Ethics Academic Programs
The Center for Practical Ethics provides unique educational opportunities at the University of Mississippi, equipping students with the skills to navigate complex moral issues. These programs introduce ethical reasoning and offer advanced training in professional and philosophical ethics, fostering thoughtful decision-making and responsible leadership.
Ethics and Values Minor
Offered by the Department of Philosophy and Religion in the College of Liberal Arts, the minor in Ethics and Values benefits students of all majors by enhancing their understanding of ethical principles and real-world applications. Through both theoretical and practical approaches, students learn to critically analyze moral issues and develop independent ethical reasoning.
A minor in Ethics and Values prepares students for diverse career paths, including business, law, medicine, non-profit work, education, social services, and many others.
Ethics Courses
Whether you are pursuing the Ethics and Values Minor or simply interested in deepening your knowledge, the University of Mississippi offers a wide variety of ethics courses that give students the flexibility to tailor their learning to complement their major. These courses span multiple levels and disciplines, allowing students to explore ethical issues in ways that enhance their academic and career goals. These courses include:
Leadership Endorsement
In partnership with the Trent Lott Leadership Institute and the Declaration of Independence Center, the Center for Practical Ethics offers a leadership development opportunity through a Leadership Endorsement. This four-course series prepares students to become ethical, effective leaders by combining leadership theory with ethical analysis. Upon completing the four courses, students receive a letter of endorsement that highlights their leadership skills and competencies for prospective employers or graduate schools.
Leadership Endorsement→
Courses include:
LIBA 199: Introduction to the Theory of Leadership
PHIL 102: Introduction to Professional Ethics
PHIL 354: Ethical Leadership
LIBA 499: Leadership in Practice
Course Spotlight:
Ethical Leadership (PHIL 354):
Theories of leadership abound in business, law, and politics examining how individuals spark change in organizations, coordinate complex dynamics, or captivate followers with charisma—but there is an important difference between being a leader and being an ethical leader. We examine traditional accounts of leadership and ethical theories for the importance of wisdom, the development of knowledge, the cultivation of expertise, the disciplined practice of character, and the need for flexible and practical ethical decision-making. To avoid errors in leadership, we examine common pitfalls ranging from abuses of power, inappropriate loyalties, destructive personality features, and psychological biases that cloud thought. We explore multiple well-known theories of leadership, considering which character traits are needed for each and what one should develop for more ethical action. As a semester-long writing project, students select a model for building ethical character and apply that model to a range of interpersonal, institutional/ organizational, public and non-profit, conflict and crisis, and global challenges of ethical leadership. The culmination of our study, writing, and learning is the revision of the Leadership Project into a final form as an informative guide for ethical leadership in thought and action.