This one-hour continuing education course is designed to provide professional engineers with a review of their ethical responsibilities. The course begins by examining the requirement for a professional code of ethics to assist engineers in the conduct of their daily practice and concludes with a discussion of the moral and ethical foundations used in building that code. Along the way you will be presented with short, entertaining case studies that you are sure to recognize from your everyday professional life.

 

 

After completing this course you will be able to:

 

 

Welcome to Basic Engineering Ethics (Module 1: Professional Standards). Today, we will be exploring your professional responsibilities as they relate to your clients, your peers, your employer, your employees, and your profession. We will begin our discussion by examining the role of ethics in the every day practice of your profession. We will explain why ethical behavior is not only a professional and legal imperative, but is also just plain good business. We will then take a look at how the concept of professional ethics developed from the most basic notions of right and wrong to the current Code of Ethics for Engineers published by the National Society of Professional Engineers. 

 

Speaking of the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers, when is the last time you took time to review them? Do you keep a copy in the office? Before you answer, remember this is a course on ethics…so no fudging allowed. No matter whether you answered that you review them on a regular basis (which, believe me would be the exception), or if it has been awhile since you dusted them off; you'll find this course to be both interesting and relevant to the conduct of your business. That's right; I said "interesting." Despite any preconceived notions you might have, I promise you that you will find this material both entertaining and informative. But for this to work, you'll have to do your part. When I pose a question as to what you might do in a particular situation, don't answer with some academically pure, oh so righteous response. Instead, answer with what you would actually do if confronted with that situation in the real world. You know, the world you live in with real bosses, real deadlines, real budgets, and real clients. That's a key difference between professional ethics and theoretical ethics…professional ethics must have a practical application or they are of no value to any of us.