liberal arts
Philosophy, not engineering
Liberal arts refers to academic subjects intended to provide broad intellectual cultivation rather than technical or vocational training.
The traditional liberal arts include literature, philosophy, history, languages, mathematics, and sciences—fields that develop critical thinking and communication skills.
She studied liberal arts before going to law school.
The term dates to classical education, where these were studies befitting a free person rather than a slave or tradesman.
Higher education institution
- universityHigher education institution
- undergraduateDegree-seeking college student
- campusInstitutional grounds and buildings
- Ivy LeagueElite university athletic conference
small class · residential · faculty · tenure · provost · dean · accreditation · tuition
Study of culture
- philosophyStudy of fundamental truths
- literatureBody of written works
- historyRecord of past events
- languagesSystems of human communication
sociology · psychology · anthropology · political science · economics · art · music · theater
Objective evaluation of information
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- analytical writingMethodical examination through text
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
- inquiryRequest for information
Socratic method · discussion · debate · close reading · research · synthesis · argumentation · interpretation
college
Higher education institution
- universityHigher education institution
- undergraduateDegree-seeking college student
- campusInstitutional grounds and buildings
Ivy League · small class · residential · faculty · tenure · provost · dean · accreditation · tuition · scholarship
humanities
Study of culture
- philosophyStudy of fundamental truths
- literatureBody of written works
- historyRecord of past events
languages · sociology · psychology · anthropology · political science · economics · art · music · theater · classics
critical thinking
Objective evaluation of information
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- analytical writingMethodical examination through text
- discourseFormal communication on subjects
inquiry · Socratic method · discussion · debate · close reading · research · synthesis · argumentation · interpretation · lifelong learning
- Western humanitiesRenaissance, Enlightenment, humanism, Reformation, Romanticism
- schoolsprimary school, school, college, academy, high school
- academic fieldsmathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history
- academicsprofessor, course, university professors, math, professors
- higher educationuniversity, college, degree, diploma, graduate school
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
liberal artsvocational training
Job-skill education
technical training · professional education · trade school · applied sciences · vocational education
liberal artsSTEM
Four-discipline academic grouping
hard sciences · natural sciences · engineering · applied mathematics · applied sciences
liberal artsvocational education
Training for specific occupations
specialization · practical education · specialized training · credentialism
liberal, arts, liberalism, liberals, illiberal, liberalize, liberalizing, liberalizes, neoliberal