Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Data Science, and Nursing Majors at Small Private Liberal Arts Colleges

Recently, Monmouth College (a small liberal arts college in Illinois) made a bold move. They did a total reorganization of their majors into six schools. To best meet the needs of their students, they have also promised “increased investment and growth” in their Engineering, Nursing, Business, and Data Science programs (plus about a dozen other majors, including Elementary Education, Exercise Science, Mathematics, Psychology, Biopsychology, Preprofessional, and Topical). In total, they have 38 majors and 21 minors in a wide array of subjects. I know the college well (having worked there for 27 years prior to my 2019 retirement). Very strong financially and very generous with merit aid, they are an excellent low-cost small college for students to check out in their college search. Being strong athletically and in the arts (as well as having an active Greek life system) makes it a fun college to attend, too. I miss my many years there and welcome this reorganization of its programs.  What does this mean for its status as a liberal arts college?  If anything, it strengthens their liberal arts program. Let me explain.

The shape of what people view as “liberal arts” is changing and evolving. As I have done research on the 744 small private colleges in the U.S. (most of which are private residential liberal arts colleges), I have seen an explosion of majors not traditionally/historically found at liberal arts colleges: Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Nursing, and Data Science are good examples. 122 of the 744 small private liberal arts colleges offer all five of these. For Engineering, over 110 small private liberal arts colleges now have ABET-accredited programs.

I asked Google AI to explain the relationship between each of these majors and the liberal arts.  Here are the individual responses that I received:

“A liberal arts education can be a strong complement to an Engineering degree, fostering well-rounded problem solvers with strong communication and critical thinking skills. While some may perceive a potential conflict, integrating liberal arts and engineering can lead to a more versatile and adaptable skillset for tackling complex, real-world challenges.“

“A Computer Science and Liberal Arts degree provides a unique blend of technical expertise and a broad, interdisciplinary education. This approach equips graduates with the skills to analyze complex problems, develop innovative solutions, and adapt to a rapidly changing technological landscape, all while fostering critical thinking, communication, and ethical considerations.”

“A combination of Business and liberal arts education provides a well-rounded approach to learning, blending practical business skills with critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving abilities honed through the liberal arts. This interdisciplinary approach prepares individuals for diverse career paths and fosters adaptability in a rapidly changing world.”

“A liberal arts education is highly valuable for Nurses, providing a strong foundation in critical thinking, communication, and cultural awareness, which are crucial for effective patient care. While nursing is a STEM field, a liberal arts background enhances a nurse's ability to address the multifaceted aspects of health and illness, including social, cultural, and ethical considerations. Many nursing programs, particularly those at liberal arts colleges, integrate liberal arts coursework to cultivate well-rounded practitioners.”

“Data science and liberal arts, while seemingly disparate fields, actually complement each other. A liberal arts education, with its emphasis on critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, provides a strong foundation for data science, which is inherently interdisciplinary. Conversely, data science offers new perspectives and tools for analyzing data within the liberal arts, transforming fields like history, literature, and social sciences.”

Check out the descriptive words in each of these and how often they appear:

Well-rounded (3); Problem Solving (3); Communication (5); Critical Thinking (5); Versatile; Adaptable (3); Interdisciplinary (2); Analyze; Innovative; Ethical considerations (2); Diverse career paths; Social/cultural awareness.

Requiring and/or encouraging students to take a variety of classes outside their major, and teaching students the interconnections among all disciplines, are the most powerful aspects of a liberal arts education.  

At small residential liberal arts colleges, there is also a strong emphasis on research, internships, and off-campus study. The resumes that students develop tend to be robust, which results in high placement rates (Monmouth, for example, typically has a 98-99% placement rate). Not only are most students employed or in graduate school within 6 months, but they graduate with the soft skills that employers love. Many rise quickly into positions of authority---employees who possess these soft skills and are innovative and adaptable will not stay in an entry-level position for very long.

Liberal arts in the 2020’s means more than just studying art, music, history, English, sociology, languages, economics, math, and science. At many small liberal arts colleges, it now includes such career-oriented degrees as biomedical engineering, marketing, logistics, supply chain management, data science, nursing, physical therapy, and many more STEM, health, and business-related majors.

In the 2020’s, the most popular college majors tend to revolve around Business, Health Professions (especially Nursing), Engineering, Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Computer & Information Sciences, Psychology, Data Science, Cyber Security, and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning.  I belong to many Facebook groups (parents of high school students looking at colleges), and I can tell you that there is a real focus on majors that provide a strong ROI (return on investment).  Parents and students alike are paying close attention to placement rates and projected incomes.

As I talk with some of these parents and students, they tell me that they are concerned about the relevance of a liberal arts degree. I assure them that there is no need to be concerned, especially with the many small private liberal arts colleges that offer some of the most popular and lucrative majors. Internships are plentiful, and placement rates are high.

So please, as you do your research for a college to attend, make sure to check out all types of colleges. Do not exclude small residential liberal arts colleges. You may find that the small classes, individual attention, generous merit aid, and personalized advising will make a small liberal arts college a perfect choice for your collegiate home.