Course Introduction:
The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has a Board of Ethical Review (BER) which regularly publishes ethical review cases, also called case studies. These case studies are often based on real life scenarios in which engineers are faced with making ethical decisions during work. The case studies show how to apply the NSPE Code of Ethics to these situations.
This engineering continuing education course reviews five BER case studies released in 2025. The case studies include ethical issues related to a client request to complete a design that introduces a public health risk, the use of artificial intelligence in design, unethical procurement practices, resolving discrepancies in reports, and considering sustainable design alternatives.
The following is provided for each case study: facts of the scenario, supporting figures, ethical questions, BER conclusions, and references to relevant paragraphs in the Code of Ethics. A summary is included with key take-aways from each case study.
Learning Objectives:
• Appreciate the role of professional ethics for engineers
• Gain familiarity with the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Learn ethical insights on five recent case studies
• Understand how ethical standards are applied to real world scenarios
• Learn about current ethical issues for a practicing engineer
