Faculty of Engineering

EM 471
Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct

Lecture 01
General Course Information and Introduction

Semester I, 2020|2021
23 November, 2020 ~ 19 March, 2021

27 December, 2020
  Regular Class Timings
Students Expected • Lectures @ Mpendae
– Engineering Senior Students –Sundays 0700~0900hrs
• Pre-requisite - None • Seminars @ Mpendae
–Sundays 0900~1000hrs
Instructor
• Prof. Omar omarfh@gmail.com
 Office
• M: 0652 056 136/077 221 9999
 Consultation @ Mpendae
- Weds/Thurs/Sats/Suns

Course:
Hours
•EM 471
– 30 Lecture hours
•Engineering Ethics and Professional Conduct
– 15 Tutorial/Seminar hours
•2 Credit Units’ Core Course for BSc. (CEIT)
– α Extra hours
•2 Credit Units’ Core Course for BSc. (TE)

2
 Course Objectives
• To provide students of engineering with an
understanding of: -
– their duties and responsibilities
– as professionals
– through gaining knowledge of
• the philosophies of ethics,
• professional practice and
• ethical conduct
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Course Contents – 1/2
Unit I Introduction to engineering ethics and professionalism: purpose
of studying professional ethics, engineering as a profession:
historical and social context.
Unit II Moral and ethical theories and methods: basic concepts and
methods, moral and ethical theories, the philosophical
foundations of moral action.
Unit III Professional responsibility: public service, professionals and
clients, quality management and product liability, obligations and
rights of the profession, acknowledging mistakes, responsibility
arising from what others do, engineers and employers,
confidentiality scenarios, loyalty-dissent-whistle blowing, patents,
trade secrets and copyright.

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Course Contents – 2/2
Unit IV Risk and moral responsibility: safety, health and welfare;
professional liability; engineering as experimentation and associated
moral problems.
Unit V Corrupt forms: conflicts of interest, honesty, truthfulness, forms
and scope of corruption, scope of professional role and
responsibility. Engineering and sustainable development: sustainable
development - defined; environmental and cultural concerns.

Unit VI Gender issues in engineering and Codes of ethics: history,

purpose; overview of relevant Tanzanian engineering codes of ethics:
ERB, IET, etc.
Unit VII International issues in engineering ethics: Case studies.

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Tentative Course Schedule-1/2
Week Topics Remarks
1 General Introduction  
Introduction to engineering ethics and professionalism: purpose
2-3 of studying professional ethics, engineering as a profession: Assignment
01
historical and social context.
Moral and ethical theories and methods: basic concepts and
Assignment
4-5 methods, moral and ethical theories, the philosophical foundation 02
s of moral action.
Professional responsibility: public service, professionals and
6-7 clients, quality management and product liability, obligations and
Assignment
rights of the profession, acknowledging mistakes, responsibility 03
arising from what others do, engineers and employers,
confidentiality scenarios, loyalty-dissent-whistle blowing, patents,
trade secrets and copyright.
8 Mid-Term Test
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 Tentative Course Schedule-2/2
Week Topics Remar
ks
Risk and moral responsibility: safety, health and welfare; Assignm
ent 04
9 professional liability; engineering as experimentation and
associated moral problems.
Corrupt forms: conflicts of interest, honesty, truthfulness, Assignm
ent 05
10~11 forms and scope of corruption, scope of professional role and
responsibility. Engineering and sustainable development:
sustainable development - defined; environmental and cultural
concerns.
Gender issues in engineering and Codes of ethics: history, Assignm
ent 06
12 purpose; overview of relevant Tanzanian engineering codes of
ethics: ERB, IET, etc.
13-14 International issues in engineering ethics: Case studies.
-Presentations/Demonstrations/Make-up/Viva Voce
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References/Textbooks
1. Martin, M.W., Schinzinger, R., “Ethics in
Engineering”, 4th Ed., McGraw Hill, 2004. ISBN:
9780072831153.
Recommended 2. Fleddermann C. “Engineering Ethics”, 1st Ed.,
Textbooks Prentice Hall, 1999. ISBN: 9780137842247.
3. Institution of Engineers Tanzania (1999) Code
of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Engineers
and Engineering Practice, Dar es Salaam.
1. Engineers Registration Board (1999)
Recommended 2. Civil Service Department (2000). Code of
References Ethics and Conduct for Public Service in
Tanzania 8
Evaluation
• Assessment
• Pop-up Quizzes/Monday Tests
• Unknown dates  Any time during class/tutorial hours
• One Mid-term Test
Final = CA + UE
• Assignments/Presentations
• Project/Demonstrations/Viva voce Pass Mark - 40% of Final
• University Exam
• Strictly covering the whole syllabus
• Assessment components
• CA - 40% of Final
• Pop-up Quizzes/Monday Tests – 25% of CA
• Mid-Term Test - 50% of CA
• Assignments/Presentations/Projects/Demonstrations/Viva voce - 25% of CA
• UE - 60% of Final

Lecture 02: Introduction to engineering ethics and professionalism

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