CPE Ethics Course

Lesson 1 • History of Engineering Ethics

Traces how landmark failures shaped modern codes of conduct. Provides historical context that motivates current ethical standards in engineering.

Lesson 2 • The Engineer's Duty to the Public

Examines the primacy of public safety, health, and welfare in engineering decisions. Connects foundational theory to the engineer's core professional obligation.

Lesson 3 • Defining Ethics in Professional Contexts

Distinguishes ethics from law, policy, and personal preference. Grounds the chapter by clarifying what ethical reasoning demands of practicing engineers.

Lesson 1 • Structure of Engineering Codes of Ethics

Breaks down the anatomy of a professional code, including canons, guidelines, and rules. Shows how each level of a code creates enforceable obligations.

Lesson 2 • Interpreting Code Provisions

Develops skills for reading ambiguous code language and resolving apparent conflicts. Directly supports accurate application of codes in practice.

Lesson 3 • Staying Current with Evolving Standards

Addresses how codes are revised and how engineers track changes. Prepares students to maintain compliance as standards evolve over a career.

Lesson 4 • Regulatory Bodies and Enforcement

Identifies the agencies and boards that enforce professional standards and impose sanctions. Connects code provisions to real disciplinary consequences.

Lesson 1 • Reflecting and Learning from Outcomes

Introduces post-decision review as a tool for continuous ethical improvement. Closes the decision cycle and builds long-term professional judgment.

Lesson 2 • Recognising Ethical Issues

Trains students to detect moral dimensions in technical and organisational situations. Recognition is the prerequisite skill for all subsequent decision-making steps.

Lesson 3 • Making and Justifying Decisions

Guides students through selecting a course of action and constructing a clear ethical justification. Justification skills are essential for professional accountability.

Lesson 4 • Gathering Facts and Stakeholders

Establishes methods for collecting relevant information and mapping affected parties. Accurate fact-gathering prevents premature or misinformed ethical judgments.

Lesson 1 • Types of Conflicts of Interest

Categorises financial, relational, and organisational conflicts that arise in engineering practice. Taxonomy enables precise identification before conflicts cause harm.

Lesson 2 • Disclosure Obligations and Procedures

Explains when and how engineers must disclose conflicts to clients, employers, and regulators. Proper disclosure is the primary mechanism for preserving trust.

Lesson 3 • Recusal and Withdrawal Strategies

Covers situations requiring an engineer to step back from a project or decision. Recusal protects both the professional and the integrity of the outcome.

Lesson 4 • Managing Competing Loyalties

Addresses tensions between duties to employers, clients, the profession, and the public. Provides frameworks for prioritising obligations when loyalties conflict.

Lesson 1 • Transparency with Clients and Employers

Covers proactive disclosure of limitations, risks, and uncertainties to those who rely on engineering judgment. Transparency builds trust and enables informed decisions.

Lesson 2 • Intellectual Honesty in Engineering

Addresses plagiarism, attribution, and proper credit in technical work. Intellectual honesty sustains the collaborative knowledge base of the profession.

Lesson 3 • Truthfulness in Technical Reporting

Defines standards for accurate representation of data, findings, and conclusions. Honest reporting is foundational to engineering credibility and public safety.

Lesson 1 • Practising Within Scope

Examines the obligation to decline or refer work outside one's area of expertise. Scope discipline prevents harm caused by unqualified engineering decisions.

Lesson 2 • Responsibility in Team and Project Settings

Addresses how responsibility is allocated and accepted across multidisciplinary teams. Clear responsibility assignment prevents ethical gaps in complex projects.

Lesson 3 • Seals, Signatures, and Professional Certification

Explains the ethical weight of affixing a professional seal or signature to engineering work. Certification signals personal accountability for the quality and safety of the work.

Lesson 4 • Continuing Competence and Lifelong Learning

Links ongoing education to the ethical duty to remain current in one's field. Continuous learning is a professional obligation, not merely a career benefit.

Lesson 1 • Ethics in Procurement and Contracting

Examines ethical standards in bidding, contracting, and vendor relationships. Procurement integrity prevents corruption and ensures fair competition.

Lesson 2 • Diversity, Inclusion, and Workplace Fairness

Addresses ethical obligations related to equitable treatment of colleagues and subordinates. Fair workplace conduct is an extension of the engineer's broader ethical commitments.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Leadership and Supervision

Examines the ethical duties of engineers who supervise others or lead project teams. Leaders set the ethical tone and bear responsibility for subordinates' conduct.

Lesson 4 • Organisational Pressure and Ethical Resistance

Analyses how institutional pressures can erode individual ethical judgment. Students build strategies to maintain integrity when facing organisational coercion.

Lesson 1 • Risk Communication and Public Accountability

Covers the ethical duty to communicate technical risks clearly to non-expert audiences. Transparent risk communication is essential for informed public consent.

Lesson 2 • Ethics in Emerging Technologies

Examines ethical issues introduced by artificial intelligence, automation, and novel materials. Prepares engineers to apply established principles to unprecedented technical contexts.

Lesson 3 • Environmental and Sustainability Ethics

Addresses the engineer's duty to minimise environmental harm and promote sustainable design. Sustainability ethics extends professional responsibility to future generations.

Lesson 4 • Systemic Ethical Failures and Prevention

Analyses how organisational and cultural factors produce large-scale ethical breakdowns. Students design preventive measures that address root causes, not just symptoms.