Ethics and Society

certificate

The Ethics and Society certificate trains students in the ethical analysis of problems in public life and the professions. Learn about major theories and issues in ethics as a scholarly field and have the opportunity to gain specialized knowledge in areas such as medical, engineering, business, or environmental ethics.

About this Program

Certificates must comply with the Certificate Policy.

Contemporary public discourse is teeming with issues of urgent moral concern. From climate change to police violence, Artificial Intelligence to health care access, we face complex challenges that have ethical problems at their core. It is not always easy, however, to think through these challenges in a responsible and productive way. The Ethics and Society certificate teaches students to understand and analyze the moral dimensions of contemporary issues in public life and the professions. These topics are relevant for students in diverse majors, including professional schools as well as the liberal arts and sciences. Required courses in philosophical and religious ethics will provide students with the necessary skills to conceptualize ethical issues, providing an intellectual foundation for the analysis of applied and professional problems.

Admission Requirements

Current UF undergraduates in any major with a 2.0 GPA. Students minoring in Religion or Philosophy are eligible for the certificate so long as no more than one of their certificate courses are counted towards their minor.

Required Courses

All students must complete at least four courses, including at least two courses from the first list. The remaining two courses may also come from the first list, or one or both may come from the second list.

Tier I. Select at least two courses:6
Ethics and the Public Sphere
Happiness and Well-Being
Contemporary Moral Issues
Ethics and Innovation
The Self, Reason and Ethics
Bioethics
Moral Philosophy
Ethics, Data, and Technology
Ethics and Ecology
Political Philosophy
Sustainability and Religion
Religion and Violence
Environmental Ethics
Global Ethics
Ethics in America
Religion Ethics and Nature
Ethics, Utopias, and Dystopias
Religion and Social Change
Environmental Values and Practice
Tier II. Select at least two courses from the list above or the following list:6
Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics
Moral Leadership in Agriculture and Natural Resources
Senior Design, Professionalism and Ethics 1
Ethics in Global Business
Engineering Ethics and Professionalism
Ethical Issues in Family, Youth and Community Sciences
Ethics and Problems in Mass Communications
Policy, Ethics and Public Leadership
Ethics in American Politics
Environmental Ethics and Politics
Ancient Ethical and Political Thought
Conflict of Ideas
The Idea of Happiness
Cultural Animals
AI, Philosophy, and Society
Introduction to Philosophy of Law
Philosophy of Education
Problems and Ethics of Journalism in Society
Introduction to Medical Bioethics
Ethics and Problems in Mass Communications
Sports Media Law and Ethics
Ethics, Data, and Technology
Ethics and Professional Responsibility in Public Relations
Why Is There Evil In The World?
Religion and Migration
Religion and Nationalism
Gender, Bodies, and Health
Violence Against Women
Gender, Race and Science
Gender, Race, and Future of AI
Sexual Ethics
Ecofeminism
Total Credits12

In addition to the classes listed above, the certificate advisor may approve other relevant courses for the certificate (e.g., a class taught under a special topics number).