Academics at Bard

Photo by Pete Mauney ’93 MFA ’00

Academics at Bard

Bard is redefining what it means to be a liberal arts institution

by expanding its mission beyond undergraduate education to include secondary school and graduate programs. The curricula of all Bard programs are rooted in an allegiance to free speech, civility, dissent, and the traditions of scientific and speculative inquiry.
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The Liberal Arts at Bard

The liberal arts tradition is reflected in Bard’s tutorial system and interdisciplinary curriculum, which emphasize independent and creative thought—and developing the skills to express that thought with power and effect. Undergraduate students can earn a bachelor of arts degree in the following academic divisions: Arts; Languages and Literature; Science, Mathematics, and Computing; Social Studies; and Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations. They may moderate into a concentration, or cluster of related courses, in conjunction with Moderation into a program. They may also fulfill the requirements of a second focus in a subject of their choice that is unconnected to their primary field of study.
 
Learn More About Programs and Divisions →

Undergraduate Academics

Division of the Arts Division of Languages and Literature
Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing Division of Social Studies
Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations
Undergraduate academics at Bard focus on giving students a strong scholarly foundation with our rigorous core curriculum, then encouraging them to explore individual academic interests. The College seeks to engender in every student a wide curiosity and a profound love of learning. Close contact with scholars who are teachers but also active in their disciplines is a constant, and the level of academic discourse in the classroom is high.
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Division of the Arts

In the Division of the Arts, theoretical understanding and practical skills alike are developed through production and performance in all disciplines. In the course of their program studies, students in the arts also develop aesthetic criteria that can be applied to other areas of learning. 

Programs: Architecture, Art History and Visual Culture, Dance, Film and Electronic Arts, Music, Photography, Studio Arts, and Theater and Performance

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Division of Languages and Literature

The Division of Languages and Literature offers majors in the areas of literature; written arts; and foreign languages, cultures, and literatures. All students in the division are encouraged to study languages other than English; foreign language instruction currently offered includes Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Latin, and ancient Greek.

Programs: Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures, Literature, and Written Arts

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Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing

In the Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing, progressive and classical curricular elements lead to an active understanding of the concepts, methods, and contexts of these disciplines. In all courses in the division, learning comes from doing: working in the laboratory, using computers, posing and solving problems.
 
Programs: Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computational Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology

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Division of Social Studies

In the Division of Social Studies, students are encouraged to take courses from multiple fields in the division in order to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on fundamental questions about the human experience that is historically rooted but geared toward contemporary issues. Additional courses of study are available through interdivisional and area studies programs.

Programs: Anthropology, Economics, History, Philosophy, Politics, Interdisciplinary Study of Religions, and Sociology

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Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations

Bard’s approach to the liberal arts curriculum provides students and faculty with the opportunity to rethink traditional boundaries of academic divisions and disciplines. This flexible framework allows students to create plans of study that integrate the content and methodologies of multiple fields. The areas of study available to students are interdisciplinary in nature, and draw on faculty, courses, and resources of the four academic divisions.

Learn More About Interdivisional Programs

Other Opportunities to Learn

  • 3+2, 4+1, and Dual-Degree Programs
    Bard College offers a number of 3+2, 4+1, and dual-degree programs in the United States and overseas, awarding both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Many degree-granting international programs also offer study abroad opportunities for a semester or a year.
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  • Specialized Programs
    Bard offers a number of opportunities for learning outside the formal curriculum and course structure. Pathways for independent work include special study and internship programs, study at another academic institution in the United States or abroad, and individual and group study projects. 
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  • Study Abroad
    Bard College believes that international education should be built upon meaningful partnerships based on the principles of mutuality and equality. Our groundbreaking study abroad programs, located in regions undergoing rapid political and economic transformation continue this tradition. 
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Duncan Talks About the Senior Project

Duncan MacDonald ’23, who received a joint degree in Politics (International Relations) and French Studies, talks about his Senior Project. His Senior Project explored France’s model of a feminist foreign policy from an ontological security perspective, leading to an investigation and critique of France’s depiction of a feminist national Self.
Graduate Academics
Bard Graduate Center Library.

Graduate Academics

Bard’s graduate programs give students the tools to shape the future of their professions. Expert faculty craft innovative curricula designed to challenge emerging leaders. More than 600 students are pursuing Bard graduate degrees.
Explore Graduate Programs →

Bard College Early High School Brooklyn's ribbon cutting ceremony.
L-R: Superintendent Tamra Collins, Principal David Allen, NYCPS Chancellor David Banks, Bard President Leon Botstein, Councilmember Chris Banks, Bard Vice President and Dean of Early Colleges Dumaine Williams, Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council, Sen. Roxanne Persaud, Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, NYCPS Head of School Design Shawn Rux, among members of BHSEC Brooklyn’s inaugural class. Photo by Danny Santana Photography

Early Colleges

Bard is a pioneer in early college education, which offers challenging undergraduate programs for intellectually curious adolescents. Bard has several initiatives for young scholars that enable exceptional students to begin college immediately after the 10th or 11th grades, and where students earn a high school diploma and up to an associate's degree, tuition free, within four years.
Explore Bard Early Colleges →

Academic Resources