B (effective 3/25/19) 
*TESP          129    Religion and Peace (effective 3/25/19) 
*TESP          141    Bioethics: Dignity and Justice (effective Winter 2022)
*TESP          142​    Conscience, Christianity and Politics (effective 01/01/18)
*TESP          143    Theology and Ethics of Thomas Aquinas (effective 2/3/2016)
*TESP          152    Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with ENVS 152; effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          156    Christian Ethics and HIV/AIDS (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          157    Ethics in the Health Professions (effective 9/1/09)
TESP            158    Immigration and Ethics (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          159    Ethics of War and Peace (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          163    Christianity and Politics (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP          164    Religious Ethics in Business (effective 9/1/09)

Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS)
​WGST          47​     Biblical Women and Power (cross-listed with SCTR 39; effective 9/1/09)
WGST          58     Ethics and Gender (cross-listed with PHIL 23; effective 9/1/09)
WGST          113   Environmental Racism, Gender, & Justice (cross-listed with ETHN 156; effective 9/1/09)
*WGST        116   Race, Gender and Public Health in the News(effective 9/1/09)
WGST          117   Race, Gender and Politics in the News(effective 9/1/09)
*WGST        146   Religion, Gender & Globalization (cross-listed with RSOC 170; effective 9/1/09)
WGST          184​   Feminism and Ethics (cross-listed with WGST PHIL 120, effective 2/14/2017)
WGST          189   Sex, Law and Social Justice: The Politics of Advocacy (effective 9/1/16) 

* Indicates Course Has Prerequisites