Ethics for Accounting - PHI4020F

Ethics for Accounting is included in the PGDA curriculum in order to satisfy the growing need for ethics education for future accounting professionals in an increasingly complex ethical environment. The course is also satisfies the SAICA requirement that students wishing to write the FQE have passed a course in ethics.

The course aims to give an overview of ethics and meta-ethics (on the principle that ethics cannot be “applied” in a context devoid of theoretical understanding) as well as an overview of today's most important business ethics issues. Satisfying these two aims should broaden the students' knowledge and awareness concerning the moral aspects of life, whether in business or elsewhere. A third objective is to develop the students' capacity for understanding and analysing ethical dilemmas, which may therefore help in building an ethical firm and making responsible professional and business decisions. A final objective is to strengthen students’ writing and critical thinking skills generally.

Students will be required to prepare weekly written tutorial assignments. These will be based on material covered in the previous week’s lecture and required reading. There are also two mandatory essays which will form the remainder of the student’s mark.