Applied Ethics Utrecht University

Overview

Explore the interaction between moral practices and ethical reflection

Moral problems occur in all areas of life: professional, personal, political. Should banks impose strict criteria on clients to promote corporate social responsibility? How to allocate fairly the benefits and burdens of climate change policy options? 

Is it ethical for us to use biological enhancement technologies to make ourselves, in some respect, better? For what purpose is the use of big data morally permissible? Such problems require careful reflection on the facts – but also on our basic moral values.

The Applied Ethics programme at Utrecht University offers the opportunity to do an internship with a national or international organisation or NGO, and to participate in elective Master-level courses abroad.

Careers

There are various career opportunities after graduating with a degree in Applied Ethics. A recent survey shows that around 30% of our graduates work at a university today, either as teachers or as PhD students. After finishing the programme, you are also able to teach ethics to professionals or to work as a consultant in governmental and diplomatic services. Some of our alumni work in journalism or in various NGOs or banks.

Professional Careers 

Alumni of this programme have found jobs in several fields of the labour market. Here are some examples of jobs in which an expertise of ethics is required.

• Gerard Versteeg works as a lecturer at HAN University of Applied Sciences.

• One of our alumni is a Product Developer at ASN Bank in the Netherlands. He works on products from the very first stages of forming ideas through the turnkey delivery. 

• Another alumna is a Junior Advisor at KPMG, a global network of professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. 

• Also, one of our alumni works as a Senior Policy Advisor for school board governance at the Ministry of Education in Canada. He is a policy analyst moving cabinet submissions and regulatory amendments through the decision-making process.

The Master in Applied Ethics is not especially focused on academic research. However, it does provide students with skills necessary for an academic career. Approximately 25-30% of our students eventually attain a PhD position at universities both in the Netherlands and abroad.

Accreditation

Accredited by the NVAO - Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.