Education in the Renaissance: Humanism
As these universities grew and new ones were established in the 1300s and 1400s, they added new courses in law and in general studies known as studia humanitatis ("humanistic studies"), which was a mix of medieval university subjects (grammar and rhetoric) and new subjects (such as history and "natural philosophy," or science). This new program of courses was considered to teach knowledge needed by a "free" man i.e., one not a subject to another; accordingly, it became known as "liberal" arts