Admission and Finances

Applying to CCS Bard

Applicants for admission must hold an A.B., B.A., B.S., or B.F.A. degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or a baccalaureate or equivalent degree from a college or university outside the United States. An applicant's undergraduate major need not be in art history or the studio arts; however, applicants must demonstrate that they have a broad knowledge of the history of art as well as acquaintance with the contemporary visual arts.

Applications are encouraged from advanced graduate students in the humanities and social sciences|for example, graduate students in art history or in philosophy who are interested in critical and theoretical issues in the contemporary visual arts, or students in cultural history or sociology with interests in the institutional contexts of the contemporary arts. The graduate program at the Center offers such students an unusual opportunity to study with curators, critics, and scholars who are engaged in formulating new approaches to the exhibition and interpretation of contemporary art. Additionally, it provides opportunities for practical engagement with the tasks of curating that can offer invaluable lessons about contemporary art and the possibilities and limitations of exhibition as a mode of interpretation|lessons that cannot be gained from academic study alone.

Applications for admission are reviewed by the Graduate Committee. The committee assesses whether a candidate has sufficient knowledge of art history and the contemporary arts to profit from the program of study at the Center and demonstrates the intellectual ability, maturity, and motivation to pursue graduate-level courses and to complete a final M.A. project. The committee also considers each candidate's promise of making a contribution to the Center's intellectual life, particularly taking into account the Center's commitments to exploring contemporary art and exhibition practices from different disciplinary perspectives and in different cultures.

Applications and Forms

• Download catalogue
• Download application guidelines
• Apply online

Application Instructions

The deadline for receipt of completed applications for admission is February 1, 2009. An application is considered incomplete and cannot be acted upon until all the materials listed below are received by the Center for Curatorial Studies.

Applicants for admission must submit the following materials:

1. A completed application
2. A brief (two-page) statement describing the applicant's interests in the graduate program, previous academic preparation, relevant work experience, particular interests in contemporary art, and career plans
3. A brief (two- to three-page) review of a recent exhibition of contemporary art. We are especially interested in the applicant's assessment of the curatorial aspects of the exhibition|for example, how it structures and enhances the viewer's experience and understanding of the works it presents or, alternatively, how it fails to do so.
4. Official copies of transcripts from any undergraduate institutions and graduate programs in which the applicant has previously been enrolled
5. Three letters of recommendation, which must be sent by the recommenders directly to the Center for Curatorial Studies
6. A $65 application fee

Applicants are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test; however, any applicant who has taken the GRE General Test may request that an official copy of his or her scores be sent to the Center for Curatorial Studies.

Applicants will receive notification of admission by March 31, 2009, and must announce their decision about enrolling by April 15, 2009.

International Students

In addition to the above application materials, international applicants must provide evidence of proficiency in English—for example, a score of 550 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Proficiency in English may also be established by an interview and writing samples.

To receive visa documentation, international applicants must submit proof that their income from all sources will be sufficient to meet expenses for the residency period. A Certification of Finances must be completed. Evidence may come from the following sources:

1. An affidavit from a bank
2. Certification by parents or sponsors of their ability to provide the necessary funds
3. Certification by an employer of anticipated income

Transfer Credit

The graduate curriculum is organized to encourage ongoing discussion of curatorial issues among students of varied backgrounds and interests, and to this end, half of each student's courses are taken with his or her entering class. Consequently, only limited transfer credits (no more than 4 credits or the equivalent of two courses) will be given for course work completed elsewhere. Requests for transfer of credit must be made when a student applies for admission and will be reviewed by the Graduate Committee. Transfer credits may be used only to meet elective course requirements. Students receiving 4 transfer credits in a single distribution area will be required to take at least one further elective in that area during their studies at the Center.

Finances

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the 2009–10 academic year is $31,712. Fees include a $100 registration fee each semester and a $1,000 fee for exhibition expenses for the final master's degree project, which is charged in installments of $500 each semester of a student's second year. A $110 graduation fee is charged prior to graduation. Students who take longer than two years to complete their work toward the master's degree are charged a maintenance-of-status fee of $500 per year.

Schedule of Payment

New students must pay a $500 enrollment deposit by April 15, 2009. The deposit is not refundable if the student does not enroll. The enrollment deposit is credited to the student's account and refunded after the student graduates or if the student withdraws from the program at the end of the spring semester of the academic year. Tuition and fees for the academic year will be billed in two equal installments, with payments due on August 17, 2009 and January 11, 2010. Billing statements will reflect charges and financial aid awards, including all Federal Stafford Loan applications on file. Unpaid balances will be subject to a late payment fee of $100 and finance charges of 1 percent per month (12 percent per annum). A student who has outstanding indebtedness to Bard College will not be allowed to register or reregister, receive a transcript of record, have academic credits certified, or have a degree granted.

Refunds

No refund 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. In all cases, the student must submit an official request for withdrawal to the Graduate Committee. The date of submission of such a request will determine the amount of refund. Students who officially withdraw before the first day of classes for the term in question will be given a full refund of all charges, less the nonrefundable tuition deposit. If the official withdrawal from the program occurs after the first day of classes in a given term, tuition is refunded as follows. If the withdrawal occurs within the first week of classes, 75 percent of tuition is refunded; within the second week, 60 percent of the tuition is refunded; within the third or fourth weeks, 30 percent of the tuition is refunded; after four weeks, no refunds are given. Registration and student health insurance fees are not refundable.

Refunds to financial aid recipients who withdraw from the program will be affected by a reduction in the amount of grant; any institutional grant, scholarship, or fellowship will be reduced by the same percentage as indicated in the tuition refund schedule above. Refunds to federal aid (Federal Stafford Loan) recipients who withdraw will be calculated according to the federal refund policy concerning the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan to be returned to the lender. A student who is considering withdrawal may wish to confer with the Student Accounts Office and the Financial Aid Office concerning any anticipated refund and the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan that Bard 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.

No refund is made in cases of suspension or expulsion.