Ethics and Society Areas of Specialization

Students in the Ethics and Society Master's Program have the option of selecting courses that meet the requirements of the program's 10-course curriculum to reflect their current interests and future career goals. Areas of specialization provide students with a foundation in the humanities and sciences giving them unique expertise in their chosen area. Areas of specialization include: AI & Technology Ethics, Bioethics & Health Sciences, Ethics, Law, & Policy, and Ethics and Leadership in Higher Education.

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AI & Technology Ethics

The rapid evolution of technology, especially artificial intelligence, presents complex ethical dilemmas that impact us all. From privacy concerns to algorithmic biases, these challenges are becoming more pressing and commonplace. Regardless of your current profession or future career goals, this specialization will provide graduate students with the essential tools to understand and address the current and future ethical challenges of using these AI responsibly in our daily lives.

Bioethics and Health Sciences

With coursework in bioethics, health sciences, and moral theology and philosophy, this specialization equips students with the tools to critically examine moral questions in medicine, research, and public health. Students gain both a theoretical foundation in bioethics and practical experience analyzing real-world clinical and research dilemmas. Graduates are prepared to ethically navigate and lead within the complex and evolving landscape of health care and health policy.

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Ethics, Law, & Policy

This specialization prepares students to apply contemporary applications of philosophy, political science, psychology, theology, and law to analyze and address the ethical dimensions of policy-making, governance, and justice. Students gain a deep theoretical grounding in political and moral philosophy alongside applied understanding of law, civic behavior, and public responsibility. Graduates emerge equipped to ethically evaluate and shape policies in evolving social, legal, and political environments.

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Ethics & Leadership in Higher Education

Combining training in psychology, education, philosophy, and theology, this specialization equips students with an empirical understanding of how students learn in the classroom & how education policy develops, as well as a theoretical understanding of the aims of higher education and the various ethical dilemmas they will encounter. Students graduating the program can leave confident in their ability to ethically analyze and steer their organization through a continually changing higher education environment.

Sample 10-Course Curricula 

  • The following sample curricula features courses in AI and technology ethics that may satisfy the program course requirements (two in cross-disciplinary ethics and society, two in moral philosophy, two in moral theology, two in social and natural sciences, and two electives).

    • CEED 5050 - Ethics and Society: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives (Introductory Course Required)
    • CEED 6100 - Theories and Applications in Contemporary Ethics (Capstone Course Required)
    • PHIL 6109 - Epistemology and Ethics of AI Philosophy
    • PMMA 5105 - Digital Technology and Ethics Communication & Media Studies
    • THEO 5500 - Religion and American Life
    • THEO 6721 - African American Theological Ethics
    • PMMA 5208 - Digital Media and Migrant Justice Communication & Media Studies  
    • CISC 6525 - Artificial Intelligence
    • CEED 5350  Emerging Technologies and Human Development.
    • HIST 5566 -  Technology and Empire

  • The following sample curricula features courses in bioethics and health sciences that may satisfy the program course requirements (two in cross-disciplinary ethics and society, two in moral philosophy, two in moral theology, two in social and natural sciences, and two electives).

    • CEED 5050 - Ethics and Society: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives (Introductory Course Required)
    • CEED 6100 - Theories and Applications in Contemporary Ethics (Capstone Course Required)
    • THEO 7736 - Bioethics
    • CEED 5250 - Bioethics Analysis of Clinical Case Studies
    • HADM 5100 - Health Care Ethics
    • CEED/PSYC 6290 - Health Disparities and Social Inequalities
    • ECON 5590 - Health Economics
    • PSYC 6020 - Health Psychology
    • THEO 6733 - Theology and Science
    • CEED 5900 - Ethics Field Practicum Experience

  • The following sample curricula features courses in ethics, law, and policy that may satisfy the program course requirements (two in cross-disciplinary ethics and society, two in moral philosophy, two in moral theology, two in social and natural sciences, and two electives).

    • CEED 5050 - Ethics and Society: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives (Introductory Course Required)
    • CEED 6100 - Theories and Applications in Contemporary Ethics (Capstone Course Required)
    • PHIL 7760 – Dimensions of Political Justice
    • PHIL 5003/HSGL 0322/CEED 6322 – Natural Law: the Nature, Foundations, and Content of Justice
    • THEO 5500 – Religion and American Public Life
    • THEO 6634 – Black Theologies and the Decolonial Option
    • POSC 5100 – American Political Behavior
    • PSYC 7020 – Psychology and Civil Law
    • PHIL 6120 – Democratic Political Economy
    • PSYC 6360 – Social Policy and Applied Psychology

  • The following sample curricula features courses in ethics and leadership in higher education that may satisfy the program course requirements (two in cross-disciplinary ethics and society, two in moral philosophy, two in moral theology, two in social and natural sciences, and two electives).

    • Moral Philosophy
      • CEED #### - Education Ethics (New)
      • PHIL 8001 - Seminar in Philosophy of Education
      • UEGE 5102 - Historical, Philosophical, & Multicultural Foundations of Education
    • Moral Theology
      • THEO 5640 - Intro to Theological Ethic
      • THEO 6485 - Theology of Gustavo Gutierrez
      • THEO 5901 - Context, Theory, and Theology
      • THEO 6676 - Sexual Ethics
      • THEO 6731 - Christian Ecological Ethics
    • Social and Natural Sciences
      • PSYC 5350 - Emerging Technologies & Human Development
      • PSYC 6300 - Developmental Psychology: Foundations
      • URST 5000 - Issues in Urban Studies
      • PSYC 6370 - Social Policy & Applied Psychology
      • PSYC 6370 - Cognition & Affect
      • UEGE 6243 - Impact of Prejudice
      • PSYC 6654 - Intro to Neuroscience