Degree Programs

MA Program

Tuition for 2009–2010 is $1,042 per credit. A student enrolled full-time in the MA program normally takes 27 credits in the first year (including the August Orientation Session, fall term, spring term, and Internship) and 21 credits in the second year (fall and spring terms). The number of credits for part-time students varies according to their schedules; however, part-time students must enroll for a minimum of 6 credits each fall and spring term. Tuition and fees for a typical program of study for a full-time MA program student entering in the fall of 2009 are as follows.*

* Based on 2009–2010 rates. Subject to change. Fees are subject to change. For updates consult with the Academic Programs Office.
** Credited in the fall term.
*** Health insurance fees are accurate at time of printing and subject to change.

BGC students who complete course work and who have not yet submitted a thesis are billed a $110 maintenance-of-status fee in the fall each year until the thesis is submitted.

PhD Program (27 Credits required)

For those students required to complete 27 credits:
Tuition for 2009–2010 is $30,768 for the first year of course work. In the third year of the program, and upon completion of qualifying exams, the student must register for the Doctoral Dissertation, for 3 credits. Tuition for the third year of study is $2,284. Upon successful completion of the qualifying exams, the student is billed $1,000 per year for maintenance of status in each subsequent year, until the dissertation is presented and defended.
Tuition and fees for a typical program of study for a full-time PhD student entering in the fall of 2009 are as follows.*

* Based on 2009–2010 rates. Subject to change in subsequent years.
** Credited in the fall term.
*** Health insurance fees are accurate at time of printing and subject to change.
**** It is expected that the dissertation will be completed and defended by the end of the student’s tenth year in the program.

PhD Program (45 Credits required)

For those students required to complete 45 credits toward the PhD, the following fees apply:
Tuition for 2009–2010 is $30,768 for the first year of course work. Tuition for the second year of course work is $23,076. In the fourth year of the program, and upon completion of qualifying exams, the student must register for the Dissertation Seminar and Doctoral Dissertation, for 3 credits. Tuition for the fourth year of study is $2,284. Upon successful completion of the qualify­ing exams, the student is billed $1,000 per year for maintenance of status in each subsequent year, until the dissertation is presented and defended.
Tuition and fees for a typical program of study for a full-time PhD student entering in the fall of 2009 are as follows.*

* Based on 2009–2010 rates. Subject to change.
** Credited in the fall term.
*** Health insurance fees are accurate at time of printing and subject to change.
**** It is expected that the dissertation will be completed and defended by the end of the student’s tenth year in the program.

Billing

Students are billed twice each year, in July and December. Account statements are mailed approximately 20 days before each scheduled payment-due date and cover tuition and fees for the terms as shown in the tuition and fees table. Statements show financial aid awards (including fellowships, scholarships, and Federal Stafford Loan applications on file) as credits on the accounts. All balances are due by the date shown on the statement; all payments must be received by that date to avoid finance charges. It is the responsibility of the student to contest any charges that may be in error and to pay the finance charges that accrue if the charges are not contested. Bard College policy prohibits the use of any current-year financial aid for payment of past-due balances from the previous year. Unpaid balances will be subject to a finance charge of 1 percent per month (12 percent per annum). A student who has an outstanding indebtedness to the Bard Graduate Center will not be allowed to register or reregister, receive a transcript of record or certification of academic credits, or be granted a degree. All students entering a degree program of the Bard Graduate Center are required to sign the Retail Credit Disclosure Agreement, which includes the initial disclosure statement for open-end credit accounts, as required under the federal Truth in Lending law.

Refunds

No refunds of any fees will be made in the event that a student withdraws from the program at any time after registration, except as herein specified. The tuition deposit, registration and library fee, and health insurance enrollment fee are not refunded under any circumstances. In all cases, the student must submit an official request for withdrawal. The date of submission of such a request is considered the date of withdrawal from the program. Refunds are calculated from the date of withdrawal, as specified below. The first day of classes for master’s program students is established as the first day of the August Orientation Session, and for doctoral students it is established as the first day of the Fall Term. Students who withdraw from the program before the first day of the fall or spring term will receive a full refund, less all nonrefundable charges. If the date of official withdrawal from the program occurs after the first day of classes in a term, tuition is refunded as follows. For the fall and spring terms, if the withdrawal occurs within the first week of classes, 80 percent of the tuition will be refunded; within the second week, 60 percent of the tuition will be refunded; within the third or fourth week, 30 percent of the tuition will be refunded; after four weeks, no refund will be given. As noted previously, the tuition deposit, registration and library fee, and health insurance enrollment fee are nonrefundable. Students withdrawing from the Bard Travel Program once ticketing has occurred are responsible for any costs that cannot be cancelled. Amounts refunded to financial-aid recipients who withdraw from the program will be affected by a reduction in the amount of the grant; any institutional grant, scholarship, or fellowship will be reduced by the same percentage as indicated in the tuition refund schedule above. Federal student aid will be adjusted according to a formula prescribed by federal regulations. A student who is considering withdrawal may wish to confer with the Office of Student Accounts and the Office of Financial Aid at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, about any anticipated refund and the amount of any Federal Stafford Loans that the College must return to the lender, since this amount will have a direct bearing on the amount of refund, if any, that the College will provide the student. In the event that a full-time student is dismissed from the MA program on academic grounds after the August Orientation Session, a partial refund will be made. That refund will be calculated by subtracting the following items from the total of tuition and fees originally due for the fall term: tuition deposit, registration and library fee, field-trip fee, health insurance enrollment fee, prorated cost of tuition for the courses taken in the August Orientation Session, and the reduction of institutional grant monies corresponding to the amount of tuition to be refunded. No refund of tuition and fees is made in cases of suspension or expulsion. Doctoral students should consult with the Bard College Office of Financial Aid about eligibility for loan deferments for the second or third year. A student who is not eligible for a deferment may have to repay loans following federal guidelines.

Medical Records

All students born after January 1, 1957, must demonstrate immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella, prior to matriculation in the program.

Health Insurance

The BGC requires all full-time students to carry health insurance. The Basic Student Accident and Health Insurance Plan offered through Bard College is mandatory. This plan is designed to supplement other health insurance that students may carry. The estimates of insurance charges vary depending on the insurance coverage level chosen. If this plan provides a student’s only health insurance, the BGC strongly recommends the purchase of additional major-medical coverage. Maximum plan benefits of $25,000 and $50,000 may be purchased. An application form and a brochure outlining health insurance options may be obtained from the BGC Academic Programs Office. Costs quoted for health insurance fees are accurate at time of printing and are subject to change as set forth by the insurance provider.