Is BYU easy peasy?

[_Cicero]

The Accounting program is definitely not for slouches.

[_harmony]

There was a minimum requirement of credits in the Religious Education Department when I attended. As noted above the classes were ridiculously easy. In other schools I imagine that those credits would be fulfilled with some practical real life education as opposed to the religious propaganda fed to us at BYU.

It's a church-owned school. Any school owned by a church is going to promote (and require) their worldview. BYU is no different in that regard. If you don't want religious education in the religion of the school that you attend, attend a state owned school.

[_Elphaba]

Can a dope fart around and get a degree in Business, Communications, English, or Psychology? I think so. And they probably can in most universities in the country.

Can a dope fart around, get into the MBA program at Wharton, and there graduate in the top 10% of the program?

Highly unlikely.

It's also highly unlikely a dope who farted around could graduate in the top ten percent at any college/university in Business, Communications, English, or Psychology. Additionally, it's a given that most of the intelligent and dedicated students who got into Wharton will not graduate in the top ten percent.

I was with you until the "10%" comment. What am I missing?

[_Fence Sitter]

There was a minimum requirement of credits in the Religious Education Department when I attended. As noted above the classes were ridiculously easy. In other schools I imagine that those credits would be fulfilled with some practical real life education as opposed to the religious propaganda fed to us at BYU.

It's a church-owned school. Any school owned by a church is going to promote (and require) their worldview. BYU is no different in that regard. If you don't want religious education in the religion of the school that you attend, attend a state owned school.

I agree but that was not my point. While BYU has every right to establish their curriculum, those that accept those requirements are at a disadvantage over students at other schools who can use those credits for something practical in real life. Obviously an LDS person may find his/her religious education courses useful within the Church but he/she still has to compete in the secular world with people who are not LDS and who used the same credits to further their education in a non religious application.

Harmony I don't recall if you attended BYU at all, but if you did, did you find the required religion courses at all challenging? At best they were mediocre classes with hundreds of students and not much above what we learned in seminary. I know that my freshman Book of Mormon class did not even require attendance, we just had to pass four tests in the testing center that we could take as many times as we wished, keep the highest grade and we got to keep copies of the test. Since I was in the dorms at that time all the guys on my floor kept their copies. We pretty much had every version of each test.

[Guest]

It's also highly unlikely a dope who farted around could graduate in the top ten percent at any college/university in Business, Communications, English, or Psychology. Additionally, it's a given that most of the intelligent and dedicated students who got into Wharton will not graduate in the top ten percent.

I was with you until the "10%" comment. What am I missing?

1. I said that any program usually has course options with greater rigor.

2. You can choose the easy options and have a higher GPA than smart kids who did more challenging work.

3. My comments weren't intended to be precise in every respect. I was writing to make a point.

[_lulu]

There was a minimum requirement of credits in the Religious Education Department when I attended. As noted above the classes were ridiculously easy. In other schools I imagine that those credits would be fulfilled with some practical real life education as opposed to the religious propaganda fed to us at BYU.

It's a church-owned school. Any school owned by a church is going to promote (and require) their worldview. BYU is no different in that regard. If you don't want religious education in the religion of the school that you attend, attend a state owned school.

Yes and no.

Or attend a private school that doesn't have a religious ed requirment.

Or attend a school whose religion classes come a little closer to the mainstream of academic religious studies.

If you were to attend a Jesuit college and take a religion class, yes, you will be taught Roman Catholic doctrine and be expected to give a rigerous response for a good grade. You can bet the instructor will know his Barth from his Gustavo Gutierrez from his Eliade. At BYU, no.

[Guest]

Any idea how Classics at BYU compares, on the rigor scale, to Classics programs at other U's?

I would say that it does well at language instruction (which is key), and it offers challenging courses. A number of its alumni now work as professors in the field. Many have pursued graduate study and professional studies in other fields. I think that it doesn't necessarily offer the best Classics education in every respect. For example, I would say its theoretical bent is old school. It's not a good place for Classical archaeology. I don't think I received the best guidance in applying to graduate school. But in terms of a solid grounding in the languages, Classical rhetoric, and ancient history (especially), it was very good, and probably better than many programs at more prestigious universities.

The faculty weren't high powered research scholars and big names, but my sense is their publication performance is on the upswing.

[_MCB]

If you were to attend a Jesuit college and take a religion class, yes, you will be taught Roman Catholic doctrine and be expected to give a rigerous response for a good grade.

I attended a Franciscan college for my undergraduate degree. I never used my philosophy/theology knowledge until recent years, since I started writing. I had difficulty with theology courses. This was due to 1) Having been a public school student and having to compete with kids who had a sound background from private Catholic high schools. 2) Contamination from LDS beliefs because of the Mormon-influenced environment in which I grew up.
They had what amounted to a phi/theo minor, but flexible in terms of which department. Much of the philosophy was Catholic philosophers, except for Marx which was more liberation theology.

[_Kishkumen]

The Accounting program is definitely not for slouches.

Very true.

[_harmony]

I agree but that was not my point. While BYU has every right to establish their curriculum, those that accept those requirements are at a disadvantage over students at other schools who can use those credits for something practical in real life. Obviously an LDS person may find his/her religious education courses useful within the Church but he/she still has to compete in the secular world with people who are not LDS and who used the same credits to further their education in a non religious application.

Depends on where you plan to live, once you graduate. If you plan to stay in Utah and work for an LDS owned business, seems like having those courses on your trascript would be helpful. If you plan to live in Maryland or So Cal, probably not so much.

Harmony I don't recall if you attended BYU at all, but if you did, did you find the required religion courses at all challenging?

Heaven forbid. I do have a daughter who has the distinction of being thrown out of BYU and being deported from Canada. That should count for something.