What Do "Liberal Arts" Mean?
You may notice that many colleges and universities use the term “liberal arts.” This term does not refer to a college or university’s political stance but to its focus on academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences as distinct from professional and technical subjects.
Liberal arts involve classical themes such as critical thinking, ethics, etc., which are woven through all classes. At universities, these are broken up: ethics classes, critical thinking classes, writing classes, etc. are separate courses. The main difference between liberal arts college majors and university majors is that liberal arts schools generally offer one expansive area of study, whereas at universities, the same major may be broken into two or more degree tracks.
From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
“The liberal in liberal arts, a cornerstone of the education of so many, has very little to do with political leanings; its roots can be traced to the Latin word liber, meaning “free, unrestricted.” Our language took the term from the Latin liberales artes, which described the education given to freeman and members of the upper classes, and involved training in the mind (grammar, logic, geometry, etc.). The phrase liberal arts has been part of our language for a very long time, with use dating back to the 14th century.”