Ethics & Leadership in Business

Bridging Disciplines Programs allow you to earn an interdisciplinary certificate that integrates area requirements, electives, courses for your major, internships, and research experiences.

In the interest of educating thoughtful and responsible leaders, the Ethics & Leadership in Business BDP brings together resources from across campus to allow students to examine issues of morality applicable to business people and organizations. Topic areas may include corporate social responsibility, ethical leadership, conflicts of interest, organizational culture, and consumer protection. Through the Connecting Experiences component of the BDP, you may work with community and professional organizations or bring your interdisciplinary expertise to faculty research.

Upon completion of 19 credit hours from the options listed below, you will earn a certificate in Ethics & Leadership in Business.

REQUIRED ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP COURSES: All students in the Ethics & Leadership in Business BDP must, in the process of completing their certificate requirements, take at least one course designated as including a substantial focus on Ethics (E) and at least one course designated as including a substantial focus on Leadership (L).

Note: Course descriptions available here are from a recent offering of the course, and they may not reflect the description for the next offering of the course.

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Forum Seminar Courses   (1 credit hours)

All students in the Ethics & Leadership in Business BDP are required to take a Forum Seminar. Choose one Forum Seminar Course.

ELB Forum
BDP 101 Intro to Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies
This course will survey the nature and role of conflict and its resolution at various levels, from the global to the interpersonal, focusing on certain key challenges, such as great power conflicts, civil wars, ethnic conflicts, and urban struggles. We will study the use of conflict as a tool by change agents as well as efforts to resolve conflicts in the interests of peace, justice, and welfare. Special attention will be given to nonviolent campaigns for social change. We will read interesting accounts of various conflicts and efforts to deal with them, along with writings by change agents employing conflict. Class sessions will include presentations by experts from various fields in the University community and beyond.
BDP 101 Narrative Leadership
Public narrative is a discursive practice that helps us construct identity and respond to social challenges. Leaders use it to link their own stories to stories of their community and to create hope as a catalyst for action. As an introductory course for the Ethics & Leadership Bridging Disciplines Programs certificates, this course will teach you to use interdisciplinary approaches to explore how public narrative can make you a more effective and ethical leader. Students will use behavioral ethics to examine public narratives that have brought profound social change to our country and work with the instructor to develop a public narrative that draws on their own lived experiences to address an issue important to them.

Foundation Courses   (3 - 6 credit hours)

Foundation Courses introduce key methodologies and issues related to Ethics & Leadership in Business. Choose ONE or TWO Foundation Courses. If you choose to complete two Foundation Courses, you will complete only 6 credit hours each of Strand Courses and Connecting Experiences.

Foundation Course
CLD 301 Intro to Comm And Leadership
-L
The term leadership circulates widely in our culture. At the same time, the ubiquity of statements and texts on leadership make it difficult for us to critically evaluate the concept of leadership, the underlying values and ethics inherent in definitions of leadership, and the suggestions for how to be a “great” leader. The purpose of this course is to introduce different theoretical perspectives on leadership, focusing in particular on the role that communication plays in leadership and the relationship between ethics and leadership. Taking a communication perspective, we will ask and answer the question, what makes an ethical, effective leader? Additionally, focusing on communication as the lens to understand leadership asks us to pay attention to questions of powerand privilege.
CLD 321 SEMINAR COMM LEADERSHIP
-L
This course focuses on what leaders need to know how to do to be ethical and effective forces for positive change. Students will study concepts, frameworks, and theories related to a wide variety of skills that often vary based on the characteristics of the leader, the followers, and the context. Among the skills that will be studied are those related to making ethical decisions, communicating supportively to others, motivating and engaging others, leading teams, gaining power and influence, managing conflict, and leading positive change. Students will study cases that present perplexing leadership problems, and they will critically examine how exemplars of both good and bad leadership used these skills. The course will also focus on the value of good followership and its importance in the complicated interactions between leaders and followers
CLD 332 FACILITATIVE LEADERSHIP
-L
Explores facilitation and consensus-building in leadership in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors; how to engage stakeholders in powerful, productive, and prudent ways; and how to collaborate with team members to advance a leader's vision. Includes experiential learning with a local company, organization, or public agency. In this course, students will learn how to integrate facilitation and consensus-building into their work as leaders in the private, nonprofit, or public sectors; how to engage stakeholders (like employees, financial supporters, customers, and voters) in powerful, productive, and prudent ways; and how to collaborate with team members to advance a leader’s vision. The course will include opportunities to apply lessons from the course in real-life scenarios and design and help implement a collaborative process for a local company, organization, or public agency.
CMS 322E Communication Ethics
-E
This course examines the ethical issues involved in communication. How ought we to play our part in all of the interactions we are party to? How should the media cover issues of a sensitive or potentially harmful nature? How do our interactions with others reflect and shape who we truly are? We will build our examination of communication ethics from two fundamental premises: (1) we create the sort of person that we are through our actions and inactions, and (2) an ethical communicator is one who acts with integrity. We will examine the ethical theories of a variety of thinkers and consider what they have to say about the selves we are creating through how we communicate with others. We will also see what light they shed on the topic of living and communicating with integrity. Lively discussion will be encouraged by our frequent analysis of case studies. Additionally, students will be able to write a term paper on a topic of their choice in communication ethics.
CMS 338 Leadership Stories
-L
This course is designed to help students develop a conceptual, practical, and personal understanding of leadership. We draw on public narratives and behavioral ethics to explore how media shape and present notions of leadership and the implications that process has for our society. We will use the lived experience of a traditionally marginalized group to examine how leadership plays out in all our daily lives, and you'll engage a process of ethical reflection as your write your own leadership story.
HDO 365 BIAS
-L
An interdisciplinary introduction to bias from the perspectives of psychology, political science, business, philosophy and linguistics. In psychology, we will study cognitive theories of biased judgment and decision making, as well as work in social psychology on theories of persuasion, effects of group membership, as well as implicit bias. We will introduce ideas from the study of meaning in linguistics and philosophy of language to understand how some of these effects work, e.g. the notion of framing, and also to study the philosophical question of what it means to be neutral or biased. We will then apply these ideas in the business and political arena, looking at how groups of people behave as groups, and examining both how those groups can be manipulated intentionally, and how bias can creep into what is supposed to be an objective process.
PHL 304 Contemporary Moral Problems
-E
Philosophical examination of selected moral problems arising out of contemporary society and culture.
PHL 318 Introduction to Ethics
-E
What sort of life should I live? What kind of person should I be? What sort of actions am I obligated to do or required to refrain from doing? Such questions are in the province of ethics. They ask not how you have lived, or who you are, or what you have done, but how you ought to live, what sort of person you should be, and what actions you are required to perform or refrain from. Moral theory—one of the topics of this course—attempts to provide systematic answers to these questions. In this course, we will critically evaluate competing theories, as well as ask questions about the nature of ethics itself and of moral responsibility as well as questions about the discipline of ethics and those who participate in it.
PHL 322K HISTORY OF ETHICS
The History of Ethics course covers major figures and ethical theories in the Western Tradition. We will learn about different philosophers, their connections to each other, and the views that they promoted.
PHL 325K Ethical Theories
-E
MAJOR TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL THEORIES DISCUSSED AND CRITICALLY EXAMINED. The course will deal with the development of major ethical theories from ancient to contemporary times. We will begin with Plato's Republic and his attempt to characterize the good "man" and the good state. We will proceed to consider the shift that took place with Augustine's focus on "will" rather than reason and his attempt to reconcile religious beliefs with Greek philosophical themes. We will then jump to the consideration of views characterizing debates in what has been characterized as the "age of enlightenment", reason and science (Hume, Kant, Mill) and proceed to Nietzsche's attack on previous philosophy and on "morality" in general. This will lead us to a consideration of his purported "nihilism" and to the "ethics of existentialism" (Sartre and Camus). In connection with the latter we will take up the dispute that arose between Sartre and Camus in the post world war II era over the justification of political violence.
R S 306C Comparative Religious Ethics
-E
The aim of this course is to examine and contemplate ideas about right and wrong, concepts of the good and evil, and ways of thinking about ethical behavior as they are expressed in different religious traditions. We will use a case study approach to compare moral ideas related to: sexuality and gender, social justice, the environment, and violence. In looking at these topics we will discuss a variety of issues such as homosexuality, abortion, capital punishment, just war, responses to the ecological crises, and the relationship of humans to the natural world. The course will focus on comparison across four broad areas of religious practice: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Native American religions.

Connecting Experiences   (6 - 9 credit hours)

Your BDP advisor can help you find internships and research opportunities that connect Ethics & Leadership in Business to your major. We call these opportunities “Connecting Experiences” because they play such an important role in integrating your studies. Each Connecting Experience counts for 3 credit hours. You will need to complete at least two Connecting Experiences.

For more information and for examples of past Connecting Experiences, visit the BDP website and consult your BDP advisor. BDP students must propose Connecting Experiences to the BDP office. Current BDP students should view the BDP Advising Canvas site for Connecting Experience resources and proposal instructions.

Strand Courses   (6 - 9 credit hours)

In addition to your Foundation Courses and Connecting Experiences, you must complete 6-9 credit hours of Strand Courses, to bring your total credit hours toward the BDP certificate to 19 hours. You should work with your BDP advisor to choose Strand Courses that will focus your BDP on your specific interests, and that will provide you with an interdisciplinary perspective on your BDP topic.

In order to create an interdisciplinary experience, you must choose courses from a variety of disciplines. Only one of your Strand Courses may come from your major department(s), or from courses cross-listed with your major department(s).

Students must complete at least one Strand Course offered outside the Business School.

Ethics & Leadership in Business
ADV 353 Advertising & Public Relations Law and Ethics
-E
Many of the courses offered in advertising focus on methods for developing persuasive communication. This class has a different purpose and examines the ethical issues related to the practice of advertising and marketing communications. Are some practices in advertising or public relations unethical? How can we recognize, define, assess, reprimand and prevent unethical practices? What impact do these acts have on individuals, the industry and society? Toward answering these questions we will consider ethical principles, industry codes, legal and regulatory issues, and larger macro societal issues related to the institution and practice of advertising and public relations. The goal is to raise important questions and issues and to help students learn how to critically think and evaluate them.
ADV 378 SOCIAL ISSUES-UTNY
Offered through the UTNY program. New York City is the global epicenter of the advertising and PR industries. Advertising and PR professionals, firms, agencies and organizations create and amplify media and culture from NYC. This course provides a brief history as well as a contemporary look at social issues in advertising and PR in New York. Topics will include corporate and social responsibility, social issues in personal and influencer branding, strategic communication for advancing social change, and crisis communication spanning the contexts of organizational and global crises. Students will gain an understanding of how social issues come to bear on advertising and PR in specific industries that are an integral part of the New York market, including healthcare, fashion, non-profits and finance.
ALD 379 SOC RESP ETHCL STDNT LDR-CRC
Socially Responsible and Ethical Student Leadership is a discussion-based seminar designed to develop student leaders who are ready to engage in and initiate social change. This Maymester course will provide a specific emphasis on global leadership issues in the context of socially responsible and ethical leadership. This class provides both the theoretical knowledge and the experiential skills for students to arrive at a personal definition of leadership, understand group values and dynamics, interact with cross-cultural communication styles, hone their interpersonal dynamism, and embody a code of ethics that promotes public good. Ethics and Leadership courses are designed to equip students with skills that are necessary for making ethical decisions in both their personal and professional lives. Students should therefore expect a substantial portion of their grade to come from assignments involving ethical issues and the process of applying ethical reasoning to real-life situations.
BGS 370 3-BUSN ETHICS SOCL RESPNSBLTY
This course’s two main foci are the development of ethical leadership and responsibility. In order to sharpen our ability to face the complexities of ethics in the business world, we will (1) learn about basic concepts relevant to business ethics, (2) start to develop ethical principles in a variety of business domains, and (3) practice discussing ethical issues with people from a variety of viewpoints and backgrounds. After this course you will be even better equipped to use your education (and natural abilities) to be a success because you will be less likely to be hindered by ethical quandaries, scandals, and ambiguities.
BGS 370 Ethic, CSR & Service Learning
-E
This course will examine why seemingly good people sometimes make unethical choices. It will explore real-life ethical dilemmas, challenge our decision-making processes, and seek to describe our ideal behavior for the future. As an Academic Service Learning course, it will partner with corporations (like Google, Inc.), the City of Austin, local non-profits, and other local universities to engage in service pro jects, giving students the opportunity to use real-life problems and tasks to increase learning breadth, depth, and retention. Restricted to students in a business major.
BGS 371 Corporate Political Strategy
This course will explore the relationship between business and government in the United States and around the world, with the goal of preparing you, as future employees and managers, to develop and implement non-market strategies. The course is divided into four parts: 1) understanding the non-market environment of the firm and its relationship to the market environment; 2) learning how to develop a general non-market strategy for a firm and how to evaluate the efficacy of different non-market tactics; 3) examining the role of non-market factors across different substantive public policy areas of concern to firms; and 4) exploring how nonmarket factors vary cross-nationally and how they are shaped by international agreements.
BGS 372 Strategic Corp Social Resp
Studies corporate efforts to inform, motivate, and persuade various constituencies, including investors, employees, communities, and regulators. Subjects include public relations, investor relations, and government relations.
BGS 375 BUSN POL AGE OF INEQUALITY
Both within the United States and in a number of other developed countries, wage inequality has risen dramatically over the past forty years. Everyone in society, and especially in business, should be deeply concerned with rising inequality. In particular, inequality threatens the vision most of us have of our capitalist system, which now provides less social mobility than in prior decades. Business leaders have increasingly realized that rampant inequality threatens the foundations upon which the success of their companies relies and that they can, with some creativity, (perhaps) do something to ameliorate the problem.
CMS 313M Organizational Communication
-L
It is through organizations that members of a society achieve their collective goals—from making laws and building bridges, to the local and international trade of goods and services. Organizational communication is the study of how people accomplish these goals through the creation and exchange of messages within a network of interdependent relationships to cope with environmental uncertainty. Through including case studies, class activities, and online discussions, we will examine organizational communication practices within and across organizations and empower you to improve communication and organizations.
CMS 332 Argumentation and Advocacy
-L
To comprehend, evaluate, and refute arguments. Lectures, discussions, observations, written and oral assignments, and tests will be used to aid the development and assessment of students’ knowledge and skills relating to these goals. One chief practice in the classroom related to these goals will involve merging theory and practice throughout the classroom experience. To these ends, we will foster and maintain a stimulating, interactive, open and friendly classroom environment that promotes critical thinking, intellectual growth, and the development of new communication skills and new insights into argumentation.
CMS 332K Theories of Persuasion
Persuasion is the process by which we change or reinforce the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of others. Persuasion is intrinsically a communication process and typically a strategic one. In this course, we will survey research and theory on persuasion in the social sciences (communication studies, economics, advertising, marketing, management, psychology, sociology) and consider its application in various communicative contexts. We will also investigate how strategies of persuasion that have traditionally been used in interpersonal and mass communication (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.) are now employed in computer software and media (digital, social, etc.) technologies.
CMS 356T ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSPARENCY
This course provides students an overview of fundamental dynamics of transparency as a form of communication. It covers a range of current problems related to organizational transparency and sustainability, and critically assesses organizational transparency as an ethical practice. Students are encouraged to imagine and propose ethical, transparent and responsive communication systems and practices.
F A 345 LEADERSHIP URBAN ENGAGEMENT
-L

*Only available for UTNY Program students. Taught in NYC.

New York City has long been a proving ground for leaders eager to show that “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” As a world capital of the arts, diplomacy, finance, and media, the city serves as home to many highly successful leaders and as a classroom for people seeking to cultivate leadership skills. In this unique hybrid course, we will study leadership concepts and strategies, meet NYC leaders who put these ideas into practice, and tour workplaces and other spaces in the city where leadership is on display.
GEO 371T The Science of Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, in the development of environmental policies and regulations. Central to advancing EJ is understanding the physical, chemical, biological, and other environmental processes that lead to the inequitable impacts of environmental degradation. This course explores the scientific basis for understanding these inequitable impacts through lectures and case studies, including field-based investigations focused on water quality in Austin-area communities.
GOV 360O BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
In this class we will explore the literature in political science, management, and economics on the relationship between business and society. This is a writing flag course and the main assignment for the course is a course research paper on a topic related to the course. I will give a bunch of suggestions for topics. This course is set up for synchronous and asynchronous learning. As a rule, most Tuesdays will be asynchronous content (pre-recorded lectures, videos or other content) and Thursdays will by synchronous discussion or simulations. Every Tuesday will have a short, recorded lecture (around 30-40 minutes) with additional video, podcast, or short interview content. There will be a participation assignment for each Tuesday as well. Every Thursday will be a live Zoom discussion. Students will be expected to come prepared to ask questions and discuss the cases and the readings.
GOV 360O BUSINESS AND SOCIETY
This class explores the relationship between firms and society. This includes the role of regulation and government policy in shaping economic outcomes, firm voluntary contributions to solving social issues, and the harnessing of private capital for foreign aid. The key insights will be to examine how governments can best encourage economic activity that has positive contributions for society.
HDO 350 Identities in Organizations
Regardless of what organizations we are part of—education, business, non-profit, military, religious, political, social—our spaces are increasingly diverse, yet all too often they remain exclusionary and inequitable. We will explore how identities are experienced in various organizations, with an emphasis on how identities intersect in individual’s experiences and are lived differently in different contexts. We will begin the semester by laying a foundation for understanding the complexity of identity by exploring relevant theories. Using a wide range of texts, students will investigate how our identities manifest in a myriad of ways at the micro, meso, and macro levels in various organizations.
HIS 350L 91-HISTORY OF MONEY CORRUPTION
There is something mysterious about money. Throughout history, how is money created? What problems arise from the processes and power to create money? This course will investigate how financial crises have arisen in the past and to what extent they transpired because of wrongdoing. We will study the origins of the Great Depression and the financial crisis of 2008. We will also study the development of the recent financial crises in Iceland, Greece, and Puerto Rico. In the Renaissance, it was illegal to create gold in England. The British government still believed that it might be possible to create precious metals through alchemical experiments, and if so, anyone with such a power might generate enough wealth to constitute a danger. Nowadays, we no longer worry about alchemists, yet money has been detached from precious metals, collateral, and even paper. Money consists essentially of digital numbers in bank accounts. What is the historical process by which money became abstract numbers that can be created as loans? We will study how loans and money created “out of nothing” have led to hyperinflation in countries such as Germany, Argentina, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. This is a writing seminar. Students will write essays. There will be peer review and revisions. Each student will also propose a research topic, to be approved by the Instructor, for a longer Research Paper. This course has a Writing Flag.
HIS 350R Hist Black Entreprn in US
Within the construct of African American Business history, race, American capitalism, contemporary American popular culture and global capitalism, this course will focus on an important aspect in the contemporary political economy of black Americans. Specifically, the commodification (sale) of black culture provides the conceptual frame for an examination of the phenomenon of both the superstar black athlete as an entrepreneur and the Hip Hop Superstar as an entrepreneur in post-Civil Rights America. The emphasis in this course, then, is to critically examine and analyze the impact of a multiplicity of societal, cultural and economic factors in the post-modern information age, propelled by new technologies in the New Economy of Global Capitalism. Also, consideration will be given to the new diversity as it impacts on the political economy of African Americans and American capitalism.
I 303 Ethical Foundations for Informatics
-E
Recent advances in the production, use, and management of information present many new opportunities, and also raise ethical challenges that we must confront. Is it wrong to create technologies that replace human labor, leading to unemployment? Is it morally acceptable for law enforcement officers to pose as children online to catch child predators? Is it wrong to share music with friends using peer-to-peer networks? Is it morally acceptable to use body scanners that violate personal privacy to prevent acts of terrorism? Is it wrong to release software with known bugs that might have unintended consequences, potentially including loss of life? Is it morally acceptable to require citizens to vote online when there are security concerns and not every citizen has access to or the skills to use the Internet? This course covers past, current, and future issues in information ethics, and encourages you to develop your own standpoint from which to address the diverse range of ethical challenges facing us in the information age. During the course, you will learn about a wide range of ethical theories, including non-Western and feminist theories, and you will then apply these theories to confront ongoing critical information ethics issues.
J 308D Data, Privacy, And You
-E
Explores approaches to understanding what some have termed 'datafication'. Covers literacy of these types of data as well as the ways in which these data are transmitted, stored, compiled, aggregated, analyzed, and used in predictive analytics. Examines privacy aspects in terms of the increased blurring between the private and public in spacessuch as social media and explores the implication of this on news production and consumption.
J 348N LEADERSHIP IN NEWS ORGS
Examine concepts and frameworks related to skills integral to ethical, effective leadership and management in news organizations. Explore making ethical decisions, communicating supportively to others, gaining power and influence, managing conflict, building effective teams, and leading positive change.
LEB 320F Foundations of Business Law and Ethics
This course focuses on the organization and operation of the American legal system, legal rules that impact businesses and individuals, and the practical application of these rules to real-life situations. Emphasis is placed on analytical problem-solving.
LEB 323 Business Law and Ethics
-E
An investigation of the role of law in society; introduction to legal reasoning, dispute resolution, judicial process, constitutional law, agency, torts, government regulations; business ethics; study of contracts.
MAN 320F Foundations of Management and Organizational Behavior
This upper-division course is designed for non-business majors. The course is structured to provide students with an introduction to management of organizations and organizational behavior. A broad perspective of behavior in organizations will be covered. By the time you graduate, you can expect to experience continued restructuring, downsizing, re-engineering, entrepreneurial growth, intense competition, technological change and an expanding web of international linkages among firms. Hence, an important focus of this course is the application of principles and concepts, (such as ethics, motivation, team effectiveness, decision-making and organizational culture) relevant to managing and leading people in dynamic organizations. We will undertake several exercises to grow your leadership, management and people-related skills. Emphasis is placed on the importance of ethical leadership in organizations that helps leaders understand and manage their business with integrity.
MAN 336 Organizational Behavior
The goal of this course is to enhance your managerial, organizational, and leadership skills by developing a clear understanding of the key principles of organizational behavior (OB). The course will cover many OB topics, such as motivation, teamwork, communication, conflict, and organizational culture. A variety of instructional techniques are used: lectures, cases, exercises, discussion boards, and video clips – to ensure you understand the practical application of the theoretical concepts covered in the course.
MAN 337 Leading for Impact
-L
This course will enable you to understand, strengthen, and adapt your personal leadership style. There are two overarching course objectives. First, this course will expose you to topics, concepts, and findings that are central to understanding and practicing effective leadership. Second, this course will focus on your personal growth and leadership development. This will occur through a combination of classroom instruction in leadership concepts and frameworks, self-assessments, action planning, peer discussion, and (most importantly) personal reflection and learning. Through this work, you should gain greater awareness and mastery of your own leadership approaches and skills, better understand contextual demands and how different leadership styles and behaviors best meet those demands, and draw out personal learning based on tangible opportunities to practice the art of leading people. I view this second course objective – personal growth and leadership development – as the most critical because I believe that all leadership development begins with self-awareness and personalized goal setting.
MKT 372 18-CREATIVITY AND LEADERSHIP
We will use a variety of tools and techniques to achieve the three objectives listed above, including: 1. Lectures: I will likely lecture for about 30 minutes in each session. In each lecture, I will summarize one or more important conclusions to which science has arrived. However, I’d like the sessions to be interactive, so please do feel free to raise your hand and ask questions as and when they occur to you. 2. In-class Discussions: Perhaps the most important way of achieving objectives will be through peer-to-peer learning. For example, I will regularly assign you to breakout rooms to discuss topics with your peers. 3. Readings, articles, and videos: You will be assigned, on average, one article/video/audio per session. 4. Assignments: The assignments are the heart of the course. Whereas conceptual knowledge is important, without taking action on this knowledge, you won’t see the desired effects. For instance, learning about the various ways in which expressing
MKT 372 Business Ethics & Social Responsibility
-E
This course will examine why seemingly good people sometimes make unethical choices. We will explore real-life ethical dilemmas, challenge our decision-making processes, and seek to describe our ideal behavior for the future. Since this is an Academic Service Learning course, we will also partner with corporations (like Google, Inc.), the City of Austin, local non-profits, and other local universities to engage in service projects, giving students the opportunity to use real-life problems and tasks to increase learning breadth, depth, and retention.
PHL 304T INTRO TO TECHNOLOGY ETHICS
The explosion of interest in so-called “artificial intelligence” technologies is the latest in a history of human engagement with the ethics of technological development. In the modern information age, the pace of technological advance demands understanding of how to engage with the ethical questions technology raises, not only for theoretical purposes, but also for the goal of advancing human welfare. This introductory class to technology ethics serves as both an introduction to the science and craft of philosophy, as well as a primer on modern ethical thought, with rigorous application of both to both historical and modern questions dealing with AI, neural networks, and large-language models. Familiarity in these topics is not expected or required, making this an excellent course for anyone interested. Topics will include: what is “progress?” How can AI be used responsibly, if at all? Should AI firms be responsible for the harm that their AI creations cause, and were these machines produced ethically? Several prominent thinkers have argued that AI are ‘persons’ -- are such AI moral agents: can they be morally responsible? And if AI are persons, do we owe AI the same rights we accord to human persons?
PHL 325L Business, Ethics, and Public Policy
-E
Issues in ethics and politics that are relevant to the organization of business and industry and the distribution of power in society; topics include the role of industry; concepts of profit, property, and moral responsibility.
PHL 325N ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS
This course examines ethical questions relating to organizations from theoretical and practical points of view. The basic questions of ethics, in an organizational context, arise at several different levels. We can ask about my obligations to the organization, to my coworkers, to my supervisors, to the people I supervise, to shareholders, to stakeholders, and to the public. We can ask about the organization’s obligations to its members, its shareholders, and the public. We can ask about ways of structuring institutions to encapsulate the values of the organization and minimize ethical risks. Finally, we can ask about the extent to which ethical problems can be addressed by formal codes, policies, and institutional structures. Our hypothesis throughout the course will be that ethics, strategy, psychology, and organizational structure interact in important ways and need to be studied together. We will combine perspectives of game theory, business strategy, psychology, social and organizational structure, and ethics as traditionally conceived to develop approaches to ethics in the context of organizations.
PSY 340M Industrial Psychology
Purpose: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average working American spends nearly 9 hours a day on weekdays and many Americans also work on weekends averaging over 5 hours a day (American Time Use Survey, 2016). Work is a major part of daily life and a unique psychological experience. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to basic theories and research about the factors that affect peoples’ experience of and performance at work. This concerns both individual factors, such as the work motivation and hiring practices, and organizational factors such as the effects of organizational structures and leadership practices.
SOC 359 Labor and Labor Movements
-E
This course explores employment relations in the United States. Major themes include sociological theories of work; the impact of globalization on workers around the world; how the social inequalities of race, class, and gender are reproduced in various types of workplaces (low wage and professional); and the labor movement’s efforts to achieve equality, job security, and rights for workers. Students are required to attend all class meetings and complete all reading assignments on time (approximately 75-100 pages per week).

Integration Essay

A 3-4 page essay in which you reflect on what you learned and accomplished through your BDP experience.

Important Notes on Fulfilling Your BDP Requirements


For more information on courses, please consult your BDP advisor (bdp@austin.utexas.edu) or the course schedule.