Skip to main content.
Bard
  • Bard
  • Academics sub-menuAcademics
    Bard College Commencement
    • Academics
      • Programs and Divisions
      • Structure of the Curriculum
      • Courses
      • Requirements
      • Discover Bard
      • Bard Abroad
      • Academic Calendar
      • Faculty
      • Libraries
      • College Catalogue
      • Dual-Degree Programs
      • Bard Conservatory of Music
      • Other Study Opportunities
      • Graduate Programs
      • Early Colleges
  • Admission sub-menuAdmission
    • Applying
      • Apply Now
      • Financial Aid
      • Tuition + Payment
    • Discover Bard
      • Campus Tours
      • Meet Our Students + Alumni/ae
      • For Families / Familias
    • Stay in Touch
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Contact Us
  • Campus Life sub-menuCampus Life
    Bard Campus Life

    Make a home in Annandale.

    • Living on Campus
      • Housing + Dining
      • Campus Resources
      • Get Involved on Campus
      • Current Students
      • New Students
      • Visiting + Transportation
      • Athletics + Recreation
      • New Students
  • Civic Engagement sub-menuCivic Engagement
    • Bard CCE The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked.

      Take action.
      Make an impact.

      Get Involved
      • Campus + Community
      • In the Classroom
      • U.S. Network
      • International Network
      • About CCE
      • Resources
      • Support
  • Newsroom sub-menuNews + Events
    Upstreaming
    • News + Events
      • Newsroom
      • Events Calendar
      • Video Gallery
      • Press Releases
      • Office of Communications
      • COVID-19 Updates
    • Special Events
      • Commencement Weekend
      • Alumni/ae Reunion
      • Family + Alumni/ae Weekend
      • Fisher Center
      • Bard SummerScape
      • Bard Athletics
  • About Bard sub-menuAbout Bard

    A private college for the public good.

    Support Bard

    Legacy Challenge
    • About Bard College
      • Mission Statement
      • Bard History
      • Love of Learning
      • Visiting Bard
      • Employment
      • OSUN
      • Bard Abroad
      • The Bard Network
      • Montgomery Place Campus
      • Campus Tours
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Sustainability
      • Title IX and Nondiscrimination
      • HEOA Disclosures
      • Institutional Support
      • Safety and Security
      • Inside Bard
      • Alumni/ae Network
      • Family Network
      • Support Bard
      • Legacy Challenge
  • Give
  • Search
Main Image for Prospective Families

Prospective Families

Arrival Day for First-Year Students. Photo by Karl Rabe.
Admission Menu
  • Home
  • Apply
  • Campus Tours
  • Our Students
  • Financial Aid
  • Admitted Students
  • Families
  • Contact
Welcome, Families! 
We appreciate that you have an interest in your student’s college search, and so we have collected some of the most commonly requested information about Bard College. Among the information, you will find quick links to the common curriculum, student affairs, and residence life. Parent Testimonials offer the parent perspective, while FAQs provide concise answers.  
Familias (en español)

Families Menu

  • Family FAQs
  • Resources Families
  • Parent Testimonials
  • Student Stories
  • Family Network
For Families
Family Weekend in the Fall. Photo by China Jorrin '86.

For Families

As you research what Bard has to offer, we understand there will be times when it is preferable to speak directly with us. Please do not hesitate to call the Office of Admission directly—we are always delighted to make time for you!

Office of Admission: 845 758-7472

  • Contact Us

The Value of Liberal Education

Bard College President Leon Botstein in Conversation with Fareed Zakaria of CNN


Bard College president Leon Botstein and CNN's Fareed Zakaria consider the question: what is the value of a liberal arts education today? These two astute commentators on education and its role in society engage in a discussion moderated by Sam Tanenhaus, former editor of the New York Times Book Review.

Structure of the Curriculum
Bard parents attend a Citizen Science class during Family Weekend. Photo by Pete Mauney '93 MFA '00

Structure of the Curriculum


The pillars of the Bard education are:
Language and Thinking (L&T): This three-week orientation program and academic workshop is for first-year and transfer students from early to late August or for spring transfer students from mid to late January. Students arrive on campus before the start of their first semester at Bard to engage in this program grounded in writing, philosophy, literature, and critical thinking in small classes of 12-14 students. Social events are also planned for students during this time. Students are assigned a registration advisor who helps them select their courses and offer academic advising during this workshop and orientation program. 
First-Year Seminar (FYSEM): This program is required of first-year students in both their fall and spring semesters. Transfer students have the option of engaging in First-Year Seminar as well. In some cases, at least one semester of FYSEM is required for transfer students depending on how many transfer credits from a previous institution transfer with them to Bard College. This program is, in many ways, an extension of L&T in that it focuses heavily on reading and writing around intentionally selected texts and on class discussion. 
Citizen Science: This program is required for first-year and transfer students. It provides students the space to explore the sciences and their roles as citizens of the world. Several tracks are available for students to tailor the program to their interests.
Moderation: Through this process, students make the transition from the Lower College to the Upper College and establish their major in a program. Transfer students entering with the equivalent of two full years of credit (64 credits maximum) have two semesters in which to complete Moderation. Each student prepares two Moderation papers, the first assessing his or her curriculum, performance, and experience in the first two years, and the second identifying his or her goals and proposed study plan for the final two years. The student also submits a sample of work he or she has done in the program—for example, a long paper written for a course. The work is reviewed by a board of three faculty members, who evaluate the student's past performance, commitment, and preparedness in the field; make suggestions for the transition from the Lower to the Upper College
Senior Project: Preparation for the Senior Project begins in the junior year. Students consult with advisers and pursue course work, tutorials, and seminars directed toward selecting a topic, choosing the form of the project, and becoming competent in the analytical and research methods required by the topic and form. Students in some programs design a Major Conference during their junior year, which may take the form of a seminar, tutorial, studio work, or field or laboratory work. One course each semester of the student’s final year is devoted to completing the Senior Project. The student submits the completed project to a board of three professors, who conduct a Senior Project Review. Written projects are filed in the library’s archives; select papers are available at Digital Commons, a collection of scholarly work generated by the Bard community.

Learn more about the Curriculum

Connect with Us

  • Ask a Parent
    Loading...
  • Campus News

Keep Exploring

  • Campus Tours
  • Apply to Bard
  • Join Our Mailing List
  • Video Gallery
  • Bard on the Road
  • Graduate Admission
  • Early College Admission
Bard College
30 Campus Road
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
©2023 Bard College
Follow Us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
You Tube
Information For:
Prospective Students
Current Employees
Alumni/ae 
Families
Quick Links
Employment
Travel to Bard
Site Search
Support Bard