Bard College Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Ryan

Class sizes are very small. With a few expections, professors know the names of all their students by the end of the first month. Core courses for your major generally suck. And a lot of people hate First-Year Seminar though I had a great experience). I've raraly been dissatisfied with an advanced course, though. Class participiation is a fairly important part of your grade in most classes. The exact class formats vary a lot, but don't expect to get away with sitting in the corner in silence. You can find intellectual discussions outside class if you want, and everyone I know can keep up with them when they happen, but I wouldn't say they predominate. The academic environment is very non-competitive. I don't even really know what kind of grades most of my friends are getting. Maybe I would respond differently if more of my friends were in my department. I've had some unusual classes (like an entire 4-credit class on a single essay), but the strangest was probably L&T (the 3-week intensive in August for new students)--very eclectic mix of texts for discussions, lots of free-writes and poetry exercises). Political Studies is one of the larger departments, and probably one of the more prestigious ones as well. There's several of sub-groupings within it--political theory, American politics, comparative politics, international relations--that have their own specialists among the faculty and, to som extent, attracts thier own crowds of students. There's a nice balance of offerings, and a lot of opportunities to interact with people from other areas. It's been a good experience for me, except for the core courses. Personally, I don't interact with professors much outside of class, but nearly all of them encourage it heavily, and it's not a bad idea at all. The academic requirements generally make sense. You have to take nine courses in different, non-overlapping areas, plus one on Rethinking Difference (not as intense as it sounds). Then there's the core curriculum (an intensive program before you matriculate and a two-semester, eight-credit program your freshamn year), which is sometimes taught rather poorly but generally isn't too bad. Then there's Moderation--a formal, and sometimes very intense, process of applying to the department you want to major in. People's experiences with it are a mixed bag--it tends to be worse in the arts, especially Film, Photography, and Music. It's much easier in the natural and social sciences. Then comes Senior Project--during your senior year, you write a 100-page research paper (if you're in science or social studies) or something comparable, and get eight credits for it. This will be the focus of your senior year. A lot of people start the preparatory work as early as the middle of their junior years. Bard is not very career-oriented, although there are some good master's programs. Make connections wherever you can.

Travis

Bard Academics are great. Small classes allow for incredibly personal relationships with professors which improves the quality of class discussion and work. The lack of required courses at Bard gives students the freedom to take classes that interest them and to sample all types of classes. The big 4 common curriculum (L&T, First year seminar, Moderation, and Senior project) are all very flexible and unique parts of the academics at Bard.

Brian

What I love about education at Bard is its involvement directly in the students' lives. Our teachers inspire us on a daily basis and we do the same to them. To hear "I really like the way you think." or "what an enlightened/inspired idea." from a professor who is quite accredited in his/her field is a truely spectacular feeling. Hard work is rewarded with self worth. And I dont just mean the cliché "You get what you put in." I mean that your self esteem gets the major boost at the end of a class to which you came well prepared.

Abbie

Professors definitely know me by name. Class participation is usually a part of the grade, and discussions are frequently encouraged. Study time depends on the student, but most students study at least a little bit. There are tons of intellectual conversations outside of class. The most unique classes I've taken so far are Neutral Masks and Monuments of Asian Art. I'm a physics major with a passion for theatre, and I LOVE the physics department here. Most of our equipment is pretty old, since we commonly get overlooked in the budget, but the professors are amazing and very dedicated. The theatre department is stellar, and there are always shows going on. I've met with professors outside of class to discuss papers and grades and whatnot. I think some moderation requirements are a little stringent, but they really just want to ensure that you'll be a successful student in that major. Bard is much more geared toward learning for the sake of learning as opposed to going to grad school and getting a job, but they do have some resources to help with the latter two.

Jerry

Professors know my name, phone number, and e-mail address. My academic adviser is a big exit pollster, and when he is formatting his blogs on political websites, he often IMs me and asks me to check out the formatting with my browser. In other words: don't go to Bard if you're looking for anonymity. My favorite class is Spanish 110 (Accelerated Spanish). We meet five times a week for an hour each time. I love learning new languages, and the class is a lot of fun. Today, we did an oral activity designed to help us learn the cases in which we are supposed to use the preterite and imperfect (two different past tenses). We went around the room telling a story in Spanish line by line about a smurf who was a Bard student, who encountered a lion, who poisoned the lion, who fell asleep and dreamed that the dead lion was in fact a Bard student that had long hair. My least favorite class is Biology 415 (Restoration Ecology). I don't hate the class -- to the contrary, the material is very interesting. Unfortunately, the work load is very heavy (hence, 400-level biology class), so it's getting put at the bottom of the list this semester. Students work hard and play hard. We definitely don't study all the time. There's a lot of work -- mostly essay writing, if you're a social science major. Aside from the large quantities of reading and writing that most classes assign, there isn't much studying to do unless you're a science, math, or language major. Usually the work load starts of light at the beginning of the semester, where students can spend several nights a week just hanging out with friends. Towards midterms, the workload becomes very heavy, and people are working on papers around the clock. The workload is very light for the week following midterms, then starts up again, requiring a few hours of reading/writing each night until finals. As a social science major who takes mostly 300 level seminar classes, I can report that finals is quite the adventure. We don't have a reading week at Bard, so you have to go to classes while writing your final exams. Finals week last semester was particularly hellish. In addition to my classes, I had a 10 page final paper due on Monday, a 20 page final paper due on Tuesday, a 20 page final paper due on Wednesday, and a 20 page final paper due on Thursday. Friday, I drank myself silly. Bard students have intellectual conversations outside of class ALL THE TIME, particularly conversations about politics. Yesterday, I sat in the dining hall for two hours debating the possibility of sustainable environmental development with a friend of mine. Students really aren't competitive, unless you're a part of the film and photo department. The emphasis really is on personal growth and development. Since most classes are essay-based rather than test based, it's difficult to be competitive due to the diversity of responses and ideas to each essay question. The most unique class I have taken is one I've got this semester, called the Cultural Politics of Animals. I'm also taking an amazing class this semester called Reading and Writing the Hudson. Some favorite classes from past semesters include: American Religion and Politics, American Environmental History, American Environmental Politics, Population Economics and Demography, The 19th Century Continental Novel, Historical Archaeology, and Field Methods in Archaeology. Outside of class, I often visit the professors I like in their offices, either to ask questions or chat. If I see a professor in Kline or the campus center, I'll walk up and say hi. there are several professors who live on campus who I run into a lot. Often the language tutors (who are foreign post-grad students employed by the college) come to our parties. The academic requirements are numerous and strict, but I really like them. It's nice to have to take classes in every academic discipline, simply because, through those requirements, I have really expanded my interests and learned a lot about subjects I never would have otherwise encountered. The education at Bard is geared towards learning for its own sake. Once you pump out an 80-120 page senior project, you should have the motivation, organization, and ability to go out and promote yourself to a potential employer. In getting prestigious internships, I've found that my ability to communicate my ideas verbally and in writing, in conjunction with my academic record, speaks for itself.

Kelly

While the average person might not recognize Bard College in conversation, it is without a doubt an accredited institution with very strong academics. All the teachers are practicing professionals in their field of study, and the fact that there the option of commuting up from New York City seems to strengthen the overall quality of the faculty. Of course, there are some professors that come to mind who are not the most skilled teachers and may not deserve the tenure or appreciation that they receive. This is likely the case most places. Overall, one can expect the classes that they choose to be interesting enough not to drop out of. Bard, unlike other places, does not force specific classes on the students depending on their chosen field of study. Instead, it relies on broad distribution requirements to make sure that everyone is having a sufficiently well-rounded, liberal-arts education. Although the Asian Studies department is quite small, with only four or five permanent teachers, those that I know well are excellent and I did not choose the school based on my intended major, but rather on my impressions and experiences of all aspects of the institution.

Harper

The professors at Bard are willing to work individually with students and the class sizes are usually under 20 people, creating a close knit academic environment. Classes are usually discussion based, with students reading texts beforehand. Most of the student's aren't competitive but if a student feels that his intellectuality is threatened, he will suddenly raise his cerebral hackles and fiercely defend himself. The moderation process during the second year allows the student to reevaluate his work before attempting to major in any one subject. Unlike other schools, the departments at Bard reserve the right to refuse a potential major. Students are admitted through a process known as moderation during which they must defend a paper against a panel of professors. In the fourth year, the student is expected to complete a senior project over the course of two semesters before going before their board once again and discussing it.

Sara

Classes are generally small and teachers are personable. I have had great conversations with professors outside of class and always feel comfortable contacting thiem with questions. the professors here for the most part are excellent. Anyone who comes here is truly privileged to be able to engage in dialogue with these people. I am an art major and for the most part the professors I have had are excellent and wonderful artists in their own right.

John

the academics at bard are better than the students

Harper

The average class size is about 15 students, and you'll get to know your professors and classmates pretty well, whether you try to or not. Every class is taught by a Bard professor (we have no TAs). All faculty members are required to take on student advisees and hold office hours each week. The distribution requirement encourages students to explore areas outside of their major area by compelling students to take classes in each of the four divisions of the college: Arts; Languages and Literatures; Social Sciences; and Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing. In addition, the First Year Seminar gives the entire college a common base of knowledge to build on. The consensus among graduates seems to be that no matter what you do after Bard, you'll be well prepared.

Lane

Classes are pretty small, but not as small as was advertised.

Brett

Academics are Bard are not to be taken lightly--students here are serious and they are serious for the right reasons. Bard students by and large could care less about their grades or their GPA--what they care about is that they got something out of the class and that they honestly feel they did their best. Students, professors, and requirements alike are geared towards the ideal of learning for learnings sake. Professors encourage this non-competitive, individualizes approach and attitude with relaxed, discussion style classes where grades are based on papers and class participation rather than tests, exams, or lectures. Not do our professors know our names, we call them by their first names and they know who we are as individuals, not just as i.d. numbers. Students can be found discussing texts outside of class, while still drunk at dance parties, on the weekends as well as the weeknights--Bardians are interested in the things they are taking and express that by bringing their academic life into their social life on a regular basis.

Max

The majority of professors here are awesome. Bard's student body is growing, so some classes are a little bigger than when I was a freshman, but for the most part, they're small, intimate, and stimulating. Professors encourage their students to meet with them, some classes even make meetings mandatory, and these are normally fun. My advisor, who I've had since my freshman year, is now a good friend of mine. I actually look forward to our meetings, both for the help she offers me as well as the chance to swap stories, figure out what each other are reading, have a nice cup of tea... seriously, it's quite nice. I'm a literature student, and I encourage anyone interested in a quality education in any kind of literature to check out Bard. We've got an amazing faculty, but more importantly, a faculty with amazing connections. I've met a number of famous authors, all of whom come to our classes (Orhan Pamuk, recent Nobel prize winner, sat in on three of my classes). In terms of jobs, we've got a super nice group of ladies who will help you build a resume, get interviews, build connections and all of that. The only criticism I have is that a lot of the majors that Bard offers (studio art and photography being the notable ones) have very little to do with "real" jobs, and most people with these majors realize, upon graduating, that they have very few options.

Tate

Many professors are great. Class participation is generally a big deal, but the more classes you take, the easier it becomes. Lots of students are too eager to speak up and bore you with their tangents, but if the teacher is good, they can try and stop that. Most professors know your name right away, and many make themselves accessible to you outside of class. The workload is certainly not light, but is usually manageable, and teachers almost always will grant an extension if you need one. Students are NOT competitive here, which is a relief. It seems like most students are actually interested in learning, not just in the grade or in taking easy classes to get through it. The education here is definitely not geared toward getting a job. Moderation is really annoying but seems like it is an ok experience.

Blake

The professors are great.

Morgan

Professors are really awesome, and classes are really intensive. The workload is absolutely insane, as well; but that might just be because I am taking multiple written arts classes which require a great deal of writing. You learn interesting things in every class you take, which is why it's hard to stick to one major, since everything is intriguing. The classes are competitive, and professors encourage this. It's just part of the lifestyle. Also, First-Year Seminar and the Language and Thinking program are by far the most unique programs I have seen at a college. If you are in to the sort of things L&T/FYSem have to offer (analytical skills, along with creative writing/thinking skills), then I might even endorse going to Bard simply for the freshman learning program.

Bethany

Classes are tiny. If you're a freshman, you'll have a hard time getting into any. Bard does offer a lot of courses, as you may see in their course book, but the catch is that they're not all offered every semester. So one semester there may be a class you want to take but can't get into, but there's no guarantee that class will be there next semester. Plus, Bard has this thing called moderation. You can't just major in whatever you want, you have to take classes in it, and usually in your sophomore or junior year you are evaluated by a moderation panel and they decide whether or not you are "worthy" of that major. And no, I know they tell you you can make your own major but that's just not true. It's very difficult to make your own major and extremely rare. Even double majoring is difficult because there's not much time to moderate into both fields, and doing two different senior projects is hell. What most people end up doing is majoring in interdisciplinary studies so they can combine two different fields that they're interested in. Bard makes all first year students take a First Year Seminar class which is pretty much just an Intro to Philosophy class. You have to read works of Plato, Nietzsche, Mary Shelley, Blake, Rousseau, Locke, and pretty much any other philosopher you've ever heard of. The readings can be interesting but you're not given much time to read them since it's such a broad overview. And there are a few papers required for the course as well. There are two different sets of academic requirements: Those classes you need to graduate and those classes you need to moderate. For more information on distribution requirements go to http://www.bard.edu/academics/curriculum/

Kristin

The professors are WONDERFUL. I have LOVED almost all of my classes here. I guess my least favorite class was a language class, but that's just because it was no different from the language classes I took in high school. My favorite class? So much more difficult to decide. Students study in bursts--some people study intensely, other people are weeks behind. Class participation is definitely common. Professors are great about meeting with students. And education is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake.

Nico

to make a class good, you should participate. the education is definitely not geared toward getting a job.

Becca

Professors know your name, there are a lot of really fruity professors at bard that will make you stand on chairs and recite poetry. It's bullshit and I'm not paying 50K a year to stand on chairs.

Mike

The professors are very personal. I love all my classes. People are constantly atudying. Participation is a big part of your grade in many classes. Bard is all about intellectualism inside and outside of the classroom. I'm doing my own program, Neurochemistry, and both departments are pretty good (new labs are great). I work with my professors outside of class. There are alot of requirements, but still alot of freedom. It is geared towards learning for its own sake.

Quinn

Professors always know your name, you are in small classes and all classes are discussion based. Students study a lot, but always have time for the other aspects of life.

Kendall

My professors have been great for the most part. They're smart and weird and know my name.

Tristan

1) The professors definitely know my name. They also invite me over for brunch and call my cellphone when I'm late to class. 2) My favorite class was an art history course with Laurie Dahlberg on 19th century photography. She's knowledgeable, accessible, and enthusiastic. My least favorite class was Accelerated Spanish, but only because I had to be there at 8:45 every morning. 3) It depends upon what you mean by "study." In the traditional sense of memorizing definitions, names and dates, that kind of thing only really takes place in introductory courses before an exam. In the broader sense, constantly. One of the things I love about Bard is that there is perpetual open dialog about class material. Bard values the Socratic method, which is carried out both inside and outside of the classroom. 4) Class participation is inevitable. You can't hide in the back of a 10-student class. 5) Have you ever been drunk at a party and discussed Foucault? Because I have, more times than I can count. 6) Students are competitive with themselves, not with each other. It's an atypically supportive environment. 7) The most unique class I've taken is the Photography Senior Seminar. Larry Fink, the famed photographer who runs the class, arrives two hours late, chirps scandalous anecdotes between harmonica solos, and offers some of the most brilliant and constructive critique imaginable. 8) I major in photography. The professors are lovably quirky, invaluably well-connected, wise, talented, and always willing to help. I had initially planned on majoring in human rights, but before I even had a chance to take a human rights course, I fell in love with the photo department. They bring in three lecturers per semester, and often the professors bring in their genius artist friends to class to speak and critique our work. All seniors are provided with their own darkrooms. The department just built a brand new, state of the art digital lab. We have a reputation for being competitive, because limited space in the program demands several portfolio reviews for readmission. My class, for example, had 50 photo majors in it my freshman year. Now, as a senior, we are down to 18. However, only two students were actually cut from the program. Most people just aren't hardcore enough to follow through. It's pretty demanding, not to mention expensive. 9) Yes, they do. My photography professors invite me to their studios and openings. My art history professors invite me to their homes for dinner. My advisor met with me over the summer just to indulge me in a pep talk about my senior project. All professors have office hours, too, and are always happy to meet with students. 10) I think the academic requirements are generally fair. Students who complain about distribution requirements clearly misunderstand the goal of a liberal arts education. Moreover, it's pretty easy to get around a requirement. Students who fear science can take Field Study in Natural History, aka the nature walk class. The foreign language requirement can be circumvented with a Russian Literature course -- in English. The only complaint I had about requirements was within my own department. We're required to take The Physics of Light and Color. The class is designed for art students who can't add. As someone who was offered a full scholarship for physics, it was a bit tedious for me when we spent a full class period learning why 3/3 does not equal 3, as a significant portion of the class got that little calculation wrong on the homework. UGH. 11) Education at Bard is definitely geared toward learning for its own sake, though faculty is always willing to offer career guidance. The Career Development Office is kind of a joke.

Winnie

Academics are what you make them. The classes are no breeze as they have large amounts of reading no matter where you go (that means even math majors aren't safe!). The school emphasises writing which is evident through the L&T 3 week introduction to college the school puts on for incoming freshman. The campus is closed but to fall athletes and Freshman for orientation and a reading and writing intensive program during the day. It's a good chance for students to get a feel for how important writing and reading are at Bard. But really, it's like any college, work work work. Classes are usually small, with introductory course such as microeconomics being the biggest you'll ever sit through numbering 30 people. Class participation becomes more important and participated in after introductory courses when everyone starts starts to take classes that they are really and truely interested in. With so few core requirements, you're really given a chance to explore at Bard. Competition is minimal and if it exists, it's usually hush and hush. No one admits they work hard, and no one admits they are naturally talented. But beleive me, everyone seems to be exceptionally good at something, or exceptionally interesting, if for some reason they feel they need to hide their attributes (which a Bard kid who wants to rediscover themselves would!). I have heard however many horror stories about life after Bard, how the school isn't very helpful when it comes to career directing. I think that the truth is too many kids graduate with obscure degrees in odd fields since you can make up, for the most part, whatever major you like here.

John

Bard students have the reputation of being very laid back about their grades and school work. This reputation is completely false, students at Bard are very competitive and will do anything to get an A. The proffesors make sure no students fall behind.

Megan

I frequently will discuss classes or topics inspired by a class with my friends in our spare time. However, I would hardly say our free time is dominated by talk of school. There are some research opportunities for undergrads, but you really need to be willing to make it happen for yourself. Writing a senior project is mandatory.