Ethics and Public Affairs
Students in Carleton’s graduate Ethics and Public Affairs (EPAF) programs combine ethical analysis with social science to gain a comprehensive understanding of the options for solving particular public issues. Possible research topics are as varied as the expertise of Carleton faculty, ranging from the environment, gender and other social inequalities, multiculturalism, health, social and economic development, global inequality, and more. The program is not so much ‘applied ethics’ as it is a collaboration between philosophers who research public issues and social science and public policy specialists with interests and expertise in the values underlying those issues.
In addition to the Ph.D. program, two graduate diplomas will be offered for qualified professionals and graduate students in other departments. The starting point for all three programs is a pair of intensive, team-taught seminars, each of which addresses a particular public issue from a perspective of public reason, weighing the value-based and evidence-based concerns and considerations that apply.
Explore our Department

Student Profiles
Read all about our current students and their research.

Graduate Studies
Learn more about our Ph.D. program and graduate diplomas.

New EPAF Research Fellow
Meet Research Fellow Cameron Fioret
News
Spotlight: A Conversation with 2026 Graduate Mentoring Award Recipient Christine Koggel
Christine Koggel is a Philosophy Professor and the Graduate Supervisor in the Department of Philosophy. A leading scholar in moral and political philosophy, feminist theory, …
Congratulations to our Graduates!
The Department of Philosophy extends its heartfelt congratulations to our Undergraduate, Master of Arts in Philosophy, and PhD in Ethics and Public Affairs graduates this …
Dr. Koggel awarded the Faculty Graduate Mentoring Award
Graduate students from across all disciplines submitted nomination letters in support of their supervisors, highlighting the meaningful impact these faculty members have had on their …