Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: aladin who wrote (45240)	5/18/2004 2:21:50 PM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793881

Hello, John. As a parent of a rising Freshman I am very aware of core curriculum at a number of engineering programs. None of them include any history class (however most do include English). It's my understanding that engineering certification bodies require such for most, if not all, engineering program majors. I think one doesn't; it might be civil but I'm not certain. LB's point would be valid if a BS in History were possible without studying Western civilization, but I very much doubt thats possible :-) Good point but, of course, to my knowledge, there are no BS programs in history anywhere. All are BA programs. To further this point - there is no core curriculum for a BA or BS, it varies by major. Most Universities no longer offer general degree's with such courses. You are right that there is variation by major, particularly in the BS programs but almost all universities I know anything about keep a core of sorts. For all BA programs and some, struggling hard, manage to whip the BS programs into doing the same. In this regard, the recently announced and much ballyhooed curricular changes at Harvard are representative of what's been going on for the last ten years. If you like those, you are most likely to find them already in place where your child is going. Now maybe the current fad in liberal arts is to denigrate dead-white-male dominated cultures, but like all such things - it will pass. That's way overstated. I doubt your rising first year student will run into anyone with that view. No one I knew in the suspect departments held that view. The view was rather that current versions of, let's say, English curriculums excluded certain viewpoints. I know of no serious intent to exclude "dead white males." I have no idea where your daughter/son is going but odds are she/he will get a terrific education. Contrary to views often stated here.