MS + MAT
(c) Don Hamerman
The Bard Center for Environmental Policy (CEP) offers a dual degree with Bard’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program for motivated students seeking both advanced knowledge in environmental policy and professional certification in secondary education. Applicants must apply to, and be accepted by, both the CEP and the MAT Programs. Dual degree students can pursue a two-year or three-year option to earn an M.S. in either environmental policy or climate science and policy, and teacher training in English, math, biology, or history.
Two Years—Two Masters Degrees
To complete the dual degree in two years, students start at CEP taking the first year of coursework in either environmental policy or climate science and policy, qualifying them to earn a professional certificate. Students then enroll in the one-year M.A.T. program and complete the intensive, 12-month teacher-training program. In order to earn their M.S. degree, students must take the Master’s Thesis Seminar and Capstone Seminar during the spring of their second year, while enrolled full time for the M.A.T., and complete a thesis, which is done during an additional summer semester at Bard. Faculty from both programs serve as advisors for the thesis.
Three Years—Two Masters Degrees
To complete the dual degree in three years, students begin with the first-year CEP curriculum, qualifying them to earn a professional certificate in environmental policy or in climate science and policy. Students then enroll in the two-year M.A.T. program and complete the 24-month teacher-training program in their chosen discipline. In order to earn their M.S. degree, students begin writing their master’s thesis during the spring of their second year (their first year at M.A.T.), in conjunction with the M.A.T. academic research project. In addition to the thesis, students must complete the Master’s Thesis Seminar and Capstone Seminar.
Cutting-Edge Environmental Degree Programs
Dual-degree students enroll in one of Bard CEP’s innovative degree programs; the first year of each degree is explained below. Following the first year, students then pursue the M.A.T. Program, either part time or full time. The final requirements for the M.S. degree include completion of a master’s thesis, the Master’s Thesis Seminar, and the Capstone Seminar.
M.S. in Environmental Policy
First-year courses link natural ecosystems and their functioning to the impact of socioeconomic activities, and to the political, institutional, and legislative processes that address environmental problems. Emphasizing analytical frameworks and basic principles through examples and case studies, the courses follow a modular structure, allowing for in-depth interdisciplinary study on nine major themes: Air and Atmosphere; Water and Fisheries; Land, Forests, and Soil; Biological Diversity; Energy; Agriculture; Urban Systems; Industrial Ecology; and Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health.
M.S. in Climate Science and Policy
First-year courses focus on the interplay between climate science and solutions. The program trains future policy leaders to guide critical greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation efforts, working in business, government, and NGOs. Students develop specific expertise in the development and deployment to scale of clean energy technologies, and in the interaction of ecosystems, agriculture, and climate. Joint class sessions, field trips, guest lectures, and conferences expose students to the critical issues and practices of climate change science and current policy issues. Policy experts and natural and social scientists have designed the curriculum for students to gain the sophisticated graduate-level training in policy solutions demanded by employers today.
Bard M.A.T. Changes Education
Bard College has a national reputation as a liberal arts college that emphasizes the best kinds of teaching. The M.A.T. Program reflects this reputation: it fosters scholarship, intelligence, and creativity, qualities that are the hallmark of fine teachers. All programs of study include 63 credits of integrated course work, student teaching, and independent research in the field of education and in the discipline. Upon satisfactory completion of these programs, M.A.T. graduates receive a master of arts in teaching degree and a New York State Initial Certificate in Adolescent Education (grades 7-12) within the elective discipline of English, math, biology, or history.
The M.A.T. Program’s core education courses provide the basis for thinking about teaching and learning, in the contexts of theo-ry, history, research, and practices related to cognition, motiva-tion, literacy acquisition, the social/cultural dynamics of the classroom, the role of identity in learning, curriculum/instructional design, and policy and educational change. Integrating knowledge gained from these courses with the chal-lenges of learning in the academic discipline to develop an effec-tive understanding of classroom teaching is the goal of study, experiences in the classroom, and ongoing reflection. Visit the Bard MAT website to learn more.
Pioneering Curriculum Design
The Bard CEP curriculum integrates the core disciplines of science, policy, law, and economics into a cohesive and compre-hensive first year of graduate course work. Through close collaboration with faculty and an innovative program of study, students learn to think across disciplines to understand the com-plexities of today’s environmental problems and challenges.
First-year courses delve simultaneously into curricular themes to provide students with a deep understanding of the issues from multiple perspectives and at the same time highlight linkages and divisions that exist across disciplines. This holistic approach to learning illuminates integral connections between the social world and the physical sciences, and encourages students to incorporate various perspectives and ideologies into their work.
The master’s thesis is the student’s chance to specialize and to create an original body of work, often linked to some aspect of the teacher training experience, with practical applications to environmental policy. Bard CEP theses reflect the multifaceted nature of environmental issues while integrating aspects of the natural and social sciences, and humanities in the policy-making process. The student is expected to pursue a topic intensively, drawing on and integrating knowledge from course work and internship, and demonstrate skill in developing and conveying recommended policies and action on a particular issue or problem.
Learning from the Best Faculty
The Bard CEP faculty consists of a distinguished core of full-time and affiliated members who are eminent experts and researchers in diverse fields relating to environmental and climate policy and current practices. The high ratio of faculty to students allows for close rapport and individualized guidance.
Join an Exceptional Student Cohort
Our students come from a variety of academic disciplines, and they bring to Bard a passion about their role as future leaders. Although each class is diverse in both background and interests, all students share a common purpose—to understand the complexity of environmental problems, and work towards finding viable and sustainable solutions to tomorrow’s environmental challenges.
M.S. in Environmental Policy
First-year courses link natural ecosystems and their functioning to the impact of socioeconomic activities, and to the political, institutional, and legislative processes that address environmental problems. Emphasizing analytical frameworks and basic principles through examples and case studies, the courses follow a modular structure, allowing for in-depth interdisciplinary study on nine major themes: Air and Atmosphere; Water and Fisheries; Land, Forests, and Soil; Biological Diversity; Energy; Agriculture; Urban Systems; Industrial Ecology; and Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health.
M.S. in Climate Science and Policy
First-year courses focus on the interplay between climate science and solutions. The program trains future policy leaders to guide critical greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation efforts, working in business, government, and NGOs. Students develop specific expertise in the development and deployment to scale of clean energy technologies, and in the interaction of ecosystems, agriculture, and climate. Joint class sessions, field trips, guest lectures, and conferences expose students to the critical issues and practices of climate change science and current policy issues. Policy experts and natural and social scientists have designed the curriculum for students to gain the sophisticated graduate-level training in policy solutions demanded by employers today.
Bard M.A.T. Changes Education
Bard College has a national reputation as a liberal arts college that emphasizes the best kinds of teaching. The M.A.T. Program reflects this reputation: it fosters scholarship, intelligence, and creativity, qualities that are the hallmark of fine teachers. All programs of study include 63 credits of integrated course work, student teaching, and independent research in the field of education and in the discipline. Upon satisfactory completion of these programs, M.A.T. graduates receive a master of arts in teaching degree and a New York State Initial Certificate in Adolescent Education (grades 7-12) within the elective discipline of English, math, biology, or history.
The M.A.T. Program’s core education courses provide the basis for thinking about teaching and learning, in the contexts of theo-ry, history, research, and practices related to cognition, motiva-tion, literacy acquisition, the social/cultural dynamics of the classroom, the role of identity in learning, curriculum/instructional design, and policy and educational change. Integrating knowledge gained from these courses with the chal-lenges of learning in the academic discipline to develop an effec-tive understanding of classroom teaching is the goal of study, experiences in the classroom, and ongoing reflection. Visit the Bard MAT website to learn more.
Pioneering Curriculum Design
The Bard CEP curriculum integrates the core disciplines of science, policy, law, and economics into a cohesive and compre-hensive first year of graduate course work. Through close collaboration with faculty and an innovative program of study, students learn to think across disciplines to understand the com-plexities of today’s environmental problems and challenges.
First-year courses delve simultaneously into curricular themes to provide students with a deep understanding of the issues from multiple perspectives and at the same time highlight linkages and divisions that exist across disciplines. This holistic approach to learning illuminates integral connections between the social world and the physical sciences, and encourages students to incorporate various perspectives and ideologies into their work.
The master’s thesis is the student’s chance to specialize and to create an original body of work, often linked to some aspect of the teacher training experience, with practical applications to environmental policy. Bard CEP theses reflect the multifaceted nature of environmental issues while integrating aspects of the natural and social sciences, and humanities in the policy-making process. The student is expected to pursue a topic intensively, drawing on and integrating knowledge from course work and internship, and demonstrate skill in developing and conveying recommended policies and action on a particular issue or problem.
Learning from the Best Faculty
The Bard CEP faculty consists of a distinguished core of full-time and affiliated members who are eminent experts and researchers in diverse fields relating to environmental and climate policy and current practices. The high ratio of faculty to students allows for close rapport and individualized guidance.
Join an Exceptional Student Cohort
Our students come from a variety of academic disciplines, and they bring to Bard a passion about their role as future leaders. Although each class is diverse in both background and interests, all students share a common purpose—to understand the complexity of environmental problems, and work towards finding viable and sustainable solutions to tomorrow’s environmental challenges.
