Complete and most recent academic policies and standards of
student conduct are published separately, in the Bard Graduate
Center’s Student
Handbook, available from the Office of Academic
Programs. This handbook is distributed and reviewed at August
orientation.
Course Load
Full-time students in the master of arts program are expected
to complete their course work in five semesters over two years.
During the first year, full-time students take 27 credits:
the August Orientation Session (noncredit), 12 credits in
both the fall and spring semesters, and 3 Bard Term credits,
which may be earned through participation in either the study
travel program (3 credits) or a summer internship (3 credits).
During the second year, fulltime students take a total of
21 credits, 12 in fall and 9 in the spring. Part-time students
take a minimum of 6 credits during each fall and spring term.
Full-time first-year doctoral students entering with an
M.A. in the decorative arts complete eight courses (four
per semester) including, in the first semester, the seminar
Issues in the History of Design and the Decorative Arts.
By the beginning of the second year, students will have
chosen three fields—one major and two minor—for
the qualifying examinations. By the end of the second year,
students will have taken and passed the qualifying examinations
and, by the end of the third, will have had a dissertation
proposal accepted. Preparation for writing the dissertation
proposal includes participation in the noncredit Seminar
on Dissertation Topic. After passing the qualifying examinations
and before completing the dissertation, students may be
able to gain teaching experience as teaching assistants
for BGC courses. It is expected that the dissertation will
be completed and defended by the end of the student’s
fifth year in the program. Note: Part-time students will
follow a more protracted schedule.
Full-time first-year doctoral students entering with an
M.A. from other institutions or from other fields complete
eight courses (four per semester) including, in the first
semester, the seminar Issues in the History of Design and
the Decorative Arts. In the second year, students complete
six courses (three per semester). By the beginning of the
third year, students will have chosen three fields—one
major and two minor—for the qualifying examinations.
By the end of the third year, students will have taken and
passed the qualifying examinations and, by the end of the
fourth, will have had a dissertation proposal accepted.
Preparation for writing the dissertation proposal includes
participation in the noncredit Seminar on Dissertation Topic.
Doctoral students from other fields may be required to take
Survey of the Decorative Arts in their first year.
Course Requirements
Course requirements may include presentations, term papers,
and midterm and final examinations. Students must demonstrate
an ability to conduct research on a scholarly level and
to write in accordance with the highest academic standards.
Full-time master of arts students are required to pass a
language exam by April 15 of the academic year in which
they entered the program. Students may not propose a thesis
topic until the language proficiency requirement is fulfilled.
Part-time students have one additional year to satisfy the
language requirement.
Transfer Credits
The Graduate Committee is the final authority on the acceptance
of credits from other graduate programs. Only courses in
which the student has received a grade of B or higher are
considered.
Students are responsible for having appropriate transcripts
forwarded to the Academic Programs Office. A maximum of
12 credits from other institutions may be applied toward
the master of arts degree of 48 credits, and a maximum of
30 credits toward the total of 75 credits required for the
doctoral degree. Courses may not be transferred prior to
a student’s enrollment in the program. Course Registration
Students register for courses after meeting with an adviser,
in spring for the fall session, and in late fall for the
spring term. In addition, there is a late registration,
drop/add period at the beginning of each term. Students
should consult the calendar for all deadlines for refunds.
Incoming students receive a mailing from the Academic Programs
Office in the late spring with details about the registration
process.
Course Registration
Students register for courses after meeting with an adviser,
in spring for the fall session, and in late fall for the
spring term. In addition, there is a late registration,
drop/add period at the beginning of each term. Students
should consult the calendar for all deadlines for refunds.
Incoming students receive a mailing from the Academic Programs
Office in the late spring with details about the registration
process.
Drop/Add and Course Withdrawal
A student may drop or add a course during the first week
of a term without financial penalty, except in the case
of Bard Term (see “Refunds”). In the case of
a course withdrawal after the drop/add period ends, the
course will appear on the student’s transcript with
the designation W. The drop/add and withdrawal deadlines
for each term are listed in the Academic Calendar. Students
may not drop a course that they are failing at the mid-term.
Grading
Letter grades are issued according to the system below.
A plus (+) or minus (–) sign added to a letter grade indicates
a numerical grade approximately 0.3 higher or lower than
the numerical value of the letter. The grades A+, D+, and
D– do not exist.Written evaluations by instructors may be
issued to supplement letter grades.
A = 4.0, excellent
B = 3.0, good
C = 2.0, passing
D = 1.0, lowest passing
F = 0.0, failing
Letter grades are issued according to the system below. A plus (+)
or minus (–) sign added to a letter grade indicates
a numerical grade approximately 0.3 higher or lower than
the numerical value of the letter. The grades A+, D+, and
D– do not exist. Written evaluations by instructors
may be issued to supplement letter grades.
The Master’s Thesis Seminar, Master’s Thesis,
Doctoral Dissertation, Seminar on Dissertation Topic, Independent
Study, and Internships are graded pass/fail. Letter grades
are issued for all other courses. A matriculated student
may register to audit a course with the consent of the instructor.
A successfully audited course will appear on the student’s
transcript with the designation R.
Academic Standing
Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain
in good academic standing. A student whose grade point average
falls below 3.0 is placed on academic probation. Students
not in good standing are not eligible for financial aid,
for the Bard Travel Program, or for travel grants. A student whose
grade point average falls below 3.0 in two successive terms
will be dismissed from the program.
Leave of Absence and Withdrawal from
the Program
Students in good academic standing who wish to take a leave
of absence or withdraw from the program must submit a written
request. A maintenance-of-status fee of $110 per year is
charged to students on academic leave. Students on leave
who do not return to the program within one academic year
are considered to have withdrawn and must apply for rematriculation.
Students who receive loan monies are subject to federal
guidelines governing the length of time allowed for approved
leaves of absence, and should consult with the Bard College
Office of Financial Aid about how a leave may affect loan
repayment.
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