4 ms·

you're not required to do humanities/liberal arts at US universities?

by jgh 8y ago

finaliteration 8y ago
I was referring to the “boot camps” that have popped up and not so much universities (where you are required to do those things, yes).
barry-cotter 8y ago
Outside the USA and its cultural appendages, Canada, South Korea and the like, it is assumed that anyone who goes to university has studied the liberal arts at secondary/high school. Given the low quality of secondary education in the US in the formative period of its third level system this could not be assumed so what would in Europe be considered (grammar school) high school classes and subjects are taught at university.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  You've somehow gotten strange ideas about the programs available at US high schools. For instance, calculus is pretty widely available even if it isn't a diploma requirement.
- learc83 8y ago
  The big differences in Universities between the US and Europe developed over a century ago and were the result of philosophical disagreements about what qualifies as a liberal education. It had nothing to do with poor quality secondary education. Parts of the US have world class secondary education and parts don't--just like Europe. Even taken as a whole the US education system ranks higher than many countries in Europe. >South Korea The South Korean education system is nothing like the US education system. It's hard to think of a large country more different from the US in this regard.
- srtjstjsj 8y ago
  The US doesn't have "low standards", it has broader access to liberal arts education than Europe. It ends universal secondary education at grade 12, so the grade 13 (at college) completes the "liberal arts" foundation. European countries simply do grades 12 and 13 in a separate school between secondary school and university, for students that weren't forced out after grade 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_form_college https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_form_college
johan_larson 8y ago
It varies, but students are typically required to do anything from half a year to one year of breadth courses outside their major, which would mean arts and humanities courses for those headed into technical disciplines. But many students take what are called AP courses in high school which count as college credits, and quite a few students are able to satisfy breadth requirements that way. And some narrow programs, such as engineering degrees, require next to no work outside the main field of study. On the other hand, at some institutions one can satisfy the major minimally without a whole lot of courses, leaving plenty of time for non-technical courses. So to summarize, there is a lot of variability. A US graduate in a technical discipline may have taken anywhere from zero to two years of arts and humanities courses.

you're not required to do humanities/liberal arts at US universities?

by jgh 8y ago

you're not required to do humanities/liberal arts at US universities?

I was referring to the “boot camps” that have popped up and not so much universities (where you are required to do those things, yes).

barry-cotter 8y ago

Outside the USA and its cultural appendages, Canada, South Korea and the like, it is assumed that anyone who goes to university has studied the liberal arts at secondary/high school. Given the low quality of secondary education in the US in the formative period of its third level system this could not be assumed so what would in Europe be considered (grammar school) high school classes and subjects are taught at university.

maxerickson 8y ago
You've somehow gotten strange ideas about the programs available at US high schools. For instance, calculus is pretty widely available even if it isn't a diploma requirement.
learc83 8y ago
The big differences in Universities between the US and Europe developed over a century ago and were the result of philosophical disagreements about what qualifies as a liberal education. It had nothing to do with poor quality secondary education. Parts of the US have world class secondary education and parts don't--just like Europe. Even taken as a whole the US education system ranks higher than many countries in Europe. >South Korea The South Korean education system is nothing like the US education system. It's hard to think of a large country more different from the US in this regard.
srtjstjsj 8y ago
The US doesn't have "low standards", it has broader access to liberal arts education than Europe. It ends universal secondary education at grade 12, so the grade 13 (at college) completes the "liberal arts" foundation. European countries simply do grades 12 and 13 in a separate school between secondary school and university, for students that weren't forced out after grade 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_form_college https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_form_college

johan_larson 8y ago

It varies, but students are typically required to do anything from half a year to one year of breadth courses outside their major, which would mean arts and humanities courses for those headed into technical disciplines. But many students take what are called AP courses in high school which count as college credits, and quite a few students are able to satisfy breadth requirements that way. And some narrow programs, such as engineering degrees, require next to no work outside the main field of study. On the other hand, at some institutions one can satisfy the major minimally without a whole lot of courses, leaving plenty of time for non-technical courses. So to summarize, there is a lot of variability. A US graduate in a technical discipline may have taken anywhere from zero to two years of arts and humanities courses.