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What Makes Us Unique

What Makes Us Unique

Innovative thematic curriculum
Extended internships through various professional institutions
Close mentorships between students and faculty
Joint-degree programs
High placement rate graduates into chosen careers
Location in the rural, yet culturally rich Hudson Valley

Thematic Curriculum

Our interdisciplinary approach to curriculum involves more than requiring students to take classes in different disciplines during a period of study. We believe that in order for students to gain the full benefit of seeing issues from an integrated perspective, classes must all concurrently address the same environmental themes. Faculty from the disciplines of science, law, policy, and economics meet regularly to coordinate their syllabi and plan integrated approaches to specific issues. The curriculum enables students to examine one particular environmental area at a time in a comprehensive and realistic manner.

For example, when studying biodiversity, students examine ecosystem health and effects of habitat fragmentation on biological diversity in the Environmental Science class; valuation techniques for species and ecosystems in Natural Resource Economics; and legal regimes for species protection and habitat restoration in Environmental Law and Policy.

4-6 Month Internship

In many schools that require an internship, those internships last only 2-3 months. We feel that 4-6 month internship allows students to really integrate themselves within an organization and understand how it works, furthering the likelihood that they will acquire real ownership of a project. Often these projects form the nucleus of a student's Master's thesis. Longer time spent in the professional world also allows students to make contacts and start building their network.

Intimate Program

Small class sizes empower students to contribute, substantially, to each and every discussion. Moreover, the intimacy of the program allows students to develop close working and advising relationships with their instructors. Professors at Bard CEP are extremely accessible, and they consider themselves mentors, not just teachers. The intimacy of the program allows them to respond quickly to the needs and concerns of their students. "The access to professors has been the greatest aspect of this program by far," says Keith McHugh, MS '12 candidate.

Students move through their first-year classes as a tightly knit group. Their friendships, forged in the crucible of intense first-year coursework, are a source of tremendous support during the school year. The genuine community that develops is often much harder to obtain on a large university campus. As students graduate, these friendships burgeon into professional relationships, helping to create a strong alumni network.

Video: Matthew Guenther '10 on Small Schools

High Placement of Graduates

Bard CEP graduates are prepared to enter a wide variety of professional careers in government, NGOs, private corporations, and development, advocacy and conservation organizations. The curricula, the extended internship, and the graduate thesis come together to give our students the knowledge and the practical experience to gain meaningful jobs in their chosen arena -- the majority of students graduate from Bard CEP already employed.

See our success stories and alumni profiles. | Video: Christie Ferguson '08 on employment after Bard CEP

Location

Situated on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, with majestic views of the Catskill Mountains, Bard College is an ideal location from which to explore the abundant natural and cultural offerings of the Hudson Valley. Bard College's 540-acre campus in the Hudson Valley is conveniently located 100 miles north of New York City. The campus borders Tivoli Bays, a 1,700-acre tidal marsh that is part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, a New York State Wildlife Management Area. Bard CEP also maintains a close partnership with the Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies in nearby Millbrook, an internationally known research facility.

Read More | Video: Matthew Guenther '10 on Bard Campus Location

Joint-Degree Programs

Bard CEP's M.S./J.D. program with Pace Law School is a chance for students to study environmental law in a university program that has repeatedly achieved national acclaim for its academics, clinics, and centers. Read More

Qualified candidates have the unique opportunity to incorporate the internationally focused, hands-on experience of Peace Corps service into the Bard CEP Master's degree program. Read More

Students interested in both environmental policy and public school teaching can earn an M.S. from Bard CEP and an M.A.T. degree from Bard's Master of Arts in Teaching Program. Read More | Video: Christie Ferguson '08 on M.S./M.A.T.

In the 3+2 program, highly qualified undergraduate students enter Bard CEP before they complete their college degree, enabling them to earn both their bachelor's and master's degrees in five short years. Read More