Admission

The Urban Studies program application process works on the basis of rolling admissions. Primary consideration will be given to students who apply before February 10th.

• Application for Admission (for Bard and Simon's Rock Students) [PDF]
• Application for Admission (for Non-Bard Students) [PDF]

All application information should be sent to:

Bard Urban Studies in New Orleans Program
2117 S. Lopez Street
New Orleans, LA 70125

Courses

Courses cover a breadth of urban fields, including:

• Architectural Theory and Analysis
• Community Development and Community Planning
• Cultural and Spatial Anthropology
• Public Policy
• Urban Ecology and Sustainability
• Urban Geography
• Urban Planning

Internships

Each internship will be facilitated and overseen by a mentor within the partner organization as well as a summer-semester faculty member. Internship opportunities include:

Broadmoor Improvement Association

The Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA) is one of the oldest neighborhood associations in New Orleans. Established in 1930 as the Broadmoor Civic Improvement Association to address the needs of the developing Broadmoor neighborhood, it was incorporated in 1970 as the Broadmoor Improvement Association, Inc. to stop "blockbusting" in Broadmoor, a multi-racial/multi-ethnic community. Since Katrina, the Broadmoor Improvement Association has worked to re-establish Broadmoor as a vibrant, diverse, and thriving community in the heart of New Orleans.
Link: http://www.broadmoorimprovement.com/

Central City Renaissance Alliance

The Central City Renaissance Alliance draws together outside resources and institutions with the needs of community members and community business as they rebuild the historically and culturally vibrant Central City neighborhood.

FutureProof Sustainable Design Consultancy

FutureProof is a sustainable design consultancy providing progressive and viable solutions for smart building and development. It works directly with architects, engineers, builders, developers, property owners, and neighborhood associations to integrate efficient and climate appropriate design principles into their projects.
Link: http://www.futureproofnola.com

Holy Cross Neighborhood Association

The Holy Cross Neighborhood Association advocates for resources and rebuilding in the historic Holy Cross section of the Lower 9th ward. HCNA seeks to establish Holy Cross as a model sustainable neighborhood, integrating green design and construction methods into their revitalization plans.
Link: http://www.helpholycross.org/

Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association

The Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) was established in the aftermath of Katrina to play a lead role in rebuilding New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Organized and controlled by residents of the Lower Ninth Ward, NENA addresses not only the immediate recovery needs created by the storm’s destruction, but also the institutional neglect and disinvestment that plagued the neighborhood long before Katrina. NENA works with current Lower Ninth Ward residents, displaced residents living in other parts of New Orleans, and the broader diaspora who want to return to the neighborhood.
Link: http://www.9thwardnena.org/

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans

Neighborhood Housing Services provides a range of services and programs to educate low-income New Orleanians on homebuying, homeownership, and financial literacy. Through partnerships across the city, NHS works with neighborhood associations to promote economic health and quality of life among residents.
Link: http://www.nhsnola.org

Neighborhood Partnership Network

The Neighborhood Partnership Network connects neighborhood associations and Community Development Corporations with information, resources, and opportunities for collaborative recovery initiatives.
Link: http://www.npnnola.org

Offices of City Government, New Orleans

Internships are available with a range of city governmental offices, including the Office of Recovery and Development Administration, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, and the New Orleans City Council.
Link: http://www.cityofno.com

Preservation Resource Center: Operation Comeback

The Preservation Resource Center's Operation Comeback promotes the purchase and renovation of vacant historic properties. Started in 1987 as a focused effort to revitalize the Lower Garden District, Operation Comeback expanded rapidly and now works with dozens of neighborhood associations and community development corporations citywide to revitalize New Orleans. By acquiring and repairing blighted and adjudicated properties sitting vacant, Operation Comeback also provides homes for first-time buyers, returns property to commerce, removes health hazards which decrease quality of life and helps catalyze the rebirth of New Orleans' historic neighborhoods.

Preservation Resource Center: Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together is a neighborhood revitalization program that brings together volunteers and skilled trades people to renovate and repair the homes of low-income elderly and/or disabled homeowners in neighborhoods throughout the city. Supported by grants from the City of New Orleans' Division of Housing and Development, the PRC's Rebuilding Together is a local affiliate of Rebuilding Together based in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to the Rebuilding Together program, low-income senior and/or disabled homeowners have their homes repaired at no cost. These joint efforts of neighborhood associations and volunteers stabilize the community, give those who care an opportunity to stand up for our city, improve the quality of life for our citizens, and help preserve the ethnic and economic diversity vital to New Orleans' character.
Link: http://prcno.org/programs/rebuildingtogether/

Faculty & Guests have included:

Costs

Tuition: $7,056
Room and Board: $1,600
Total: $8,656

Bard Urban Studies offers generous Urban Studies Awards, competitive awards based on merit and need, to students seeking financial aid. These awards cover a portion of the program tuition. Students must apply for an Urban Studies Award when they submit their application to the program. Undergraduate students are encouraged to check with their host college to see if the financial aid they are receiving will transfer to cover the cost of the program.

For more information, contact: Bard New Orleans Initiative, neworleans@bard.edu, 504-940-4214