Liberal arts refer to a form of education that is derived from the classical education system. They include a set of courses that are aimed at developing the intellectual and rational thinking capabilities of students.
The seven liberal arts, or “septem artes liberals” in Latin, were systematized by a Latin writer from the 5th century, Martianus Minneus Felix Capella. In his famous tractate, On the Wedding of Philology and Mercury and of the Seven Liberal Arts, he said the seven liberal arts were grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and harmony. Later on, the medieval Western University divided the seven liberal arts into two classifications, namely, the Trivium and the Quadrivium. The Trivium was the first course of education, and it included the three arts of grammar, rhetoric, and logic. The second course was called the Quadrivium, which was made up of the four arts of geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music.
The modern liberal arts include subjects such as literature, philosophy, art, languages, mathematics, politics, history, and science. The knowledge and skills that are learned from these subjects will prepare one for a wide range of career possibilities. In the modern academic circles, the arts are grouped with the humanities subset, such as philosophy, history, literature, and linguistics.
Those who have a liberal arts degree can choose from a wide variety of career options. If a student chooses a major in a specialized field, they can prepare for a career in that field before hand, or they can study something more general, like liberal arts, and make themselves more flexible. To get a liberal arts degree, a student can attend one of the many universities or colleges that offer liberal arts programs. After a student has completed a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, they can pursue a master’s degree or even a doctorate.
Although liberal arts are a popular form of education in the US, liberal arts colleges actually started in Europe. Nowadays, there are liberal arts universities and colleges all over the world. Some of the more well-known colleges offering liberal arts programs are the University College Utrecht in the Netherlands, the Bishop's University in Canada, and the European College of Liberal Arts in Germany. After completing four years of study at a liberal arts college, students will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree.
No matter which college or type of education a student selects, the first thing is to gather some information about the school you are interested in. Unfortunately, there are a lot of degree programs, mostly online ones, that offer (fake degrees) and (fake diplomas). Some of them can even create an illusion of reality. In order to avoid that, try to find a list of recognized accreditation agencies through the United States Department of Education. There is also a search database of accredited educational institutions that is provided and maintained by the Office of Post-Secondary Education.