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The Bard Center for Environmental Policy was created in 1999 to promote education, research, and public service on critical issues pertaining to the natural and built environments. Its primary goal is to improve environmental policies by facilitating the use of the best available scientific knowledge in the policy-making process at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The Center's premise is that to address environmental problems and pursue sustainable use of natural resources, scientists, economists, lawyers, ethicists, and policy makers must understand one another's perspectives and values, and communicate effectively with the general public.
At the core of the Center is an innovative graduate program leading to either the Master of Science degree in environmental policy or a professional certificate in environmental policy. The emphasis on science-based policy enables students to progress from knowledge of the issues to the formulation of feasible, effective policy responses. The program's unique combination of interdisciplinary modular study, a full-time internship, and intense thesis research allows students to delve deeply into individual areas of interest.
One cohort of approximately 20 students matriculates each year, which leads to a close rapport between students and faculty members. The intensive, campus-based first-year curriculum requires students to synthesize information from a range of disciplines and sources. The value of this approach has been recognized through established partnerships with Pace Law School, the Bard Master of Arts in Teaching program, and the Peace Corps.
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