The Value of a Business Major

Our faculty was interested in this Wall Street Journal article about the value of a business major.  I particularly liked Dr. Brian Engelland's thoughts about what constitutes a good liberal arts and business education from the Catholic University perspective.  Here is what he wrote:



Dr. Brian Engelland

 Regarding the question of what constitutes a fully integrated liberal arts plus business degree, I’d suggest we start with the approved university statement about the role of liberal studies at CUA (approved by the trustees in 2009).  Specifically,

“The university seeks the advancement of knowledge within a context of liberal studies, a context which reflects both its concern for the whole person and the distinctive wisdom to which it is heir as a Catholic institution.  This dimension of learning is reflected particularly in its undergraduate programs where theology and philosophy are regarded as integral to curricula that include requirements in the arts and humanities, language and literature, and the natural and social sciences.” 

“Among the many benefits the general educational requirements are intended to assure are certain specific goals.  Graduates should be able to (1) reflect critically on the interrelationships between faith and reason; (2) demonstrate knowledge of the Western philosophical and theological traditions; (3) demonstrate knowledge of and respect for different cultures and religions; (4) demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication, including argumentative essays, research papers, presentations, and creative and collaborative work employing a variety of media; (5) show facility in critical thinking and reasoned analysis; (6) demonstrate an understanding of scientific and quantitative reasoning; and (7) demonstrate an ability to find information effectively using appropriate resources and technologies, critically assess the validity and relevance of that information, and utilize it in ethical and legal ways.” 

Proficiency in these areas comprise what we mean by an “educated person.”  To that, we would add a list of learning objectives for each business or economics degree we offer. Then we can develop curricula that specifies which and how many courses are needed to achieve an integration of each of the learning goals.


Professor Stewart McHie
Program Director, MSBA
mchie@cua.edu