Courses Every Student Should Take No Matter the Major, Ranked
This article offers suggestions for ten courses you should take before you graduate.
By Patricia Roy — April 26, 2023
Whether you are planning your first year in college or are already enrolled, it can be hard to choose electives. Which ones offer you the most value? This guide offers some suggestions and arguments for ten courses you should take before you graduate.
Reading and Writing Intensive Courses Beyond the First-Year Requirement
Before I am accused of being biased, notice I didn't say "literature." That's because literature is not the only subject that requires substantial reading and writing. If the quality of your reading and writing is evaluated closely in a course, it counts. Here's why.
Workers who can cite critical thinking or writing ability as soft skills continue to be in demand. As a composition and literature teacher, I know the transformative power of challenging reading and writing assignments in a supportive environment — but practice is key.
Some colleges still require literature courses or discipline-focused writing beyond the first-year requirement, but not all do. Don't shy away from the challenge; instead, talk with your academic advisor to map out your tentative schedule a year or two in advance. Doing this will help you choose reading and writing-intensive courses within or outside your major as appropriate. Moreover, being a reader — a person who reads for pleasure — deepens your thinking skills better than most other pastimes, like games or watching television. If you want to advance in your career, continue to read and write well.
Foreign Language
While communication skills continue to be among the most sought after soft skills by employers, the ability to communicate in a foreign language makes you even more desirable to hire. It goes without saying that if you cannot speak a person's language, you cannot do business with them. Not only does a foreign language open up communication with clients and employees from around the world, but it reinforces your own grasp of your native language, which has its own benefits. Learning additional languages will also improve your travel experiences and increase your empathy.
Nutrition
As a first-year student, I took a popular introductory science course, "Nutrition and People." For a liberal arts major, I found the course informative and somewhat challenging, both positive attributes, imo. In a time when our media is inundated with nutrition and lifestyle information, a sound foundation in nutritional science will help you weed through the hyperbole and outrageous claims to make informed decisions about what to eat, how much, and when. Furthermore, as nutrition affects our ability to focus and learn, applying what you learn while in college may help you perform better in your studies.
Economics
Whether you choose to take a personal accounting course or a macroeconomics course, any experience with the business of numbers and capital will improve your understanding of how you fit into the world economy. With college costs at an all-time high, you owe it to yourself not to be squeamish about money. Economics can be complicated, so it helps to learn in a dynamic and supportive class.
Art or Design
Increasingly, informational content involves more than just text but design as well. Much more than simple decoration, art and graphics contribute their own meaning to texts and communications. Many junior positions across industries require the ability to edit images, audio, and video. Learning the techniques, the lexicon, and the technology of art and graphic design can add dimension to your work portfolio.
History of Your Local Region
Study history beyond the core requirements if possible and you will be rewarded with a deep and critical awareness of how the past affects the present. Furthermore, studying the micro-history of your local area can lead to some fascinating discoveries or opportunities. For example, I knew an electrical engineering major who took a “History of Boston” course thinking it would be an “easy” class. The course turned out to be stimulating and fun, requiring students to visit, either virtually or in-person, many of the historic places in town. Because this future software engineer got to know the city so well — beyond a topical, native perspective — he got a job giving tours to not just future students but to visiting professors and business associates of the university as well, thereby enhancing his own professional network.
History of a Faraway Place
If you really want to understand the world, look at it from someone else's perspective. Much of the history taught in grades K-12 in the United States recounts the same narratives of American enterprise year after year. Meanwhile, students often do not know even the most basic knowledge about places where the U.S. has both political and economic interests. Just as a study of your local history can deepen your understanding of where you are, studying farther afield can sharpen your global lens.
One of the best history classes I ever took was European History from 1500 to the Vietnam War. Even though the class was composed of American students, we looked at world events from the perspective of European nations. The course covered some of the same world events I already knew about — the World Wars and the Vietnam War, for example — but studying them from the point of view of European nations exposed me to many ideas, conflicts, and movements that had been completely left out of my previous education. If you have ever wondered why some areas of the world seem to be locked in eternal warfare or strife, studying their history is really the only way to contextualize current events.
Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human behavior in groups or societies. Like the study of environmental sciences, studying sociology can better prepare you for your social environment by exposing you to foundational knowledge and methods in the field. While many students take at least one psychology course, I recommend adding a sociology course for a world-expanding experience. In today's world, it's not enough to "know thyself" — you need to understand the social dynamics behind the challenges we face. If you have any aspirations toward people management, sociology is a must.
Philosophy, Ethics, or Logic
Sometimes you will come across these topics in other disciplines, such as literature or history, but their direct study will show you how thought shapes reality. Moreover, studying philosophy, ethics, or logic will likely improve your performance in other courses as their rigorous nature forces you to evaluate your own thinking process. It is impossible to study philosophy without reinforcing your knowledge of history, for example. Likewise, students who take logic may see the pay-off in their math and science courses, while students of ethics can transfer knowledge to the social sciences, education, criminal justice, and more.
Final Thoughts
Of course, no list can ever please everyone. We all have our own needs and biases. However, all these suggestions have some basis in evidence to support them. In any case, a well-rounded person adapts better to new situations than a specialist. Be open to learning new things in college. When else will you get the chance?
Patricia Roy
Patricia Roy is a writer and professor who has helped students succeed for over 25 years. She started her career as a high school English teacher and then moved into higher education at Tuition Rewards member school, Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts. Her practical guidance and enthusiasm motivate and inspire students to fearlessly explore their own passions. Professor Roy is also a freelance writer and published poet.
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