Program Overview

---

University Programs

The university offers a wide range of programs, including short and online courses, undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and research programs.

Subject Areas

• Archaeology and anthropology
• Architectural history
• Business and management
• Data science, computing, maths
• Diplomatic studies and law
• Economics and politics
• Education and study skills
• Environment and sustainability
• History of art
• History, including local and social
• Languages and cultural studies
• Literature, creative writing and film studies
• Medical and health sciences
• Music
• Natural sciences
• Philosophy
• Psychology and counselling
• Religion and theology
• Technology and AI

Course Format

• Day and weekend events
• In-person learning
• Lecture series
• Online learning
• Professional
• Summer schools
• Weekly learning

Undergraduate Programs

Certificates

• Archaeology
• Certificate of Higher Education
• English Literature
• History
• History of Art
• Theological Studies

Diplomas

• Archaeology
• Creative Writing
• English Social and Local History
• History of Art

Advanced Diplomas

• British Archaeology
• IT Systems Analysis and Design (Online)
• Local History (Online)

Pre-Master's

• Advanced Pre-sessional Course for Graduate Students (nine weeks, full-time)
• Foundations of Diplomacy Pre-Master's Course (six months, full-time)

Summer Schools

• Oxford University Summer School for Adults

Postgraduate Programs

Certificates

• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Ecological Survey Techniques
• Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Health Research
• Historical Studies
• Nanotechnology
• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
• Psychodynamic Counselling
• Qualitative Health Research Methods
• Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care

Diplomas

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Severe Mental Health Problems
• Health Research
• International Wildlife Conservation Practice
• Psychodynamic Practice

Master of Studies (MSt)

• Creative Writing
• Diplomatic Studies
• Historical Studies
• History of Design
• Literature and Arts
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
• Practical Ethics
• Psychodynamic Practice

Research Degrees (DPhil)

• Archaeology
• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Literature and Arts
• Sustainable Urban Development

Master of Science (MSc)

• Applied Landscape Archaeology
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Evidence-Based Health Care Medical Statistics
• Evidence-Based Health Care Systematic Reviews
• Evidence-Based Health Care Teaching and Education
• Experimental and Translational Therapeutics
• Nanotechnology for Medicine and Health Care
• Surgical Science and Practice
• Sustainable Urban Development
• Translational Health Sciences

Professional Programs

Continuing Professional Development

• Business and management
• Cultural heritage
• Data science, computing, maths
• Diplomatic studies
• Education
• Environment and sustainability
• Medical and health sciences
• Nanotechnology and nanomedicine
• Philosophy and ethics
• Psychology and counselling
• Research methods and skills
• Technology and AI
• Urban studies

Research

Research Community

Research at Oxford Lifelong Learning extends across the disciplines and is supported by a research culture that encourages interdisciplinary initiatives.

Research Areas

• Academic staff profiles
• Part-time DPhil programmes
• Research areas
• Research students

Research Forums

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Steering Group
• Lifelong Learning Pedagogies forum
• Research Ethics Colloquium
• The Vice-Chancellors Colloquium

About Us

The Department

• Academic staff profiles
• Mission, vision and values
• Our history
• Student spotlights
• Vacancies and tutor panel
• Visiting Fellowships Scheme

News and Events

• News
• Open events
• Whats on

Our Venues

• Accommodation
• Conferences
• Dining and catering
• Facilities

Student Information

• Continuing Education Library
• Oxford qualifications
• Student resources and support

Course Details

Ethics: An Introduction

Overview

In this introduction to ethics, the philosophy of morality, we shall examine four important ethical theories (virtue ethics, deontology, expressivism and utilitarianism), applying them to two practical questions: the rights of animals and euthanasia.

Programme Details

The course is broken down into 10 units over 10 weeks, each requiring approximately 10 hours of study time.

1. Rules, truths and theories: An introduction to ethical reasoning
2. Freedom, knowledge and society: The preconditions of ethical reasoning
3. Virtue ethics: Virtue, values and character
4. Humean ethics: Non-cognitivism, the passions and moral motivation
5. Deontology: Kant, duty and the moral law
6. Utilitarianism: Mill and the utility calculus
7. Ethics in the news
8. Practical ethics: Animal rights
9. Practical ethics: Euthanasia
10. Making up your mind

Textbooks

To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following book: Shafer-Landau, Russ: (Ed); Ethical Theory: An Anthology Second Edition (Blackwell`s, Oxford, 2012, ISBN: 978--3)

Digital Certification

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online courses are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Fees

Description | Costs
---|---
Course Fee | ｣415.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees.

Tutor

Dr Amna Whiston is a philosopher specialising in moral philosophy and the philosophy of mind with a range of philosophical interests, research and teaching experiences that include Kants moral philosophy, philosophy of the emotions, Cartesian dualism, Plato, Aristotle, Locke, and Marx.

Course Aims

This course aims to:

• introduce students to philosophical ethics;
• help students understand that and why there is more to ethics than following rules;
• introduce students to the different philosophical theories of ethics, and the arguments for and against them;
• enable students to come to and defend their own positions on various ethical issues.

Teaching Methods

• Guided reading of texts
• Group discussions of particular issues
• Questions to be answered in personal folders
• Debating from positions given rather than from personal belief (to hone skills of debate)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students will be able to explain:

• the difference between first and second order ethical questions;
• why moral dilemmas are ineliminable and difficult;
• how moral questions are applied in a social context;
• some arguments for and against absolute moral truth;
• the nature of the four moral theories studied, the arguments for and against them, and how they can be compared and contrasted;
• their own positions on various issues, and why they hold them.

Assessment Methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Level and Demands

This course is open to all and no prior knowledge is required. This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (i.e. first year undergraduate level) and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website.

IT Requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.