What are ethics, and why are they important to learn about?

Ethics is the system of principles that determine whether the behavior of a person or organization is right or wrong from the perspective of morality and society. An understanding of ethics is important in our personal lives as well as in business and public life, where ethical leadership can inspire and motivate your team - and unethical actions can permanently tarnish the way you or your company is perceived, or even have legal repercussions. While fundamental principles of ethics have been a subject of moral philosophy since the days of Aristotle, the modern era has led to countless questions about the ethical use of new technologies. For instance, the convergence of the internet, social media, and data science has made privacy and the proper use of individuals’ data an important subject for business ethics. Similarly, many technologists have expressed concern that unethical forms of artificial intelligence (AI) could have harmful consequences for society.

What kinds of careers can I have with a background in ethics?

Strong principles of business ethics and an understanding of the power of ethical leadership can be an asset for any career in management. Many people want to work for companies that are helping to make positive change in the world - and very few want to work for or with an actively unethical organization. Being able to give voice to values and establishing yourself as an ethical leader can help attract and retain top talent as well as align and motivate your team to success. As our society becomes more and more dependent on the internet and artificial intelligence (AI), the ethics of the development, deployment, and use of these emerging technologies is becoming a critical subject of discussion in universities and tech companies around the world. Data scientists and AI engineers are thus increasingly expected to have a background in the potential ethical issues surrounding their work. According to Glassdoor , AI Engineers earn an average annual salary of $114,121.

Can I learn about ethics by taking online courses on Coursera?

Yes. Whether you want to learn about ethics from a personal or philosophical interest or to inform your career, Coursera offers a range of courses to fit your needs. You can learn remotely from top-ranked institutions from around the world, including Yale University, University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, the University of Lausanne, and the University of Amsterdam, all for a significantly lower tuition than on-campus students. You can even get a professional certificate in the ethics of technology through Coursera and CertNexus, giving you a valuable credential for careers in tech.

What skills or experience do I need to already have, before starting to learn ethics?

Good reading skills are typically the main skill you need to have before starting to study ethics. This is because the concepts can be complex and cases studies can contain a number of details to consider. Compassion for others can be useful because it might help you to consider how others would feel in a given situation. Critical thinking skills can also typically help you when learning about ethics. A background in philosophy can support the ethics topics you may choose to study. Business courses may also provide some background that you can quickly apply to topics you study in the field of ethics.

What kind of people are best suited for roles in ethics?

People who care more about doing what’s right than they care about making popular decisions are typically best suited for roles in ethics. These are often people who show respect for others even if they don’t agree with them, and people who treat others fairly without showing any type of bias. People who are honest and who lead by example are also often well suited to ethics roles. These may be people who enjoy exploring historical events or who study business areas like international trade, in which companies can make unethical blunders based on lack of knowledge about local customs or environmental issues.

What are common career paths for someone in ethics?

Some common career paths for someone in ethics include the health field and the legal field. These fields typically require people who have a high level of ethics due to the complexity of cases and the amount of privacy regulations involved. Education and research are two fields that can provide career paths for someone who studies ethics. Compliance specialists and ethics managers are two more paths that typically fall under the ethics topic. Ethics analysts and social services case workers also generally require a solid understanding of ethics.

What types of places hire people with a background in ethics?

Public service agencies and charitable organizations typically hire people who understand and practice ethics. Additionally, companies that engage in international trade and that need business management professionals can sometimes specifically seek out corporate social responsibility professionals to support ethical business practices. Tech companies like AI developers can hire ethics professionals. Additionally, marketing firms and accounting firms can seek out employees who have ethics training.

What are the benefits of taking an online Ethics course?

Online Ethics courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Ethics skills. Choose from a wide range of Ethics courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Ethics courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Ethics, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Ethics Courses - Learn Ethics Online

Explore the Ethics Course Catalog

Status: Free
Coursera Instructor Network
GenAI for Talent Acquisition and Onboarding
Skills you'll gain: Talent Acquisition, Generative AI, Recruitment, HR Tech, ChatGPT, Recruitment Strategies, Talent Sourcing, Technical Communication, Employee Onboarding, Interviewing Skills, Business Ethics, Automation, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Diversity and Inclusion
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Google Cloud
MLOps with Vertex AI: Model Evaluation - 繁體中文
Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Continuous Monitoring, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Predictive Modeling, Google Cloud Platform, System Monitoring, Machine Learning, Applied Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Data Ethics, Data Quality, Automation
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Certificado en Gestión de Inversiones
Skills you'll gain: Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Statements, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, Accrual Accounting, Financial Analysis, Investments, Income Statement, Risk Management, Balance Sheet, Financial Data, Financial Reporting, Financial Market, Accounting, Business Ethics, Finance, Financial Modeling, Financial Trading, Behavioral Economics, Asset Management
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 meses
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Certificado en Toma de Decisiones Basadas en Datos
Skills you'll gain: Descriptive Analytics, Business Analytics, Database Design, NoSQL, Statistical Reporting, SQL, Data Ethics, Digital Transformation, Query Languages, Data Mining, Databases, Data Analysis, R Programming, Big Data, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Predictive Analytics, Organizational Structure, Business Transformation, Organizational Strategy, Value Propositions
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 6 meses
University of North Texas
Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
Skills you'll gain: Operations Management, Exploratory Data Analysis, Change Management, Business Writing, Compensation and Benefits, Integrated Marketing Communications, Apache Hadoop, Consumer Behaviour, Organizational Change, Stakeholder Management, Event Management, Grammar, Social Media Strategy, Business Ethics, Leadership Studies, Sales Process, Diversity Awareness, Conflict Management, Research, Negotiation
Earn a degree
Degree · 1 - 4 Years
University of Michigan
Master of Applied Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Ethics, Data Storytelling, Database Design, Reinforcement Learning, Supervised Learning, Experimentation, PySpark, Interactive Data Visualization, Generative AI, Pandas (Python Package), Network Analysis, Deep Learning, Applied Machine Learning, Cloud Services, Database Management, Natural Language Processing, JSON, Data Mining, Qualitative Research, Statistical Visualization
Earn a degree
Degree · 12 – 36 months
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Magíster en Ciencia de Datos
Skills you'll gain: Revenue Management, Data Ethics, Customer Analysis, Descriptive Analytics, FinTech, Database Design, People Analytics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, Biostatistics, Predictive Analytics, Statistical Reporting, Unsupervised Learning, Digital Transformation, Deep Learning, Risk Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Cloud Security, Network Model, Assertiveness
Earn a degree
Degree · 24 meses
Universidad de los Andes
Maestría en Inteligencia Artificial
Skills you'll gain: Supervised Learning, Unsupervised Learning, Anomaly Detection, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, Cloud-Native Computing, Natural Language Processing, Containerization, Deep Learning, Dimensionality Reduction, Artificial Intelligence, Serverless Computing, Machine Learning, Machine Learning Methods, CI/CD, Probability & Statistics, Data Ethics, Embedded Systems, Game Theory, Epidemiology
Earn a degree
Degree · 24 meses
S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research
Post Graduate Diploma in Management Online
Skills you'll gain: Mergers & Acquisitions, Operations Management, Working Capital, Design Thinking, Business Valuation, Business Strategy, Supply Chain Management, Consumer Behaviour, Persuasive Communication, Organizational Leadership, Integrated Marketing Communications, Change Management, Financial Statement Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Marketing Management, Business Analytics, Business Ethics, Emotional Intelligence, Business Technologies, Data Analysis
Earn a degree
Degree · 24 months
University of Leeds
Master of Science in Data Science (Statistics)
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Presentation, Web Scraping, Matplotlib, Statistical Methods, Statistical Machine Learning, Data Ethics, Data Visualization, Statistical Modeling, Applied Machine Learning, Supervised Learning, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Machine Learning Methods, Data Analysis, Verbal Communication Skills, Exploratory Data Analysis, Dimensionality Reduction, R Programming, NumPy
Earn a degree
Degree · 24 months
Universidad de los Andes
Inteligencia Artificial: Machine learning, ética y nuevas tendencias Certificado MasterTrack®
Skills you'll gain: Supervised Learning, Unsupervised Learning, Anomaly Detection, Dimensionality Reduction, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Machine Learning Methods, Regression Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Data Ethics, Image Analysis, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Embedded Systems, Statistical Machine Learning, Applied Machine Learning, Machine Learning Algorithms, Linear Algebra, Statistical Methods, Ethical Standards And Conduct
Credit offered
Mastertrack · 4 meses
University of Colorado Boulder
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
Skills you'll gain: User Story, Model Based Systems Engineering, Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), New Product Development, Failure Analysis, Data Mining, Strategic Decision-Making, Delegation Skills, Unsupervised Learning, Sampling (Statistics), Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, Supplier Management, Sustainability Reporting, Data Ethics, Object Oriented Design, Statistical Modeling, Database Design, Generative AI, Process Capability, Engineering Management
Earn a degree
Degree · 2 years