Ethics and Legal Studies, PhD

The Ethics & Legal Studies Doctoral Program at Wharton focuses on the study of ethics and law in business. It is designed to prepare graduates for careers in university teaching and research at leading business schools, law schools, and other programs. Faculty and student interests range over topics including international business ethics and human rights, corporate governance, ethical conduct in business, social impact, environmental law and policy, securities, equality in law and ethics, normative political theory, negotiations, corporate constitutional rights, and corporate criminal law.

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs.

Required Courses

The course of study for the Ph.D. requires the completion of sixteen graduate course units, including courses in statistics. Some graduate-level credit from courses at other universities may transfer to Wharton.

Core Requirements
LGST 9200Ethics in Business and Economics1
LGST 9210Foundations of Business Law1
Select two additional Legal Studies courses2
Statistics Requirements
STAT 5000Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance1
STAT 5010Introduction to Nonparametric Methods and Log-linear Models1
Economics1
Ethical Theory2
Major Disciplinary Cluster
Select five courses in one of the following disciplines:5
Management
Law
Philosophy
Additional Coursework
Select two additional courses2
Total Course Units16

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.