The Center offers qualified undergraduate students a 3+2 option that allows them to receive an M.S. in environmental policy or climate science and policy in an accelerated period of time. Bard CEP offers two 3+2 programs: one for Bard undergraduate students and one for qualified sophomores nationwide.
About the Program
Students begin either the EP or CSP program (see below for descriptions) which includes a year of interdisciplinary coursework in economics, science, policy, and law. The second year includes a full-time professional internship, leadership courses, and master's thesis. The program is designed to enhance students’ learning and provide vital preparation for environmental decision making. Students are equipped to understand complex environmental problems, enabling in-depth analysis and problem solving in the scientific, political, and economic arenas.
Bard College undergraduates may proceed directly from three years of undergraduate study at Bard to one of the two-year master’s degree programs outlined below. Interested Bard students should apply in their junior year. Completion of Bard distribution requirements, successful moderation into a program of study, and approval from their undergraduate advisor is required to qualify. Interested students should inquire as soon as possible to ensure they meet all requirements.
Accepted students spend two years at Bard completing the master’s degree. The master’s thesis serves as the student’s senior project with an undergraduate advisor serving as the second reader. Graduates of the program receive a B.A. and an M.S. from Bard in five years.
Junior Year at Bard
The Bard Center for Environmental Policy invites highly qualified sophomores from institutions across the nation to apply for admission to the 3+2 Program. Students spend their junior year at Bard taking interdisciplinary master’s coursework from one of the degree programs outlined below. Students then return to their home institution, and complete their B.A. or B.S. degree. In the fifth year, students embark on the extended professional internship and return in the spring to finish their masters at Bard. Applicants must consult with their home institution to determine transfer credits for Bard graduate classes, both for counting towards graduation and towards a major or minor.