Investigating and Comparing Approaches to Ethics Education in Computer Science and Engineering Disciplines

As technological advancements continue to transform societal expectations, educational frameworks are increasingly focusing on cultivating ethically conscious professionals. This paper explores the philosophical distinctions between the integration of ethics within Computer Science and Engineering education, particularly considering the evolving demands of Industry 5.0. It begins with an analysis of official guidelines and accreditation documents to examine how the emphasis on ethics education has shifted over time and how these changes manifest differently across the two disciplines. Subsequently, it evaluates the implementation of ethics within current curricula at South African universities, specifically comparing Computer Science and Engineering programs. The analysis reveals that Computer Science tends to embed ethical considerations within its technical courses, whereas Engineering typically treats ethics as a discrete competency that is separately assessed. Crossdisciplinary collaboration and curriculum design will be beneficial to both programs. The study concludes by recommending that Engineering programs integrate ethical units across all modules to prevent the perception that ethics is detached from routine professional activities. Conversely, Computer Science programs would benefit from more stringent regulation and accreditation to ensure that ethical guidelines are systematically enforced.