DCU and MDI launch ‘Joint MA in Ethics’

24 May 2010

Dr Dermot A. Lane, President of Mater Dei Institute, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, The President of DCU, Director of the Institute of Ethics, Professor Bert Gordijn, and Dr Alan Kearns, Lecturer in Ethics & Moral Theology, Mater Dei

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The Institute of Ethics at Dublin City University (DCU) together with Mater Dei Institute of Education (MDI) are pleased to announce a newly-accredited joint Master of Arts in Ethics. This programme comes at a time when ethics is taking centre-stage in public life, policy-making and shaping professional practices. This is an interdisciplinary programme that draws on expertise in the areas of foundational and applied ethics, philosophy, the humanities and theology.

At the announcement of the new programme, The President of DCU, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski commented:   “We are delighted to collaborate with our partner institution, Mater Dei, in this academic venture.  This new degree will hopefully provide an academic framework for an analysis of all ethical issues affecting our lives”.  Dr Dermot A. Lane, President of Mater Dei Institute, welcomed this initiative between the University and the Institute, describing it as "timely, given the ethical questions facing so many institutions in Ireland and abroad". He went on to say that "this new postgraduate programme will effect, among other things, a much needed critical conversation between foundational ethics and applied ethics".

The Director of Mater Dei Institute, Dr Andrew McGrady, welcomed the new MA as a visible expression of the growing cooperation between the MDI and the DCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Science and expressed his gratitude to the staff of both Institutions who collaborated so effectively on the programme development team. The Director of the Institute of Ethics, Professor Bert Gordijn, said: "I would like to thank Mater Dei Institute and Dublin City University for making this new Master in Ethics possible, and I am very much looking forward to having vibrant discussions about topical ethical issues in Ireland with my students". Dr Alan Kearns of MDI said that this new programme is designed to enable people to evaluate and confront confidently a range of important contemporary ethical challenges in society and professional life.

Subject to final approval, the first group of participants to register on this Masters programme will commence their studies in September 2010. Programme participants will have the opportunity to explore the foundations of ethics, to examine contemporary ethical issues, challenges and dilemmas in professional and public life and to do so from a wide spectrum of ethical worldviews, perspectives and theories. The programme will provide participants with a grounding in human rights and social justice and develop the necessary ethical analysis and decision-making skills to apply ethical perspectives and approaches to real-life and professional dilemmas especially in the areas of the environment, business, media and the bio-sciences. As such the programme aims to ‘add value’ to continuing professional development.

The programme is designed for graduates and professionals working in the areas of education and teaching, management, health care, medical practice, chaplaincy, business, finance, banking, law, human resources, social work and other care services. It will be of particular relevance for those whose work involves participation in ethics committees and activities relating to corporate social responsibility/citizenship, regulations or human rights. At the same time, other graduates without professional experience will benefit from the knowledge provided in this programme and develop important ethical decision-making skills.

Further information on the new programme and information on how to apply is available from admissions@materdei.dcu.ie