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The Bard College Catalogue contains detailed descriptions of the College's
undergraduate programs and courses, curriculum, admission and financial aid
procedures, student activities and services, history, campus facilities, affiliated institutions
including graduate programs, and faculty and administration.
Bard College Catalogue 2009-2010
2009-2010
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Bard College Catalogue 2009-2010
2009-2010
Professional Education
In Bard’s view, the liberal arts curriculum provides the best preparation for a professional education, which is usually acquired in postgraduate study. Most graduate and professional schools know that an enhanced command of language and capacity to reason developed in the undergraduate years increases the student’s level of achievement in postgraduate work. Certain programs at Bard, such as those described below, combine professional education with the undergraduate curriculum. Several early admission and combined study plans are available to Bard students who qualify to pursue particular professional careers. The combined plans allow Bard to focus attention and resources on the basic science and liberal arts education and the associated schools in specialized areas.
Prelaw Undergraduate Program
Admission to law school is governed by the student’s college record, including the grade point average and letters of recommendation. The most important factor, however, is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). No standard prescribed curriculum of undergraduate study specifically prepares students for a law career or is required by law schools, although most consider a broad liberal arts program desirable. For further information, contact the Career Development Office or the prelaw adviser, Roger Berkowitz. Students can subscribe to the PreLaw Listserv by composing an e-mail message addressed to majordomo@bard.edu. The body of the message is the following two lines: “subscribe bard prelaw” and “end.”
Premedical Undergraduate ProgramAdmission to medical school is governed by several factors: the college record, results of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), recommendations, and an interview. Most important, however, is the grade point average. Students accepted to medical schools in recent years had a nationwide average GPA of 3.5 to 3.6. Early preparation and planning are important in order to do well on the MCAT and to fulfill health professional school requirements. Minimum requirements are introductory chemistry, organic chemistry, and one year each of physics, mathematics, biology, and English. Early in their academic careers, interested students should discuss their plans with the health professions adviser, John Ferguson.
Professional Options: Joint Professional Degree ProgramsThe professional option allows exceptionally qualified students to combine undergraduate study at Bard with graduate or professional work in an approved participating program and, through the option, to qualify for a Bard B.A. degree and a degree from the other program. Students wishing to apply for admission to a joint professional degree program must first obtain a faculty recommendation from the division in which they are majoring. Those accepted into a participating program complete three or four years of study at Bard (according to the terms of the program) and then do further work at the other institution. To qualify for the Bard B.A., students must successfully complete their distribution requirements at Bard and the degree requirements of the other institution; students who are not at Bard for their senior year are exempt from the Senior Project.
Engineering In affiliation with the Schools of Engineering at Columbia University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Dartmouth College, Bard offers programs of study leading to degrees in engineering. Under the 3-2 program, a student transfers to the school of engineering at the end of the junior year at Bard and, upon completing that two-year program, qualifies for both a B.A. degree from Bard and a B.S. degree in engineering from the other school. A Senior Project is not required for either of these programs. Under the alternative 2-1-1-1 program at Dartmouth (two years at Bard, then one at Dartmouth, one at Bard, and one at Dartmouth), the student spends the senior year at Bard, and therefore does a Senior Project. There are two 4-2 programs: the student completes the entire four-year program at Bard and after two years at the other school qualifies for the Bard B.A. and either B.S. or M.S. degrees. Admission to any of these programs is contingent on fulfillment of Bard major and distribution requirements; the course prerequisites for each engineering program; achievement of a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, both overall and in the sciences; and recommendation of two Bard faculty members and the Bard faculty liaison, Professor Rebecca Thomas, with whom interested students should consult early in their Bard careers.
Environmental Policy The Bard Center for Environmental Policy (BCEP) offers one- and two-year programs leading to a master of science degree or a professional certificate. The Center offers qualified Bard undergraduates a 3-2 option that allows them to proceed directly from three years of undergraduate study at Bard to the two-year master’s degree program. The graduate program includes a full-time professional internship designed to facilitate entry into the job market. Graduates of the 3-2 program receive both the B.A. and M.S. degrees. Interested students should consult with program advisers and BCEP.
Forestry and Environmental Studies Another option for Bard students is the 3-2 program with Duke University’s master’s programs in forestry and environmental management. To plan appropriate course work for the program, interested students should consult with Professor William Maple of the Biology Program early in their Bard careers.
Teaching The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Preparation Program offers Bard undergraduates a five-year combined program leading to the bachelor of arts and master of arts in teaching degrees. Bard students who wish to enter the program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree through a preferred admissions process should notify their advisers by November 1 of the sophomore year. To plan appropriate course work, students should contact Cecilia Maple at the MAT office.
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