Liberal Arts & Sciences
The liberal arts ("liberal" from the Latin "liber," meaning "free," and "arts" referring to a skill or ability) and sciences (requiring a systematic approach) date from ancient Greece when they comprised grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, music and astronomy; became the curricula for European universities in the Middle Ages; and formed the curricular basis (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, rhetoric, ancient history, philosophy, ethics and math) for the first American colleges.
Today, the liberal arts retain their value as a balance to the narrowness of specialization. They also teach important skills valuable in any career field: in the liberal arts, you'll analyze various subjects within the disciplines and make connections among them. You'll learn to express your discoveries clearly and persuasively as you write and talk about them. In the process, you'll develop characteristics employers highly value: flexibility, competence and confidence in your analytical and communication skills.
Your career aside, the liberal arts will help you become a more well rounded person. You'll be knowledgeable in many subjects, and you can draw from this great body of knowledge when you need a solution to a problem or an answer to a question or an opinion in a debate—whether it's professional or personal. You'll acquire a sense of appreciation for the world as you study different viewpoints, cultures, lifestyles, traditions and philosophies.