2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This study explores how doctoral students at the [BLANK] School of Engineering conceptualize ethics and examines how these conceptualizations influence their professional decision-making. Engineering practice frequently involves complex social, economic, and contextual factors, and the failure to adequately consider these dimensions can result in ethical lapses with far-reaching consequences (Hess et al., 2023). A stark example is the Flint water crisis, where cost-driven decisions led to contaminated drinking water and severe public health outcomes (Hess et al., 2023). This case highlights the urgent need to integrate ethics more comprehensively into engineering education.
Despite the importance of ethical responsibility, existing research suggests that many engineering programs do not sufficiently prepare students to navigate the ethical complexities inherent in their profession (Stephan, 2013; Hess et al., 2018). To address this gap, the present study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys to investigate how doctoral students conceptualize ethics. The aim is to generate insights into how students define and apply ethical reasoning and to identify areas where ethics education may be lacking.
The anticipated findings will provide valuable perspectives on doctoral engineering students’ ethical awareness and decision-making. Ultimately, this research seeks to support the development of more effective ethics education that fosters a culture of social responsibility, equipping future engineers to make informed and conscientious decisions that positively impact society.