Ethics and Social Institutions

Interdisciplinary Approach to Ethics

UNC Asheville's Ethics and Social Institutions Program is designed to enable students to examine and evaluate social issues from interdisciplinary perspectives. Participating students will learn about economic, political and cultural institutions and the relationships between them. By examining markets, governments and community organizations, students will learn about decision-making processes and be able to determine their ethical implications and the outcomes of social choice.

The interdisciplinary concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions can lead to careers or advanced study in law, business, and government, or more specialized academic disciplines at the graduate level.

What You'll Learn

Students in UNC Asheville's Ethics and Social Institutions Program (ESI), under the guidance of the director of interdisciplinary studies, design their own individualized course of study by drawing on many disciplines including but not limited to economics, philosophy, political science, management, mass communication, psychology and sociology.

This personalized program allows each student to develop a course of study consistent with individual interests, while at the same time, investigating a specific set of social/political institutions. Thematic possibilities could include:

  • Social/Political Ethics
  • Ethics, Society, and the Law
  • Political and Social Decision-making
  • Globalization and the Individual
  • International Political Economy
  • Interaction of Societies
  • The Individual and Society
  • Economic Power in American Society

The requirements for the B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions include an introductory course - ESI 101 and PHIL 200 (Introduction to Ethical Theories) - as well as courses in social science research methods, ESI 490 (Senior Research in Ethics and Social Institutions), and choices from many elective courses.

Contact Information

Melissa Burchard
Professor of Philosophy
Director of Ethics and Social Institutions
236 Whitesides Hall
mburchar@unca.edu
828-232-2990