Graduate Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Values in Society

The Program aims to facilitate graduate research in ethics as it arises across the disciplines. The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for integrating ethics and ethics scholarship into their chosen field.

The graduate certificate program is only open to students already enrolled in other graduate degree programs at the University of Washington. Successful completion of the Certificate Program will be noted on official transcripts.

Program Requirements

Selection of a faculty advisor from the Values in Society Core Faculty.

Completion of VALUES 511 (Ethics Matters) and VALUES 512 (Justice Matters) (10 credits).

Completion of two other graduate level values-laden courses specific to the students’ field of study (6 credits). Courses from the student’s home department are eligible. All courses must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the Program Director. (See below for additional details.)

Completion of VALUES 513 (Capstone Workshop) (2 credits).

Program Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to accommodate diverse student interests and to facilitate cross-disciplinary conversations and scholarship. The core sequence, VALUES 511-512, provides students with the necessary groundwork for pursuing ethics scholarship as it relates to their field of study. A student’s faculty advisor will be in charge of helping the student select additional courses specifically suited to his or her interests to form a cohesive program of study. For example, a student interested in ethical issues in cultural property may complete the program by taking

ANTH 480/MUSEUM 480 (Introduction to Museology)

ANTH 485 (Cultural Property: Legal and Ethical Issues)

Or, a student interested in ethics and development may complete the program with

POL S 449 (Politics of Developing Areas)

ECON 491 (Issues in Economic Development)

Or, a student interested in clinical health care ethics may complete the program with

MHE 411 (Introduction to Bioethics)

NURS 410 (Legal and Ethical Issues in Clinical Practice)

The vast resources of the University of Washington make it possible to develop innovative ethics projects in almost any field. Students are encouraged to meet with a Values Core Faculty member to discuss the possibilities. See list of sample acceptable courses.

Graduate Student Workshop—VALUES 513

The Graduate Student Workshop capstone experience (VALUES 513) is an important component of the Certificate program. The course, to be offered once a year, provides students with a forum in which to share and collaborate on their ethics scholarship.

The workshop will meet regularly during the quarter, and students will take turns presenting some of their work that focuses on values issues, and commenting formally on the work of others. Students will also work closely with the faculty instructors in preparation for the workshop meetings. Although submission for publication is not required, the aim of the capstone is for students to develop a paper on ethics suitable for submission for publication.

Graduate Certificate Program Application

Click the above link to download the application form. The application deadline for Fall Quarter 2009 is Friday November 6. Applications may be submitted via email (attachment only - no inline text) to ponvins@u.washington.edu, or may be submitted via post to the University of Washington Department of Philosophy, 361 Savery Hall Box 353350, Seattle WA. 98195.

University of Washington

Values in Society

361 Savery Hall, Box 353350, Seattle, WA, 98195

ph. 206-543-5855 | fax 206-685-8740 | ponvins@u.washington.edu