Study ethics abroad

Ethics program structure

Ethics can be studied as a certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree. One or two-year certificate and associate programs provide students with a comprehensive overview of the field. They’re a great route into entry-level employment or further study.

Ethics is most commonly studied as a BA over three or four years. As part of your program, you’ll be encouraged to complete a placement year where you can put what you’ve learned into practice.

At the undergraduate level, ethics is often studied alongside another subject as part of a joint honors course. Popular pairings include philosophy, psychology, political science, sociology, and psychology.

Once you’ve finished your bachelor’s, you can go on to pursue a postgraduate qualification. An MA usually takes one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. If you want to gain the highest formal qualification possible, a PhD takes around a further 5 years to complete.

Most ethics programs are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, group workshops, and one-to-one tutorials. Assessment methods will vary depending on the module, but you’ll likely complete exams, essays, written assignments, presentations, and group projects.

Ethics programs don’t usually have many compulsory modules, leaving plenty of space for you to choose elective courses that reflect your interests. However, most programs around the world will cover these core areas:

• Ethical theory and moral issues
• Logical and critical thinking
• History of ethical thought
• Social justice and human rights
• Environmental ethics
• Ethics and the health professions
• Bioethics
• Laws and ethics