ETHICS PROGRAM

Two female students listen intently to a lecture.

The study of ethics captures a central feature of a Villanova education: a commitment to a more just and peaceful world.

Here at Villanova University, we believe that at the heart of every human endeavor we find assumptions about what it means to live well as human beings in the world and in relationships with others—human, non-human, and divine. The aim of the Ethics Program is to provide students with opportunities to explore these assumptions, to understand their origins in our great intellectual traditions, and to engage them critically using methods and resources both theological and philosophical. Almost all students at Villanova take “The Good Life: Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems,” a course in which we advance this aim.

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

The Ethics minor is open to all undergraduate students at Villanova University, and is a valuable complement to any course of study.

  • Stand out from other job or graduate school applicants and prepare yourself for ethics-based interview questions.
  • Prepare yourself to handle the ethical decisions that arise in every career.
  • Gain deeper insights into human values, motivations, and goals.

All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as the Villanova School of Business, take "The Good Life: Ethics and Contemporary Moral Problems" as part of the core curriculum. Typically, they take it in sophomore year, and it is a signature course of a Villanova liberal arts education.

Since 2000, the Villanova Ethics Program sponsors a team consisting of five undergraduate students to prepare, travel, and compete in the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl®. Our teams often do very well in these competitions—often making it to the final rounds in the national competition. Learn more about the Ethics Bowl.

Villanova University, SAC Room 205
800 Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085

Director: Mark Doorley
Assoc. Director: Brett Wilmot
Admin. Asst.: Peggy Elder

NEWS & EVENTS