9 Courses, 36 Credits

The philosophy department at Suffolk University offers a major in applied ethics, either BS or BA. This track is intended to train students to think systematically and critically about the social, moral, and political intricacies of public policy. Areas of study include business ethics, environmental ethics, medical and bioethics, the philosophy of law, the philosophy of race and gender, moral questions in the conduct of war, democracy and the war on terrorism, and others.

In addition to a rigorous training in the history of ethics and social thought, students who choose this track will be required to take two applied ethics classes and complete an internship or residency. Possible internship sites include hospital ethics boards, the MA ethics commission, non-profits promoting equal access to housing and education, and many more placements. The internship requirement is meant to help students integrate their theoretical studies with real world experience, and will be closely supervised by the department’s faculty.

Graduates of the applied ethics program will be especially well prepared for careers in government, public policy, and non-profit organizations. They will also be in an excellent position to apply to law school, and to graduate programs in the humanities and social sciences.

Requirements for the applied ethics track supercede all other requirements for the major:

PHIL 113 Critical Thinking and Argumentation OR
PHIL 212 Formal Logic
PHIL 119 Ethics
PHIL 210 History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy OR
PHIL 211 History of Modern Philosophy

Two courses in applied ethics, at least one of which must be 200-level or higher:
PHIL 123 Social Ethics
PHIL 127 Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 361 Eco-Feminism
PHIL 362 Environmental Ethics
PHIL 363 Bio-Medical Ethics
PHIL 364 Business Ethics
PHIL 251 Philosophy of Race and Gender
PHIL 311 Philosophy of Nature OR
PHIL 319 Topics in Applied Ethics

One course in political or legal thought:
PHIL 250 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 253 Philosophy of America OR
PHIL 318 Philosophy of Law

One internship:
PHIL 513 Internship in Applied Ethics

PHIL 515 (Senior Symposium) and one elective to be determined with the help of a faculty advisor