Course Websites

CS 210 - Ethical & Professional Issues

Last offered Spring 2026

Official Description

Ethics for the computing profession. Ethical decision-making; licensing; intellectual property, freedom of information, and privacy. Course Information: Credit is not given for both CS 210 and either CS 211 or ECE 316. Prerequisite: CS 225. Junior standing required.

Related Faculty

Learning Goals

Identify and analyze ethical and professional issues in computing (4)
Design and evaluate solutions to ethical problems (4)
Explain your reasoning in presenting your analyses and solutions (3)
Describe multiple perspectives and respect diverse opinions (5)
Formulate questions to promote discussion and understanding (4)
Plan and deliver a formal presentation as a team (5)
Plan and deliver a formal presentation (3)
Act like a professional person (be on time, respect others, etc.) (4)

Topic List

Ethics, ethical decision-making
Professionalism, professional licensing, codes of ethics
History of computing, netiquette
Hacking, malware
Crime, warfare
Privacy, freedom of information
Intellectual property: copyrights, patents
Risk and reliability
Artificial ethics: robotics, nanotechnology, etc.
Employment and workplace issues, conflict of interest
Whistle-blowing, e-commerce
Education, access to computers
Other social issues

Required, Elective, or Selected Elective

Required.

TitleSectionCRNTypeHoursTimesDaysLocationInstructor
Ethical & Professional IssuesAL131205LCD21600 - 1650 M W  0035 Campus Instructional Facility Ryan Cunningham
Ethical & Professional IssuesCSP69452LCD21000 - 1250 F  ARR Illini Center Gretchen Winter