One of the dilemmas of this decade has been whether to approach modem education in terms of the generalist or the specialist. Some universities require all students to take a common core of courses from a broad range of disciplines, appealing to the generalist approach to education. Yet, choosing the core courses in light of today’s explosion in information and diverse multicultural student populations has not been an easy task. How does one select what it is that everyone should know? Other universities continue to tailor their courses to the more immediate professional needs of their students, appealing to the specialist approach to education. But without a core curriculum, students often lack the shared knowledge necessary to participate effectively in an integrated society.
