This paper describes an engineering graduate option in Systems Engineering designed to overcome some of the effects of specialization and compartmentalization by building a link between technical and ethical training. Students in this option produce case studies that emphasize ethical issues in the design process. The goal of the program is to turn out ethical professionals who are able to reflect on the moral implications of technology. The proposed approach uses realistic or real‐hypothetical hybrid case studies as a type of vicarious mentoring, and, when supplemented with readings in ethical theory and codes, may serve as a starting point for a deeper understanding of behavioral dilemmas. The developers of this approach are a multi‐disciplinary team from the Engineering School and the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia. The paper describes how the graduate option is structured and provides data on student outcomes.

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Framework FoundationsThis paper introduces a framework, and the conceptual grounding for that framework, to provide insight into the allocation of resources for complex systems. This framework provides a methodology for predicting causal attributions in ambiguous failures. Also, from the framework of causal attribution and complexity, we present a decision aid. This decision aid aims at reducing complexity, focusing causal attribution, and thereby offering insight into the placement of resources for future error prevention.

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