PD22: Professionalism and Ethics in Engineering Practice

PD22: Professionalism and Ethics in Engineering Practice helps you prepare for the Professional Practice Exam (PPE), a requirement for you to become a professional engineer in the province of Ontario.

The profession of engineering is defined by legal and ethical obligations, and engineers need to understand the regulations and principles governing their work to effectively serve the public. In PD22 you become acquainted with the philosophy, law, and contemporary issues underpinning engineering practice. 

What will you do in PD22?

  • Examine the ethical and legal responsibilities of professional engineers to protect the public and its interest. 
  • Work on practice case studies for the Professional Practice Exam for engineering students in Ontario. 
  • Understand governance of engineering practice as laid out in the Professional Engineers Act and Ontario regulations. 

Grading information

To pass PD22, you must satisfy both requirements below: 

  • earn an overall grade of at least 50%

  • receive a minimum of 50% on the Major Reflective Report 

If you have a question about grading in PD22, contact the course team

Course instructor

Douglas Wilhelm Harder

Douglas Wilhelm Harder 

Douglas is a lecturer and Computer Engineering academic advisor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science at the University of Guelph, which was followed by a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Waterloo. During this time, he was a master corporal in the Canadian Reserves as an infanteer and intelligence operator. After graduation, he worked at Waterloo Maple for almost five years before assuming his role as a lecturer and advisor.

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Student testimonials

The course directly referenced the PEO code of ethics. This was beneficial to begin to get familiar with what we will be required to know and follow when working towards gaining the P.Eng certification. Also, it opened my eyes to what is expected of you, and how ethical of a profession being a certified engineer really is.

One thing I really appreciate about this course is the use of simulations to help us understand how ethics apply in real engineering situations. This is a great way to learn, as it allows us to see how the concepts we are learning about actually play out in practice. I think this approach is very effective in helping us develop a deeper understanding of the material and how it applies in the real world.

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Questions about PD courses?