CSE 40175 is one of the core classes in the Computer Science and Engineering program at the University of Notre Dame. The purpose of the course is to develop a solid foundation for reasoning about ethical, professional, and social issues that arise in the context of computer science and engineering. Emphasis is placed on identifying appropriate legal, professional and moral contexts and on applying sound critical thinking skills to a problem. Topics covered include ethical frameworks that can be applied to computer technology, the nature of contemporary tech work, social media, artificial intelligence, and information security and privacy. This course relies heavily on case studies of real-world incidents.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Communicate effectively about a wide range of ethical, professional, and social issues regarding computer science and engineering in a variety of mediums and platforms.
• Analyze complex moral and technical issues by identifying stakeholders, exploring opposing positions, and considering short and long-term consequences.
• Discuss the impact of computing and technology in the past, the issues and obstacles facing society in the present, and the opportunities for the future.
• Evaluate different ethical, professional, and social issues in the context of computer science and engineering and in terms of virtue ethics.

This course is part of the Ethics @ Work Project.