Enrolments are closed.
Want to study Psychology and Philosophy? with a student advisor to find out more.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Undergraduate | TAS-XBR106 | 2020
Course information for 2020 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed,
- No prior study
- Duration
- -
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Ethics and Social Responsibility
About this subject
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Identify ethical considerations in decision making and distinguish ethical norms from legal, prudential or religious considerations
- Compare and contrast competing normative ethical theories (including consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics) and be able to weigh their relative advantages and disadvantages as guides for ethical decision making
- Apply normative ethical theories in a range of different contexts to arrive at judgements that they can rationally defend. These contexts may include: various codes of professional ethics, research ethics, corporate ethics, and situations where universal human rights are involved.
- Frameworks for Ethical Decision Making: moral reasons
- Frameworks for Ethical Decision Making: utilitarianism
- Frameworks for Ethical Decision Making: deontology
- Frameworks for Ethical Decision Making: virtue ethics
- Professions and professional ethics – lawyers
- Medical ethics
- Business ethics
- Corporate social responsibility
- Public sector ethics
- Situational crime prevention
- Putting it all together: the Banking Royal Commission
Do you consider yourself an ethical individual? Do you think you understand what is meant by social responsibility? We all know that ethical and value-driven leaders are required in society and what this unit will do is challenge your current thinking and ask you to explore different perspectives around ethics and social responsibility. It will provide you with the capabilities and thinking frameworks that will allow you to reflect on the notion of ethics and ethical decision-making and provide you with the confidence and self-belief that you are acting in a way that is appropriate, moral, and rationally supported. A sensitivity and understanding of ethics and social responsibility is now an imperative within modern society. Truly sustainable inspirational leadership can only evolve from an ethical and socially responsible base. This subject works on that level but also provides the tools necessary to allow individuals to reflect on the moral judgements that we make on a daily basis.
Students will gain an understanding of the University’s Statement of Values and from this foundation of personal ethics within the University environment, students will learn the theoretical philosophical frameworks that encompass ethical decision-making. The subject will also clarify the conceptual boundaries between ethics and other areas, such as law, commerce, and religion. Attention will be drawn to forms of unethical conduct that can adversely influence the life of a University student (such as academic misconduct, cyber bullying, and peer pressure) and will, through a series of real-world based scenarios, consider how ethical frameworks can assist a person to make appropriate decisions within a range of settings. These settings will include the contemporary research environment, the context of policy settings to minimise criminal behaviour, an understanding of ethics and its context to corporate life, how ethics influences the life of a legal professional, the interconnection of religion to ethics, and how ethical frameworks operate in the global context.
- Reflective exercise (20%)
- Online quiz (5%)
- Short answer test (15%)
- Weekly quizzes x 7 (60%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
Wherever you are, the University of Tasmania brings its island campus to you through a growing range of online programs across art and design, business, education, health, science, sustainability, technology, and more. It’s never too late to switch things up. Kickstart that career you’ve been dreaming about, or upskill for the one you’re in. You’ll also become a part of the world's leading university on climate action.
Learn more about UTAS.
Explore UTAS courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 20
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 19
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Why study a single subject?
Bite sized study
Try studying a particular area to see if online study suits you, or upskill in just a few months with a single subject that you’re interested in.
Pursue a dream
With thousands of single subjects to choose from, you can find topics that get you on the path to your higher education goals fast.
Gain Uni credit
Most single subjects are part of a full degree. That means if you’re keen to keep learning, you can gain credit for the subjects you’ve successfully completed.
Single subject FAQs
Single subjects are the individual components that make up a degree. With Open Universities Australia, you’re able to study many of them as stand-alone subjects, including postgraduate single subjects, without having to commit to a degree.
Each of your subjects will be held over the course of a study term, and they’ll usually require 10 to 12 hours of study each week. Subjects are identified by a title and a code, for example, Developmental Psychology, PSY20007.
First, find the degree that you would like to study on our website.
If that degree allows entry via undergraduate subjects, there will be information about this under the Entry Requirements section. You will find a list of 2-4 open enrolment subjects you need to successfully complete to qualify for admission into that qualification.
Once you pass those subjects, you will satisfy the academic requirements for the degree, and you can apply for entry.
Our student advisors are here to help you take that next step, so don’t hesitate to reach out when you’re ready! We’ve also made it easier to figure out the right way to get started on our pathways page.
Our student advisors are more than happy to help you plan your online study. Get in touch with an advisor by:
You can pay up front with your credit card, or you may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government depending on your citizenship status and where you’ll live during your studies.
For more information about how to pay for your studies visit our fees page or contact a student advisor.
When you’ve made your choice, click ‘Enrol now’ on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We’ll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to us and we’ll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions .
Close of enrolment times vary between universities and subjects. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting key dates.