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Liberal arts is a shortened form of the term "liberal arts and
sciences," and the liberal arts philosophy is a unique feature of
the U.S. higher education system. U.S. undergraduate education is
based on this concept, which believes in providing a well-rounded
academic education that develops the student's verbal, written, and
reasoning skills. Students at a liberal arts college, or at a
university with a strong liberal arts program, begin their degree
study by taking classes in a wide variety of courses in the arts,
humanities, languages, and the social and physical sciences. They
then choose a subject in which to specialize (called a major) and
take about 25 to 50 percent of their classes in the major area. Even
those who do not follow a liberal arts program and instead plan to
major in a specialized subject like engineering are usually required
to take about 25 percent of their classes in humanities and social
sciences to complement their studies. Similarly, a student who wants
to complete a major in history is required to take some classes in
mathematics and, possibly, the sciences. |
