Applied and Professional Ethics PGDip
Year of entry 2026
- Start date
- September 2026
- Delivery type
- Online exclusive
- Duration
- 12 months full time
- 24 months part time
- Entry requirements
- Academic or professional experience in a relevant field.
Full entry requirements - English language requirements
- IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components.
- UK fees
- £8,000 (Total)
- International fees
- £8,000 (Total)
- Contact
- admissions@idea.leeds.ac.uk
Course overview
This online postgraduate diploma course can be studied full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months. It consists of eight taught modules (with the option to switch one out for an independent research project).
Using a blend of theory and real-life case studies, you’ll gain a critical understanding of ethical issues in professional contexts such as trust, integrity, privacy, consent and professional responsibility. The taught modules are delivered through online material that combines insights from industry professionals with the latest in ethical research. Online discussions with students are facilitated by ethics lecturers throughout the modules. These discussions can be contributed to at any time of day, giving the needed flexibility for our students across the world.
Our diverse community includes people from a wide variety of countries, backgrounds and professions, with many opportunities to network and connect during your time studying with us, including various events and activities we run as an active and thriving applied ethics research centre. Several of our students have achieved the publication of a paper as a result of their time studying with us, or appeared on podcasts where they have been interviewed about an ethical issue they worked on. Whether you’re looking for a career progression, a change of direction, or knowledge of a new subject area, you’ll receive the support you need to succeed.
The course equips students with many transferrable skills. You'll learn how to engage with multiple perspectives, to interpret viewpoints charitably, to communicate your ideas clearly, and to form strong arguments for your views and decisions. You'll develop your independent research skills and you will be able to apply specialist knowledge in new contexts. This can provide the springboard for many career paths or for further study.
We live in a rapidly changing world. The inequalities of wealth and power in the workplace and across the globe, the role of businesses in ethically compromised supply chains, the impacts of climate change and the need for economic and environmental sustainability, and the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence and data collection technologies raises huge ethical problems that require our careful attention.
This online course introduces you to debates and theories around the application of ethics to professional issues such as these, helping you to navigate our complex and increasingly interlinked working environments and to think about how we might change them for the better.
Specialist support
We have extensive experience in providing high quality online learning. You’ll study at the times and pace that suit you, sharing insights with other students as you learn. Throughout, you’ll receive expert support from your tutors and our dedicated digital education specialists.
Extensive resources
You’ll study using course materials that have been specially designed for online distance learning, including reading, supplements and exercises. You can easily access these at any time using the University’s virtual learning environment, Minerva.
The IDEA Centre is an active and thriving centre of research and learning, with regular research seminars, podcasts, and annual events such as our Medical Ethics Evening and Ilkley Colloquium all available for you to take part in. We maintain close ties with our alumni and external professionals who often share their insights and expertise at our events.
Leeds University Library is one of the UK’s major academic research libraries, and has extensive holdings to support your studies. You can access a wide range of books, journals and other items online, as well as webinars on academic skills.
Course details and modules
You’ll study modules designed to give you a solid base of theoretical knowledge and high level research skills.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
Year 1 compulsory modules
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Ethics: Reasons, Motivation, Obligations and Happiness | 15 |
| Agents and Professional Responsibility | 15 |
| Justice: Fairness, Equality and Diversity | 15 |
| Professional Issues 1 | 15 |
Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
| Module Name | Credits |
|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence & Data Ethics | 15 |
| Professional Issues 3: Consent and Contracts | 15 |
| Global Environmental Ethics | 15 |
| Business Ethics | 15 |
| Professional Ethics Project | 15 |
Learning and teaching
This course is taught entirely online, so there are no lectures or seminars. You won’t have to attend Leeds at any point during the course, although if you can travel there may be chances to meet other students.
Instead, you’ll used specially designed interactive teaching materials and participate in structured collaborative activities. You’ll contribute to discussion groups in Minerva, our Virtual Learning Environment, so you can share experiences and perspectives with students from different backgrounds worldwide. Our tutors respond to queries by email as well as contributing to the online discussion groups and holding live webinars for each module.
Watch our Applied, Professional and Biomedical Ethics subject talk to get a flavour of what it’s like to study at Leeds.
On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
Because you study online, you won’t have to take any exams during this course. Instead, most of the time you’ll be assessed using essays and coursework assignments. You’ll receive support from our tutors and be able to discuss your work with them before you submit it. Group projects, presentations and regular contributions to discussion forums may also be used to assess your progress in some modules.
Applying
Entry requirements
Academic or professional experience in a relevant field. We look for your willingness and ability to think clearly and independently, as well as good writing skills, a basic understanding of ethics and any relevant experiences of ethical issues in practice.
We welcome applicants from a diverse range of subject disciplines.
All applicants will be required to respond to the questions in the supporting statement section of the online application form to explain why you wish to study this particular course and your career plans. We may request additional documentation to inform our decision.
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components.. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).
We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.
You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.
How to apply
Please see our How to Apply page for information about application deadlines
The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page will take you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you intend to apply for funding, we advise you to submit an application for your chosen course as early as possible and at least one month before any scholarship deadline.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information you'll need
- A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying (please submit an official English translation where the original is not in English)
- Your approved English Language test* (if applicable)
- A personal statement in response to the questions asked in the supporting statement section of the application form
- A full up-to-date CV.
* Applicants who have not yet completed an approved English language test may apply for a Masters course prior to taking a test.
Personal Statement Requirements
Please summarise your reasons for applying to this particular programme of study. Your response can include details of your previous study/work experience relevant to the programme and career ambitions. Your response can provide us with important information on your suitability for the course, so please complete carefully.
Please explain why you have chosen to apply for this course at the University of Leeds by answering the following questions in separate numbered paragraphs:
- What areas of this course particularly interest you and why? Have you studied these before? Please explain your reasons for applying to this particular course
- Why do you want to study this course at Leeds? Please comment on aspects such as available resources at the University and in the city, research specialisms within the school or academics you would like to work with.
- What potential themes have you considered for dissertation research?
- How will studying for this course help you to achieve your longer term goals?
- Why do you see this course as a particularly valuable subject to study?
- What skills and experience do you have that have prepared you for this course? You may like to give details of any final year work/projects you have previously undertaken, relevant work experience etc.
Relevant work experience might include: Healthcare; Law; Business; Social Work; Charity Sector; Teaching; Engineering; Design; Journalism; Policy Officer; Psychotherapy.
Next Steps
Where further information to support the assessment of your application is needed, we may ask for a recent sample of written work.
We do not generally request references, unless further information is required to support the assessment of your application.
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Support for part-time and mature learners
The Lifelong Learning Centre provides support for mature and part-time learners across the University, including advice on how to apply to university and support throughout your studies.
Admissions policy
University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025
This course is taught by
Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre
Contact us
Admissions Team
Email: admissions@idea.leeds.ac.uk
Fees
UK: £8,000 (Total)
International: £8,000 (Total)
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.
Read more about paying fees and charges.
Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
We also offer a number of scholarships to help support you while you're studying with us, and will consider flexible fee payment options if you're studying part-time or through online learning.
Career opportunities
Studying applied ethics will allow you to develop transferable skills in research, critical thinking and communication. It will also give you more confidence to handle situations with ethical implications in the workplace.
All of this is good preparation for a range of careers, while it could also benefit you in your current role. In particular, this course gives you scope to develop your career in growing areas such as compliance and corporate social responsibility.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.