One look at the news makes it clear: The world needs ethical leaders who know how to think critically, solve problems and communicate clearly.
Answer the call with a major in Ethics and Leadership.
You’ll learn communication, conflict resolution, reasoning and ethical analysis skills you can apply in any career. Confidently navigate difficult ethical situations in business by taking courses like Social Responsibility of Business and International Management. Develop expertise in an additional area like legal, medical or environmental ethics. A required internship will teach you to translate what you’ve learned in the classroom to the world outside it, so you graduate prepared to make a difference.
For more information on the Ethics and Leadership major, please contact Jack Musselman. The Ethics and Leadership major is part of the Department of Philosophy.
Earn Two Degrees in Five Years
Complete your BA in Ethics and Leadership and Master's Degree (MSOL) with our pathway to receive two degrees in five years.
Success Coaches and Academic Advisors guide students through undergraduate and graduate courses to maximize benefits. Learn More.
8 Reasons to Choose St. Edward’s
St. Edward’s is the No. 8 Best Regional University in the West in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report college ranking. In honor of our ranking, we share the top reasons to become a Hilltopper.
The Classroom and Beyond
In addition to interning with a business, government or nonprofit organization, you can get involved in a wide range of clubs on campus. Build your leadership skills and your network by joining student government, the campus newspaper or radio station, business clubs, the philosophy club or Campus Ministry.
Experiential Education
Your classes can teach you better decision making in different settings. Depending on your interests, you’ll take courses focused specifically on business; legal contexts; medicine and health care; or the environment and natural resources. These classes can teach you how decision makers might make better choices to promote equity and justice. Case studies in classes will help you apply what you’re learning to real-life dilemmas and equip you with the skills you’ll need to make ethical decisions confidently in the world beyond college.
Courses in Communication and Business will include hands-on projects to apply what you’ve learned. For example:
- In Social Responsibility of Business, you’ll participate in a service activity in the community and write a paper about the experience. You’ll also work in a team to create a new product or service for a company that will meet a social need for an underserved community.
- In Principles of Marketing, you’ll do a marketing simulation as an experiential learning assignment.
Study Abroad
Broaden your understanding of how business decisions are made and how leadership varies across cultures. You’ll be able to study abroad at more than 20 St. Edward’s partner universities across 5 continents. Or take your studies almost anywhere in the world through another international education provider. You can also choose to intern abroad, helping increase your cultural agility, add to your skill set and expand your global network.
Degree Requirements
See the degree plan for the Ethics and Leadership major.
Internships
To integrate and apply what you’ve learned in the classroom, you can intern with a business, nonprofit or government entity. Along with gaining experience in the professional world, you will analyze the organization’s activities — as you did in your courses — by writing a paper that focuses on the entity’s leadership practices and how they advance just outcomes.
Meet the Faculty
Faculty teaching courses in the Ethics and Leadership major work in the Munday School of Business and also in the School of Arts and Humanities departments of Communication and Philosophy. The advisor for the major is Jack Musselman, who teaches in the Philosophy Department. Contact Dr. Musselman by email at jackgm@wlbt8888.com.
Student Organizations
Hilltop Views, the weekly student newspaper, is published both in print and online. Student journalists report news from the campus and greater Austin community. You can get involved as early as your freshman year as a writer, editor, photographer or designer.
Sorin Oak Review is a literary magazine that showcases the poetry, prose and artwork of St. Edward’s students. Working on the editorial staff is a great way to gain experience in project management and the practical details of putting together a publication.
Arete is a student-produced academic journal that publishes student-written research, nonfiction essays and commentary. Editors choose from among the dozens of submissions to create a cohesive journal that represents a variety of perspectives.
New Literati is a student-produced journal of both academic and creative work.
B. Hooved is the student humor journal, inspired by our Hilltopper goat mascot.
The Philosophy Club discusses a brief reading, movie or podcast that’s relevant to a theme the members have chosen for the semester. As a member, you’ll discuss ideas and debate with fellow students who are interested in philosophy and history.
The Food and Philosophy lecture series features well-known speakers from around the country who address current topics over lunch. Talks have included the following:
- Genetically Engineering Our Children
- Conscientious Refusal to Participate in Evil
- Real Judging, Fake Judging and the Myth of Judicial Activism
Student Government Association represents the ideas and needs of all St. Edward’s students.
Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law organization, meets weekly to listen to guest speakers, learn about the law school admission process, participate in mentorship programs, do service activities and learn about internships. The club also has a mock trial team that competes in events hosted by the American Mock Trial Association and Phi Alpha Delta. The team has traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete.
Campus Ministry at St. Edward’s offers programs that enhance your spiritual life, including small-group Bible studies, retreats, interfaith events and programs that support social justice advocacy. The department also coordinates both one-day and semester-long service projects in Austin, as well as Service Break Experiences in other states or countries. Through SBEs, you’ll travel to another community, volunteer and learn about local life while living simply (without your phone, for example).
Delta Sigma Pi is the coed business fraternity that is both a professional and social club. In recent semesters members have attended a panel presentation about digital marketing and a talk about real estate investment careers; traveled to a leadership conference in Kansas City, networked at a happy hour with alumni; and made sandwiches for people living on the street.
The Student Entrepreneurship Club attracts innovation-minded members from all majors. Meet local entrepreneurs, learn leadership skills, volunteer at Austin events and support fellow students’ startups.
Develop your startup ideas with the help of a professional mentor and practice pitching them at 3-Day Startup, the iChallenge Pitch Competition and the Business Plan Pitch Competition.
Topper Radio is the student-run radio station.
Topper Studios is the digital media club. Members are involved in creating podcasts, YouTube channels, short films, music videos and comedy sketches, as well as helping their fellow students produce digital content. Students in Topper Studios frequently make promotional videos for other clubs at St. Edward’s.
The Digital Media Center in the Munday Library is a resource for creating your own content and learning new skills. Here, you can produce and edit videos, podcasts and visual design projects with the help of your fellow students. The lab is equipped with top-of-the-line computers running the latest software including the Adobe Creative Suite. It also has a group editing/podcasting room, a green screen room and a “whisper room” used for voiceovers. If you are skilled at software, hardware repair, graphic design or video editing, you can apply to work in the lab as a digital media specialist.
The Economics Club is a student forum for discussion of economic issues and careers and graduate programs related to economics and for social events.
The Hilltop American Marketing Association hosts experts who keep students up to date about marketing challenges, ethics in the profession, and jobs in the field. Hilltop AMA has offered a resume workshop and professional headshots and cohosted a mixer at a downtown Austin marketing communications firm. Members met up with the Austin AMA chapter at its early-morning coffee chats. Students also attend social events like indoor rock climbing, a night at a vintage arcade, and a craft party to make valentines for residents at a senior care center.
SEU to You
Associate Professor of Philosophy Jack Musselman explores the political, ethical and moral trade-offs of living greener in the 21st century in this overview of his Environmental Ethics course.