Ethics, Minor

Kate McCarthy-Gilmore, Ph.D., Associate Dean

The minor in Interdisciplinary Ethics promotes the study of ethics and morality across disciplinary perspectives. Coursework includes both theoretical and applied ethics and integrates Christian and Catholic perspectives as distinctive of the Loras College mission. Coursework in this minor will study contemporary social ethical concerns, the nature of moral reasoning, historical development in ethical perspectives, distinctive features of the Catholic moral tradition, and the application of ethical norms to various disciplines and fields of study.

The Interdisciplinary Ethics minor is 18 credits, with elective courses offered in multiple disciplines across the College. Students may complete concentrations within the minor through selection of electives and the research or practicum project chosen in the interdisciplinary integrative course. This course consists of directed experiential learning and/or research and a defense. Students will choose two faculty readers in addition to the course instructor. Usually the first reader will be chosen from within a student’s major program of study. The director of the minor will be the primary instructor of the interdisciplinary integrative course and will oversee all student research and practicum projects.

Consult the website of the Division of Philosophical, Religious, Theological, Social & Cultural Studies for the current list of elective courses or contact the director of the minor. Students seeking a concentration in Catholic Business Leadership, Criminal Justice, or Philosophy should consult faculty members in the programs sponsoring these concentrations.

Student Learning Outcomes - Ethics

1. Demonstrate understanding of major ethical traditions through critical engagement with significant figures, theories, and issues in the history of ethics.
2. Recognize, assess, and critically engage contemporary ethical issues at the personal, social, and professional levels.
3. Employ the perspectives and resources of multiple disciplines to reflectively engage concerns and challenges in applied ethics.
4. Demonstrate understanding of distinctive elements of the Catholic of Moral Tradition and its contributions to contemporary ethical concerns.
5. Construct clear, cogent, and persuasive ethical arguments.