Ethics
The study of Ethics provides an excellent grounding in evaluative theory and reasoning for a professional future in the public service, the health sector, social work, with environmental agencies, and in business.
Please note: Ethics may be taken as a supporting subject, but there will be no new enrolments in the Ethics major, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma from 2017. Students who enrolled in any of these programmes in 2016 or prior should consult the School of Social Sciences for advice ([email protected]).
Studying Ethics will give you the tools and capabilities you need to become an inspirational leader in the community and in your working life, and will enable you to feel confident in your capability to reflect on doing “the right thing” and following through on that reflection.
Ethics at Waikato is an interdisciplinary programme with a philosophical core. It includes the study of fundamental moral concepts and the nature of morality as well as applications of evaluative thinking to diverse subject areas such as politics, law, management, Māori and Pacific Studies, religion, art, the media, and the environment. With a theoretical core but an applied emphasis it provides a pathway into any government and private sector employment where sensitivity to ethical issues is a significant requirement.
A great strength of the Ethics programme is that it offers an edge in employability when combined with other professional degrees. Examples include law, counselling, management, teaching, accountancy and computer science.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton, Tauranga, Online Papers offered differ by location. The Catalogue of Papers has full location info. |
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| Area of Study: |
Study Ethics in these qualifications
Study Ethics as a specialisation of
Career opportunities
- Business Consultant
- Environmental Consultant
- Health Policy Advisor
- Human Resource Manager
- Policy Analyst
- Public Relations Practitioner
- Teacher
Papers
Available Ethics papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHILO106 | Social and Moral Philosophy | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| An investigation of contemporary moral and social issues from a practical ethics perspective. Issues may include abortion, animal welfare, discrimination, euthanasia, freedom of speech, genetic enhancement, privacy, punishment, and your online life. | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAORI202 | Ngā Iho Matua: Māori Philosophy | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the philosophical underpinnings of seminal tikanga Maori concepts, and their influence both historically and in contemporary Maori culture. | |||
| PHILO215 | Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to central issues in Moral and Political Philosophy, using texts from historical figures in philosophy to study questions about virtue, happiness, justice, liberty, democracy, tyranny, feminism, art, censorship, and moral education. | |||
| PHILO217 | Environmental Ethics | 15.0 | 24H (Online) |
| A study of ethical questions about the relation of humans to the rest of the natural world, including the attribution of value and rights to the non-human world and ethical issues in environment and development. | |||
| PHILO218 | Ethics at Work | 15.0 | 24G (Online) |
| A study of ethics as it relates to business and professional practice in New Zealand including material specifically for interest groups: eg computer science, psychology and social work. | |||
| PHILO225 | Happiness and Wellbeing | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton), 24A (Online) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| Drawing on ancient wisdom and modern science, this paper investigates the meaning and value of happiness, and the role it plays in making our lives go well for us. | |||
| POLSC201 | Modern Political Thinkers | 15.0 | 24A (Online) |
| This course examines the ideas of a number of modern political thinkers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, and Marx. | |||
| POLSC224 | Terrorism, Violence and the State | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| Terrorism is an increasingly prominent global phenomenon. We will clarify it conceptually and situate it historically with theory and case studies in situating it in comparative political and International Relations analysis. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPSS390 | Directed Study | 15.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper allows students from the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology, and Social Sciences to undertake research on a specific topic related to their major or minor under the guidance of academic staff. | |||
| PHILO309 | Experiments in Ethics | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| The paper uses thought experiments to introduce students to central issues in contemporary moral philosophy. The issues may include: What makes an action right? Are there any absolute duties? Is morality entirely subjective? Is it possible to have moral knowledge? How can we be sure our moral judgments are right? | |||
| PHILO317 | Environmental Ethics | 15.0 | 24H (Online) |
| Do we have moral obligations toward nature? How should human beings treat the natural world? This paper examines questions such as these in light of our current ethical theories. | |||
| PHILO318 | Ethics at Work | 15.0 | 24G (Online) |
| This is an applied ethics paper focussing on the professions, research and business. It examines contemporary issues relevant to a wide range of occupations graduates might enter. | |||
400 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEGAL436 | Legal Ethics | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| An introduction to the concept of a profession and the ethical and professional duties of practitioners and an introduction to ethical analysis, the applicability of legal analysis to legal practice and the wider responsibilities of lawyers in the community. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
Ethics is available as a supporting subject for the BA and BSocSc. Ethics may also be taken as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.
Contacts
School of Social Sciences
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4030
General Enquiries: [email protected]