Applied ethics is the study of moral decisions within a public or private framework. It is also a branch of philosophy that deals with how organizations answer moral questions and the results of those answers. Some subfields include legal ethics, environmental ethics and bioethics.

Requirements for the PhD program often involve the student having already obtained a Master’s degree. Additionally, a thesis or dissertation primarily consisting of original academic research must be submitted. In some countries, this work may even need to be defended in front of a panel.