An interest in business ethics and corporate responsibility, and an opportunity to explore research questions in a growing field, led Carson Young to Wharton.
“I came to Wharton after getting my MA in philosophy,” he said. “I still love philosophy, but doing a PhD in business ethics was definitely the right decision for me. Business ethics is an exciting field to be studying right now.”
The Legal Studies and Business Ethics PhD program offers a wealth of resources to doctoral students studying business ethics and business law, including faculty who are enthusiastic about discussing ideas and providing feedback.
“At any given time, our department has about three times as many faculty as doctoral students,” Carson said. “This support is invaluable in advancing my development as a scholar.”
Strong Interdisciplinary Training
Business is conducted in the context of institutions. “Therefore, to do good work in business ethics, in addition to knowing how to make strong normative arguments, students need to understand the laws, economic incentives, and informal social norms that constitute the institutional framework,” Carson explains. “Strong interdisciplinary training is crucial for student success in this regard.”
The Legal Studies and Business Ethics department has experts in a wide range of subfields of ethics and law, as well as faculty members with backgrounds in related disciplines, such as sociology, anthropology, and history. As a PhD student, Carson also has access to other departments at Penn, both inside and outside of Wharton.
After finishing his first year in the program, Carson had already studied with faculty in the Management department, the Philosophy department, and the Law school. “The program gives me access to the resources I need to gain proficiency in other disciplines in addition to ethics so that I can understand the ethically relevant features of the environment upon which my research focuses,” he said.
Easily Accessible Campus and City
Penn’s centralized campus makes that sort of interdisciplinary collaboration more convenient for students. “I have easy access to everything I need,” he said. It only takes him about five minutes to go to Penn Law, the Philosophy department, or the University library.
He and his wife have found Philadelphia to be easily accessible too. “We live in West Philly and we love it here. It’s just a 15-minute walk from our apartment to my office in Huntsman Hall, and my wife can hop on the El train and get to her office in downtown Philly in just a few minutes,” he said.
“We live within walking distance of two supermarkets, a huge amount of restaurants and bars, a movie theater, a farmer’s market, several parks, several public transit lines, and much more.”
Posted: June 16, 2015
