> I think every engineer or applied scientists should be expected to take a reasonable "liberal" education subset - including history, literature and law. I know that this is very much not in vogue with the latest group-think in college, but I also believe that humanities should master at least basic calculus
That can work. I believe that because you've just described MIT and Caltech.
MIT requires everyone to take at least 8 semesters of arts, social science, or humanities course per semester, which works out to on average one such course per semester over the course of their degree. This must include at least one from each of those groups. They must also pick one from a list of several available "fields of concentration" in the arts, social science, or humanities, and take 3 or 4 courses in that field of concentration.
Caltech requires 108 units of humanities or social sciences, at least 27 of which must be humanities and 27 of which must be humanities. Caltech has 3 terms per academic year, so that works out on average to 9 units a term. A Caltech unit corresponds to the number of hours a course is expected to take a week (lectures + labs + homework and reading), and 9 units is about an average course. In other words, it is similar to MIT: you are taking at least one such class a term, and it takes about as much time as your typical engineering or science class.
On the calculus front, MIT requires everyone to take single and multivariable calculus. Same at Caltech. Both also require everyone to take physics through most of what is covered in, say, the Feynman Lectures, and chemistry.
In addition to the study requirements you mention the MIT Hayden Library is one of the best 'small' humanities libraries I have ever visited. I did a lot of homework there for a summer class in technical Japanese in 1990.
You can take study breaks by wandering around the stacks, which not large but amazingly well selected. Virtually every book you put your finger on is something worth reading. The Hayden Library opened up a whole world of biblical studies through the works of Robert Alter and Frank Kermode, which were sitting in the shelves a few feet away from my table. It's colored my impression of MIT ever since.
That can work. I believe that because you've just described MIT and Caltech.
MIT requires everyone to take at least 8 semesters of arts, social science, or humanities course per semester, which works out to on average one such course per semester over the course of their degree. This must include at least one from each of those groups. They must also pick one from a list of several available "fields of concentration" in the arts, social science, or humanities, and take 3 or 4 courses in that field of concentration.
Caltech requires 108 units of humanities or social sciences, at least 27 of which must be humanities and 27 of which must be humanities. Caltech has 3 terms per academic year, so that works out on average to 9 units a term. A Caltech unit corresponds to the number of hours a course is expected to take a week (lectures + labs + homework and reading), and 9 units is about an average course. In other words, it is similar to MIT: you are taking at least one such class a term, and it takes about as much time as your typical engineering or science class.
On the calculus front, MIT requires everyone to take single and multivariable calculus. Same at Caltech. Both also require everyone to take physics through most of what is covered in, say, the Feynman Lectures, and chemistry.