The core curriculum at Marquette University is designed to give students exposure to a broad range of fields and create students with interests and knowledge extending beyond their majors. The core curriculum both keeps within Marquette’s Jesuit educational principles and creates well-rounded graduates. It should, without question, be kept.
A well-educated person is more than a technician. A technician is very good at a narrow range of tasks and functions, but lacks understanding, knowledge and abilities outside that area of expertise. If students were permitted to only take classes within their majors, you may very well have a graduate that is extremely good at discussing and writing about political science issues. But imagine that graduate entirely lacking in understanding of the philosophies that contribute to our political system. Imagine them addressing political issues, such as education, without the slightest clue of what a science class entails or requires. The core curriculum is an essential means to creating educated people, because to be truly educated means being more than just an expert on one solitary thing.
The core curriculum helps to address some of the fundamental issues with the United States education system as well. If the U.S. was efficient at creating high school graduates with deep understanding of, and proficiency in, a large base of topics, then perhaps the university could allow students to focus more on their majors. However, unlike many other developed countries, U.S. high school graduates lack this wide knowledge base and basic skill sets. This is a separate issue, and one that must be addressed in the near future if the U.S. is to stay competitive over the long haul, but it is also a reason why universities should have a core curriculum requirement – a U.S. high school level understanding of various subjects is insufficient to be considered well versed, educated and competitive on the world market.
Marquette’s “core of common studies” does a good job exposing students to philosophy, theology and the myriad cultures of the world that one does not see in Milwaukee. However, I think the core curriculum should be expanded to include a general business class for non-business majors. I would argue that having a general business class in which students learned, for example: how to calculate mortgage payments, understand how benefits such as insurance work, understand the value of early retirement savings, learn about the various retirement savings vehicles, learn to generally read a financial statement and balance a checkbook – the simple business related tasks everyone must do – would be extremely valuable. I am routinely surprised by the general lack of understanding regarding simple financial instruments and day to day financial tasks that is displayed by the general public, and I think Marquette would do well to ensure its graduates are not in that boat.
Aside from this addition to the core curriculum, I feel that Marquette’s core is fairly comprehensive and does well to ensure that graduates are more than technicians. In the long run, it is up to the students themselves to stay curious and to, every once and a while, read a book on something new and continue the life – long process of learning. However, if a student is to receive a degree with Marquette’s name on it, it is entirely reasonable for Marquette to demand the student have a base of knowledge extending beyond the student’s major. Having a wider knowledge base gives the graduates more to draw from for problem solving and makes it easier to find common ground with the many various people that will be met each and every day. In short, the core of common studies is essential to providing well rounded graduates and should, if anything, be expanded.
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