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Division of Languages and Literature

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The Division of Languages and Literature offers majors in the areas of literature; written arts; and foreign languages, cultures, and literatures. All students in the division are encouraged to study languages other than English; foreign language instruction currently offered includes Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and ancient Greek and Latin. Interdisciplinary majors are also offered in Asian studies, classical studies, French studies, German studies, Italian studies, Middle Eastern studies, Russian and Eurasian studies, and Spanish studies (see Interdivisional Programs and Concentrations).
Our Programs
Photo by Sarah Wallock '19

Our Programs

The Division of Languages and Literature includes the following academic programs:

Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures
Literature
Written Arts

Matthew Mutter, Division Chair; Associate Professor of Literature

Coursework and Requirements

Bard students who make the study of literature the central focus of their work explore specific periods (such as medieval or Renaissance Europe), relations among national literatures (in forms such as lyric poetry or the novel), or literature within the context of culture, history, or literary theory. The Literature Program also invites interdisciplinary exploration in contexts such as experimental humanities, gender and sexuality, Victorian studies, or Irish and Celtic studies. Comparative studies of literature, other arts, and theories of literature are a regular part of course offerings.

Students in the Written Arts Program take workshops and tutorials in prose fiction or poetry and study a foreign language, in addition to completing the same course requirements as literature majors. Those who choose foreign languages can explore a range of interests and develop courses of study that bring together work in culture, history, and other fields.

Seniors must summon up imagination, knowledge, discipline, and independence for the Senior Project. Over the years, students have done translations of poetry and fiction; critical studies of traditional and contemporary literary figures and genres; and original work in critical theory. Many Senior Projects break new ground. With faculty permission, Senior Projects may take the form of a novel, poem sequence, play, or collection of short stories.

Coursework and Requirements

Several special interdisciplinary initiatives offer series of courses that are clustered thematically. Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) courses critically analyze systems of racial hierarchy and power from multiple disciplinary perspectives; Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences (ELAS) courses link academic work with civic engagement; Courage to Be seminars address the practice of courageous action in the 21st century; Hate Studies Initiative (HSI) courses examine the human capacity to define and dehumanize an “other”; Calderwood Seminars help Upper College students think about translating discipline-specific writing to a general audience; and OSUN online and collaborative courses are taught by faculty at Bard and at partner institutions throughout the world and enroll students from across the Bard Network. Other course clusters include the Thinking Animals Initiative (TAI), Migration Initiative, Asian Diasporic Initiative, and Disability and Accessibility Studies Initiative (DASI).

Discover More

Bard Translation andTranslatability Initiative

Bard Translation and
Translatability Initiative

BTTI encourages curricular initiatives that promote translation, particularly from a multicultural or multidisciplinary perspective, and aims to bring together scholars, teachers, writers, and artists from the United States and other countries. BTTI also works with Bard faculty members to elicit new interdisciplinary insights, develop new curricula, strengthen communication, and stimulate experimentation among the College’s four divisions and across its network of international liberal arts and graduate studies programs. Among other events throughout the academic year, BTTI hosts an annual translation symposium at Bard.

BTTI Website

Featured News

Bard College Professor Jenny Xie Awarded a 2023 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in Literature
Assistant Professor of Written Arts and National Book Award finalist Jenny Xie has been selected as a 2023 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow in literature. Xie received one of 54 fellowships awarded to early-career artists based in Minnesota and New York City. Xie will receive $50,000 over two years ($25,000 per year) in direct support to create new work, advance artistic goals, and/or promote professional development. “I strive to create work that demonstrates the vital force unassimilated language can have, of the power and charge that can pulse through words when they behave differently, against rules and convention, and against forces that collude to render language more utilitarian, more homogenous, and free of nuance and rich complexity,” she writes. More >

Recent News

  • Bard College Professor Jenny Xie Awarded a 2023 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in Literature
  • Works by Bard Faculty Featured in Best of 2022 Lists
  • To Hell and Back: Professor Joseph Luzzi’s New Book Traces the History of Botticelli’s Unfinished Illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy
  • Professor Valeria Luiselli to Be Honored at 92NY’s Seventh Annual Extraordinary Women Awards
View All News >>

Upcoming Events

  • 3/20
    Monday

    Russian Table
  • 3/20
    Monday

    German Table
  • 3/21
    Tuesday

    Spanish Table
  • 3/21
    Tuesday

    Japanese Table
View All Events >>
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