Broadening academic offerings at PHC

Patrick Henry College announced four new minors: Economics & Business Analytics (EBA), Government (GOV), English, and Theology & the Bible (TTB), in addition to the all-new Theology & the Bible major, are available in the fall.

"Overall, I'm just very glad to see PHC growing in a greater diversity of subjects," said freshman Alessandro Cartagena, a GOV minor.

While Cartagena was interested in majoring in Strategic Intelligence (SI), he was also interested in Economics & Business Analytics and American Politics Policy (APP). "SI and APP aren't exactly things you can easily double major in, especially with internships," he said.

After Dr. Mark Mitchell introduced him to the GOV minor, Cartagena decided to take it along with an SI major. For him, the addition of the GOV minor was a godsend.

Lucy Dasher, an APP major, said, "I think it's a good option for EBA or Journalism majors who want to take some Government courses." 

Sophomore Liana DeVore found a similar solution. Growing up, she always loved both literature and mathematics; however, when it came to choosing her major, she couldn't do both Classical Liberal Arts (CLA) and EBA. While she loved the ideas and classes behind both majors, she ended up choosing CLA with an Integrated Math and Natural Sciences (IMNS) minor. When she recently discovered the new EBA minor, she was elated. It was an answer to many of her prayers.

"I love the practical skills that EBA offers," Devore said.

PHC Vice President Howard Schmidt, director of the Economics & Business Analytics program, shared his thoughts on the new EBA minor. "PHC offered a variety of minors already," he said, "and to be consistent with what we have been doing, we opened up the opportunity for EBA—an idea to continue to increase learning opportunities for the students."

According to Assistant Professor of Economics Nathan Russell, many students take EBA courses, even when these courses don't count toward their major. This demonstrates the student body's interest in and value for the EBA courses. "The EBA minor is a way for those students to get recognition for those courses," he said.

PHC is also offering a Theology & the Bible minor, an update to the previous Biblical Studies minor. Likewise, the English minor is an update to the previous Literature minor. 

The new minors open the door to a wide new array of skills: "You might be a great communicator, but saying on your resume that 'I'm a good communicator' doesn't look as good as saying, 'I can handle Excel and I can use this software,'" DeVore said. "Those are concrete facts that make you more marketable."

 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.